Semester Results and An Eye to the Future

It's now been a little while since my last post. I hope you all enjoyed my little special edition on the mechatronics competition. Now the grades are out and I get to see how I did. Unfortunately I had my worst semester since... well since I started really caring one way or the other. Here's how the dice fell: Mechatronics, B-; Heat Transfer, B-; Design Methodology, B-; and Intermediate Dynamics, D.

I think that the two largest factors resulting in these grades are the excessive amount of time that was required for the robot and the time I spent grading papers. Either one alone would have been harmful but the combination proved insurmountable.

Now I look to next semester. My schedule is laid out already (including an extra class to cover the D that I can't count for graduation) and since I have already quit grading papers the only challenge for me now is to come up with the money for tuition. I guess it's fortunate that I'm not a scholarship recipient. I would surely have lost it.

As far as money goes I've been trying to get some things going. It would have been nice to be able to start this process during the semester but it was impossible. I've been trying to get a job driving a mixer truck. Last week I applied at Jack Parsons and Geneva Rock which are two of the largest concrete suppliers in the valley and hopefully one of them will call me for an interview. I haven't finished my CDL test yet due to flakeage of others and now I want to wait to see if I hear from any of these companies. I don't want to spend $300 for nothing.

I also found out that I didn't get into the BS/MS program up at school. It's ok, though, that means I only have one year of school left. Since it will be my last year for a while I must start looking for a real job. In fact, if I can get one of those now I will keep it next year, but either way next years grades will be better than this years and hopefully increase my GPA. Once I finish and find work Chelsea has decided she wants to finish her accounting degree. I think it a great idea and I totally support her.

I'll try to keep you posted on the various summer activities until school starts again.