The End?
I made it. This is my final week in the CS Online program here at CSUMB. I still have one final hurdle in the form of a mock technical interview for my "Special Topics" course. I didn't need the course and almost regret taking it, but it was a good refresher and provided some great tips for preparing for technical interviews (which frighten me very much). Overall, I think this was a great program. It was definitely intense at times, but not generally due to the material. I actually thought it would be more difficult. The real challenge was the back-to-back abridged courses with few breaks. It was just a 100 week grind of courses more akin to summer courses than regular ones. I think I would have preferred to take them simultaneously over full semesters, but it's kind of a moot point now.
What happens next is the real scary part. I've wanted a bachelor's degree since I was a kid, but I know the piece of paper doesn't guarantee anything. I used to joke around with my classmates in community college that I would end up as a well-educated security guard. Not that there is any shame in honest work, but I think I could have selected an easier major if I was just seeking to "check the box." I just really love computers and programming. I didn't want my hobby to be my job, but as I've gotten older I've started to believe that I am meant to be in this field (despite all my self-doubts). It may not be as a developer, though. I really want to teach it at an introductory level, preferably at community college. I want to help inspire people to pursue a degree in this field. I will need a master's degree if I'm serious about it, but the thought of two more years of this grind makes me want to curl into a ball.
Although these past few months I've wanted nothing more than to be done, I think I will end up missing it. I found a certain comfort logging into Canvas and working on assignments. I could delay facing the "real world" just a little bit longer as long as I was in school. Eventually, though, it has to end. I can't stay in school forever. Even if I go to grad school, I don't have enough GI Bill left to get all the way through. I have to find a job no matter what. At least with online school, I can work and still spend adequate time with family. The only downside to doing everything online is that sometimes I don't feel like I actually attend the school. If it wasn't for my internship, I never would have visited campus prior to graduation. Visiting campus helped me establish a physical connection to CSUMB. I feel like a real Otter now and even have my OtterCard. I definitely recommend that students in this program make the journey if possible.
