Blog #4 The Course Itself

There is no question that the content of this course is useful to me. At the same time, I have felt a level of frustration throughout this course equaled only by my morning gaze into the mirror. I have worked hard to understand the inner workings of computer systems, and I believe that I have started to get a "clue" when it comes to what makes a computer tick. I started this course with a blank slate, which I expected to be filled with computer knowledge to rival any IT professional. I thought this way in an attempt to psych myself up concerning the pursuit of content that I knew nothing about. In a conversation with the LMC director at my high school, I lamented the amount of time I have spent trying to acquire this information, and the fact that I felt that the investment in time didn't yield the strongest return. But this conclusion is not reached because of an ineffectiveness of the course. Instead, the issue at hand is the fact that I knew nothing about the guts of the computer. I can proudly say that I currently know slightly more than nothing. As I was describing some of the assignments, I realized I was using terminology that weeks earlier was foreign to me. So even though this has been a difficult journey for me, I know that this knowledge will be an excellent bridge to other courses within the program.
Prior to taking this course, I would have never thought about purchasing computer components in order to build a computer specifically designed for my needs. Now I am happily looking through component catalogues in order to design the super, dream computer. Since money is no object for a change, it has been a fun task to design this computer, albeit only in my dreamworld.
It is remarkable the transformation in my attitude and knowledge concerning computers throughout this course. To illustrate this point, I will tell of a dove, who in the last couple of days decided to nest in a planter outside my back door. As I went outside this morning, I was greeted with the mother watching over a new egg. The mother dove sits diligently on the nest, presumably ensuring that no harm will befall her unborn offspring. I would like to say that I represent something noble in this analogy, but I am relegated to being the egg. In this fledgling stage of my computer education, I need to be watched and nurtured because I can't do it all by myself. :)
I know that I will not be ripping apart my MacBook to see how it works any time soon, but I do have a better idea about how the whole process works. There shouldn't be anything changed concerning this course, because even though I struggled throughout, I know that I will be stronger in other areas of study. I look forward to building upon this foundation in future courses.