Tears...

Craig and I are talking over yahoo messenger while he's at work.


We're discussing computers.. and unix, solaris, etc.. its stuff I'm interested in.. and its stuff he does for a living. They pay is pretty good.. 130K+. I'm just not smart enough.

He thinks I am.. and he wants to me to try to learn it.. and I would love to.. but I won't be able to understand a bunch of it.. I'll ask stupid questions.. and I'm so scared of failing and being a disappointment. It makes me cry everytime I think about it.

What should I do?

Cassandra:

Not trying to be insensitive, but that's what they made school for.

If it is something you are interested in, pursue it for God's sake!

How will you know what you can be until you try something?

The worst thing in your life is to look back at the end of it and say "I should have..."

There is NOTHING you can't do if you put you mind to it. Sure it's scary, sure it will be hard. You will have frustrating, pull your hair out days, But that isn't a good enough reason not to try.

I think you can do it, Craig thinks you can do it. You've got to believe in yourself.

Cassie....I know exactly how you feel!!! I don't know much about computers either! If this is something you want to do for a living, then by all means go to school for it...but if you are just trying to understand it for his sake, and afraid he will think you are a dummy....just tell him the truth...that you really don't understand it very well....it won't make you seem stupid....you are probably smarter in other areas....and if he loves you, he will understand.

I want to learn it for me. I want to make it a hobby.. and possibly my career choice. I have told him that I'm not smart enough for this. He taught himself everything he knows about it. He went to college but not for computer. He taught himself through reading TONS and TONS of technical books and learning from his mistakes.

I can't get it through his thick skull that I am NOT like that. I can't just read 15 books and be an expert on it like him. He is soooo smart and so quick to learn. I'm such the opposite. As far as school goes... I can't afford it.. even with grants and such.. so I'm taking a few classes as I can afford them. If I depend on school for this.. I'll be 60 by the time I get done and can actually get a job off of my knowledge

Cassandra:

You know you could take a couple of technical-type courses to get started in a job, and often a company would pay or provide you with further training.

Cassie; You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to; if you WANT it bad enough! That is all I will say on that subject. That and the fact that you are NOT STUPID! Just SCARED and that is human. It is okay to be scared!

Now, to the MOST IMPORTANT problem. If you don't get to a doctor soon about your headaches; school and finances will be the LEAST of your problems. You won't have to worry about planning your future; because you WON'T HAVE ONE!!! I am sorry to sound so scary, but I (and many others here at TCS) am worried about you!!

Darlene

Girlfriend!

You will almost never regret doing the things you want, but you will almost always regret NOT doing them.

That's how we ended up in CA a few years ago, hubby had a dream and there was no way I was going to be an old lady listening to an old man carping about "I should have taken that job, I should have tried, I didn't do it because I was afraid of taking the risk" etc. It didn't work out, but so what? We gave it our best shot and we learned a lot and now we are doing something else.

My hubby, for what it's worth, GED'd his way out of high school at 16 and didn't go to college. He fell in love with Apple computers the first time he saw one and learned everything he could about them. Every time a new machine came out or a new operating system, he bought it and learned it. He's working with mainframes now, but when he was between jobs, he was getting offers from NASA and Dept. of Defense. Not that I'm a hawk, just that these guys know their stuff and they were interested in him. Computers is one of the few fields where experience counts for more than education sometimes.

Do it! Do it! Do it!

(And if it doesn't work, do something else.)

Good luck

Cassandra,

if you want it, you can do it. And like Sunlion said "Computers is one of the few fields where experience counts for more than education".

Talking of personal experience, I trained as a journalist, but work now as a web designer. I learned this all by myself, by reading, by making experiences, by surfing on the web and trying to learn from others experience. I haven't any degree in Computer Science, nor in Design but... i wanted to do it. I didn't take any classes, just by myself.

Of course, it takes some time, you must be patient, but I really think you can do it well before 60. Go for it (if you really want it)

Anne-Claire
(PS: do it for you, not for your boyfriend

Cassandra

If this is something you really enjoy and really want you cant help but do well at it. I always wanted to go into the art show thats held here once a year. But I always told myself I wasnt good enough. Finally I bit the bullet and entered my work in that show and I didnt look back. I have since been in other shows.

You dont want to look back when you are sixty and say I should have tried. Even if you didnt do as well as you would like at least you tried and no one can fault you for that.

SO GO FOR IT GIRL! And all the best to you.

Okay.. I've started reading up on Unix. I also started a tutorial last night.. and Craig helped me. I got so wrapped up in it that I ended up staying up waaaaay too late So now I'm dead tired.

We have one Sun computer. Craig has set the computer I'm on now up so that I can access his sun machine through this one.. so basically I can play on his machine through mine. Or something like that?


Anyway, I've started learning some of the codes for unix.. there is no way my brain can remember all this! :LOL: Craig has been a big help and has been sooo patient with my millions of questions in a few hours. I'll let you guys know how it goes.. if I actually succeed in this or if it just isn't for me.

Thanks for all the support guys.

Oh Deb25.. I DIDN'T know that. I will have to look into that.. thank you!

Thats great news Cassandra. Dont worry it will take some time but it will just start to sink in and you will remember it. Its just all new to you right now. All the best to you

I agree with Darlene, you need to see a Doctor and find out what is causing your terrible headaches, before you worry about anything else. I am only saying this because I you!!!!
I am glad you are going to go for it, as far as this computer thing is concerned, but dear, please take care of YOU first, and make sure nothing is wrong.