Graduated, Now What?

Well, now that I am a week out from graduating, I actually have time to write! I'll start by giving an overview of some of the classes I took during my time at Bates.

A couple of my favorite classes were all linked together under the Windows Server 2003 umbrella. I took the general Server class, the Active Directory class, and Managing Network Infrastructure. What really ended up drawing me towards this area was the time I got to spend hands on with three lab servers. I got to set up my own network with three servers and two hosts. I learned how to manage the different types of servers, DNS, DHCP, File and Printer, and the Active Directory. During the Active Directory portion, I was able to learn and explore all the different kinds of permissions that were available through the Group Policy editor. While setting up the servers, I got to apply the knowledge that I've learned about static IP addressing and networking.

This ties directly into another one of my favorite classes. I had the awesome priviledge of being in the Cisco Networking Academy. I learned about different routing protocols including OSPF, RIP v. 1 and 2, IGRP and EIGRP too. I also learned in depth about the OSI model and the predecessor TCP/IP model. I learned a lot about the Cisco IOS and how to configure by command line, Cisco routers.

I also took a Windows XP class which was also a very hands on class. We learned how to troubleshoot, configure, and reinstall the operating system. We also used Windows XP on all of our school computers until Windows 7 came out.

When Windows 7 Beta was released, we got to try it before anyone else. We also were able to get the Release Candidate and then the real copy of the OS. It was really cool being able to see the new OS before anyone else and being able to be a part of the Beta testing. I'm glad that I had the oppurtunity to get a copy and familiarize myself with the new OS.

We also had a PC Repair Shop in our class. From March to July of this year, I was the manager of the shop. I handled all of the intakes from students, staff, and people from the community. We used an Access database to keep track of everything. Some of my responsibilites included assigning computers to technicians, overseeing progress on each job, and completing jobs myself. I also handled the pricing for each computer. We normally charged $25 dollars but would charge more if we made a CD backup of their OS, or sometimes charged nothing if there was nothing we could do. We mainly worked with Windows OS' but I did have the oppurtunity to work on a couple of Macbooks which I've never done before. It was interesting troubleshooting problems on an OS that I'd never seen before. I ended up doing quite a lot of Internet research! One of the Macbooks we were able to fix but the other one, I found out through it's Firmware diagnostic testing and subsequent errors, had a hard drive malfunction that could not be fixed by me. It was a great learning opportunity and really put my research skills to the test!

Another cool thing that I was involved in was the PC User's Club. For the 2008-2009 school year, I was the president of the club. Our treasurer ended up leaving so I was in charge of all the finances, meetings, activites, and fundraising. We had meetings every week where a different speaker, usually a fellow student, would discuss something new they found. We had different websites, backup options, peripherals, and technician tools discussed. It was very cool seeing what everyone else was looking at and studying. We also held a very successful fundraiser selling 2 and 4 GB flash drives for the holidays. We ended up raising about $400 total from that alone. We also held a toy drive for Toys For Tots. It's great to give back.

Anyway, I will definitely be writing more often now that I have a little time! I have to run and meet my study partner for some certification studying.


-Kristin

Resurrection

As I'm nearing the end of college, I'm starting to read more about how to find a job. Market yourself, create an online presence, be professional. These are all topics that I see come up over and over again, so I figured, why not resurrect this blog and keep track of the end of my college days, and my job search?

In this economy, I fully admit that I am scared to death to make the leap from school to career. I wonder things like how long will it take me to find a job? and Is there one out there for me?

I know I have skills that employers are looking for, I just have to grow confidence in myself and put myself out there and find the perfect fit between me and an employer.

Hello? Are you out there?