Nano Epiphany and Other Things

                I know that I have been busy with Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) so I haven’t been writing on Blogger much. Today I have to take a mental break (I am currently at 17,676 words and 20,000 is my next goal). I am ahead 3 days so I deserve the rest. Also I have had a great epiphany. While perusing the #Nanowrimo hashtag yesterday, I came across some woman who wasn’t participating in this year’s competition because it coincided with her doctoral thesis. We tweeted each other and I learned that writing a 50,000-word novel was similar to writing a doctoral dissertation. The lightbulb went off immediately.

                I admit that I have been toying around with returning to school for my doctoral degree but I am conflicted about which major I should pursue.  I know that economics is the most math intensive out of statistics and business administration, but it is very hard. Personally, I don’t want to be seen as a math slacker. I am leaning towards taking statistics because it is out of 100 and I can still hold tight to my NASA Astronaut dreams. To become a NASA Astronaut, I need to have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree. Statistics will qualify me for this. Furthermore, becoming an astronaut satisfies my inner Trekker. My mother has hooked me on the original Star Trek with William Shatner while growing up in Cleveland. I always want to be in something science-related. Therefore, earning a statistics degree puts me front and center. Although I have some incomplete education elsewhere, I still believe that with adequate preparation and discipline that I can accomplish my stats goal (It would be great to write about my statistical analysis too!).

Self-Investment on a Shoestring Budget

            I’ve enrolled in this regression analysis course and the instructor wants us to use either SAS, Stata, JMP or other commercial statistical software. Well. SAS wants $199 for a 6-month license so I check to see if StatCrunch processes the same and viola it does!  This move has saved me $199 and much needed time in learning how to do regression in SAS.  The great part is that I can use StatCrunch for the upcoming logistic regression next June. I truly want to improve my job performance and advance my career and thanks to StatCrunch, I don’t have to break the bank!

Lose to Win

             I’m quitting intro to quantitative risk analysis because the software company wants me to use my work email.  I can only use it at work not home.  I buy the book but cannot use it. I email the online college and the software liaison of my decision because I just want this over with already.  Now my focus is on project management. I’ve purchased the corresponding book but cannot use it which is frustrating.  Therefore, I just might return it. It’s with amazon and the truth is that the book isn’t needed for the class.

            I have to turn down my cousin begging for money. This time she’s asking for $20-$30. I tell her that I cannot because of my rent which is true.  I just feel that it is eerily convenient that she’s asking me first. I tell my father about this. I don’t tell her how I’ve given her $100 for Christmas presents. Personally, I think it’s unfair that she begs me for money.

            Yes! I’ve paid $293 for PMP software but it’s my money and I’ve budgeted for it. I haven’t budgeted to take care of her, her children and myself.  In the past month I have started standing up for myself because I’m not tolerating craziness anymore. I’m paying my bills and focusing on me!

            On a much happier note, today is my mother’s and aunt’s birthdays. I will eat a late dinner at Policy restaurant reflecting on everything.  I have grown enormously this year.  I am learning to work on me more than ever and when to focus on myself.

            I eat dinner at Policy last night because it was my money.  The nerve of my cousin to contact me thinking that I am her personal piggy bank!  I try out the brisket sliders which were delicious!  Chewing every morsel was my personal revenge at her thinking that she could just disrupt my life like it was nothing!  Well, I get the last laugh. Ha!

Policy DC Brisket Sliders and Fries

One Year and Counting

            I have celebrated my one year anniversary with my current employer.  I have learned to become more self-reliant since my current agency doesn’t offer clear instructions like my former agency.  Thus far I’ve spent money enrolling in several online statistics courses.  Currently, I am enrolled in intro to quantitative risk analysis to learn more about creating model to predict the riskiest clients saving us millions of dollars.  Even though my agency wants this to happen, it doesn’t have a plan ironed out; therefore, I’ve taken the initiative.  This initiative has helped me become stronger. I admit that in the beginning I was over my head; however, I’ve managed to right the ship acquiring a new level of resiliency in the process.  Furthermore, having taken all of these classes have me contemplating going to doctoral school for either statistics or biostatistics. One year from now, I will have my promotion and a clearer understanding. Most importantly, I will look back at today and say ‘what a piece of cake!’

Being Open to Change

This month I will have been on my new job for 8 months; and, in 4 more months I will receive my next promotion.  This realization motivates me to purchase the Be Your Own Boss book because I need to manage my money and opportunity.  Last night I attended the DC Black MBA Christmas party.  I observed that most members were only 5-10 years older than I was but earning less than I did.  Right then I sat still analyzing peoples’ conversations.  Being still sharpened my intuition.  Mentally I saw myself 5-10 years older as a corporate executive armed with my MBA/PMP/CPA/CQE certifications not stuck in middle management.  Obtaining my CAPM certification resulted in my receiving this job.  It took me 3 years to land this job but I didn’t quit and didn’t resign myself to the fate that I’d always be stuck in the middle. Securing the PMP/CPA/CQE certifications guaranteed at least two more promotions. 

            Returning to purchasing the book, even though I am not starting a business yet, I equate my professional career as a business.  Since I know that I will receive another promotion in 4 more months, I must position myself to be successful.  I will earn $16,000 more money and might even exceed the payroll tax maximum.  Next year I will travel more.  I will attend the NBA All-Star weekend in Houston.  If I like Houston, I will return for the Black MBA annual conference next September. Personally, I want to read this book as mental preparation for the new year.  I am already using my own money to enroll in statistics classes and read quality engineering books for my job.  This change is heaped on me without notice.  Learning how to effectively manage unforeseen changes in a business context will help me personally and professionally in 2013.

Completing Statistics 1

            I have submitted my final assignment for my online statistics 1 class this evening.  It is a big step in the right direction.  Having been on the job for 7+ months, I’ve been spinning my reels trying to discover what my job duties were.  Once they were finalized, I saved my money enrolling in this class. The new fiscal year dried up education funds but I had enough money from my new promotion to pay for it.  Taking this statistics course was the best decision I made that November because then I got hit with a whammy: they wanted me to perform quality engineer duties!  Hello!  My job title was statistician not quality engineer; however, reading the American Society for Quality and the quality engineer description aligned with what they wanted. 

I thanked God that I had the math and one operations management class that I took at Cleveland State to give me a background about this newfound territory else I’d be lost and gave up.  I learned about acceptance sampling and creating sample plans.  I downloaded some sample chapters and discovered that the online statistics school offered an acceptable sampling course next spring.  I wasn’t waiting for April when my boss wanted it now!  Therefore, I purchased the quality engineering statistics book and saved my money for statistics 2.  The school had a three-course beginning statistics schedule.  By the time I finish, it’ll be February allowing me to enroll in statistical process control.   When I finish SPC, I’ll take acceptance sampling.  I possess great timing because come New Year’s Day, I’ll be done with statistics 1 and 2.  I’m halfway done by the time the ball drops welcoming in 2013.  I will look back at all of this thinking what a journey.  I’ve started from 0 to this and still managed to be standing.

On the Eve of My First Business Trip

            I am happy about preparing for this El Paso trip.  It’s my first professional one.  I’ve only be here for 6 weeks and out of the blue, the director asks me to join him, the Deputy Director and another employee.  The request is so fast that even with the GSA travel training and credit screening, I have to pay for my own room because it comes less than 10 days needed to process my stuff.  I will be reimbursed as soon as I touch down in DC. The only bad thing is that it’ll be 99 degrees everyday in El Paso versus 75 degrees in DC. 

This is my chance to prove my mettle by showcasing my statistical prowess.  While reviewing my total quality applications lessons, all of the advanced statistics knowledge starts returning.  I mean every tidbit: t-distribution, F-distribution, z-score, null hypothesis.  Everything which is the reason why I call all of the local bookstores seeing if they carry Statistics Essentials for Dummies.  None of them do forcing me to use Google Play.  I will still order the physical copy that I can hold, highlight and write notes in via Amazon that’ll await me upon my return. It lets me flesh out everything that I’ve read during the trip. 

Perfect Chemistry

Yippee!  Ed2Go has an Introduction to Chemistry course!  Even with total quality applications and managing customer service, I will enroll in this because I’ve always wanted to take chemistry.  I made the mistake of skipping it to take physics in high school because I wanted to sit my senior class instead of juniors.  I ended up failing physics miserably.  However, since then I have taken linear algebra and three calculus classes adequately preparing me for chemistry.  I will supplement the online class with Chemistry Essentials for Dummies and reviewing all of the course’s links because I will absorb everything like a sponge!  The Dummies series have a lot of chemistry books which I will pour over.  I don’t want to simply learn the basics.  I want to be able to return to UDC and take a couple of courses.  Right now I want to expand my career opportunities.  Science and technology offer a wide array of quality jobs.  Besides, with the high start-up businesses, mastering science gives me a working knowledge of their products.  I am very big on conducting due diligence and knowing that I can proficiently read the science materials will help the agency.  However, I will not stop at chemistry but continue onto physics and statistics.

I might even weave in some physics because it is closely connected to calculus and statistics.  I think that taking the online chemistry serves as the launching pad towards returning to physics because I am in science.  This entire year I’ve been thinking about jumping back into science because I’ve been away too long.  2010 was the last time that I took a math class; and, since, I am working in quality metrics so beefing up my math and science are necessary.  Thus far, I’ve enrolled in total quality fundamentals to relearn statistical tools.  This new analyst job is fertile ground to delve deeper into these two disciplines.  These science classes will not compete with my filmmaking and project management because science intersects with these two fields.  I know that it is nerdy to be giddy over an introductory chemistry class but hey I love learning more. 

           

Week One in Econometrics

The instructor overdid it by lecturing the entire three hours straight! We had to beg him for a break. Also it was totally unnecessary to start the course with calculus II-III and linear algebra overview. That made me glad that I took all of those requisite math classes and AU graduate school courses else I would had dropped econometrics immediately! Actually, while others scrambled I was thankful for the opportunity to refresh my math and statistical knowledge because this semester I am studying advanced statistics and next semester I will return take another econometrics course. If I could survive the math review certainly I can thrive next week's simple regression lesson!

Opportunity Journal Entry #27: Testing Out of Elementary Statistics II

This Tuesday I learned from my advisor that I only had to pay $50 to test out of elementary statistics II. Dr. Rice told me that he was using the same book and would send me an email (He still has not after emailing him a reminder). However, I refuse to wait on him so today I call the math department to receive a copy of the syllabus. I will call again because this is so important to me. I really need the copy to finalize my study schedule. I have a lot going for me. Presently I am enrolled in business statistics so I am mentally fresh to take the exam. For the rest of fall semester, I will use my business statistics resources to prepare for elementary statistics. Even though I will only receive credit, this is exactly what I want because it enables me to qualify for more science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations.