I’m now two and a half months into my full time job life experience and it’s interesting to say the least. While I’m already missing spring, summer and winter vacations I’ve also grown accustomed to living financially independent. Boy does it feel good.

TuneUp

Admin Interface

Has been a truly awesome experience thus far. I started out as an intern and I’m now doing support, forum management and some web stuff (both public and private).

One of the coolest things I’ve done thus far is a redesign of the internal admin interface (picture attached). You can’t really tell how cool it is, but take my word for it..it’s pretty awesome! I’m also working on some graphics and such that I can’t talk about yet, but I’m pretty excited for!

While it’s definitely challenging, TuneUp’s an awesome experience so far and I plan on enjoying for as long as possible. The work environment is like nothing I’ve experienced anywhere else (in how relaxed and down to earth it is), the perks are great and my pay is more than enough for me to live comfortably here in SF (with a few room mates).

SFSU

Just won’t let me go. Seriously! I find it ridiculous that after paying for tuition all these years, they’ll stick tack on “graduation filing fees”, gown rentals, etc. etc. etc. You really have to jump through hoops just to graduate. The ceremony is on May 23rd, and it can’t happen soon enough. I’m thoroughly excited to walk away from SFSU, degree in hand.

If I ever “make it” in the web design community / industry I’m definitely planning on coming back to SFSU and demanding they let me teach a class on current web design. Even if I learn nothing new in the next 5 years, what Alexis and I could teach would be lightyears ahead of what’s currently being taught. *Sigh*…

Everything else

Kinda just falls in place (sort of). While I’m getting fairly comfortable with my “business” life, my social life has been lacking lately. Think it’s time to hit the bars with the friends on weekends again. All in all, my life is fairly balanced…just needs a few tweaks here and there till I’m fully comfortable. Then again, someone once said, “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” so I guess I’ll play that one by ear.

Till next time…

Though the doctors say she isn’t 100% in the clear yet (the cancer could come back), the outcome is looking great. Other than sleeping for 27 hours in the past two days, Nicole’s been feeling fine. While the biopsy news is great, they also told her that she might have an infection. Nicole’s now on on antibiotics to prevent anything serious from developing. The infection isn’t serious, and she should be back to 100% soon enough!

The problem.

My issue with education has always felt like it started and ended with San Francisco State University. I’m slowly beginning to realize that SFSU is but a symptom of a much larger problem. Speaking with students from other universities, both public and private (ranging from $3,000-$35,000 a year), it seems the feelings are consistent: We’re paying something for a whole lot of nothing.

While society has adopted the message of college educations yielding better job opportunities, incomes and futures; I have to disagree.

My rant.

I’m in my fifth year of college for my four year degree.

Not because I’m lazy, not because I slacked off, and not because I’m not intelligent enough. SFSU is overselling their classroom capacities, and students are paying the price. For some reason, I doubt SFSU is the only school guilty here.

SFSU's "Budget Central"

Students should be protesting, bringing media attention to this issue and making noise…but they’re content to say they want change instead. SFSU has set up a Budget Central website that keeps students in the loop with what’s going on. Most students, however, don’t even know it exists. Furthermore, as the last updated (August 1, 2008 at the time of this post) stamp shows, SFSU isn’t really doing their part to keep it up to date.

What have I done?

Whine, whine, whine you might say. What have I done besides rant on my blog? What action have I taken to better the situation?

I attended numerous IDSA (International Design organization that decided it’d be a good idea to raise awareness of the budget issues) orgranized meetings regarding the budget cuts, and at one, someone brought up the need for a website (before SFSU stepped in to create one). I volunteered my services and within a week CSUbudget.com was launched.

It featured a really cool letter to the Governor generator, Representative information and even a email blaster to get the word out to your friends. The IDSA group promised to push the website out to as many people as they could reach…the site “peaked” with 7 visitors in a day. One was probably me.

How do we fix this?

In light of the recent economic troubles the US is facing, budget cuts on a college campus seem trivial. Why is a few hundred million important when the country needs a $700 billion bailout? Education is paramount to better the economy. Smarter citizens make for better decision makers, more qualified workers and an overall improvement of society. We need more smarter peoples.

I could reiterate that “It’s time for action” spiel, but I know it won’t get anyone to do anything. Here’s what I’ve come to realize:

No one gives a shit. No one will go out of their way to get things done. No one will ever do anything without the motivation of personal gain.

That’s it. Game over. Vote for change, vote for McCain, vote for whoever you want. Take out a loan, default, foreclose your home…the world moves on. Just relax, bend over and take it.