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I received my certificate for the NVQ Level 2 course in Professional Cookery, of which I studied for the past several months, yesterday.

Yay.

It has the names of each module I studied ( all seventeen ) and is slightly different looking to the other certificates I have.

After finishing the course, I was able to keep my log-book; which is great, as I can look back through it for nostalgia stuff and what-not.

Hmm, I require a frame.

I haven’t mentioned college in a while. I guess it falls under the lack of blogging full stop though.

The course is going well, I enjoy this a lot more than any other course I have done, which is brilliant.

My log book is almost complete, and I still have a few items to tick off for last week. I haven’t really done anything meat based yet, but that should come soon, hopefully.

Chef took a list from us a while ago on what we needed to do, and of late it’s been fish based and baking in the skills lesson.

Each of the tests we get are pretty easy, and we have the opportunity to bring them home; since we just rule.

I have learnt quite a bit about cooking, and have re-sparked my time spent in the kitchen. I now cook more than I eat. Whether that means I cook too much or eat less I don’t know, but it’s fun either way.

Half term soon; I certainly look to be beating my education record.

A couple of days ago my mam was sent a brand new desktop from university to allow her to complete the degree course she’s on. This came about when they told her the current (now older) machine wouldn’t handle the software required for the course.

Just glancing at the new box we feel it’s worse, spec wise, with a smaller monitor; no wireless card; and Vista basic. I doubt there is a graphics card; bigger hard disk; and more memory. There was no spec sheet and I don’t want to prod about inside just yet.

Basically the university paied over-the-top prices for a poor machine. All we had to do was add a few additional sticks of memory in the previous box.

Not to worry though, when the time comes I’ll jiggle bits about. The previous machine has now been allocated to my step-dad, and his old one (and I mean old) has been scavenged by moi.

From back when XP decided to assassinate my old machine I have had various bits floating about, so have decided to take three machines and build/re-build them into two.

I choose to re-add everything back into my first case, the Dell Dimension 5100, as it’s extremely quite. So, unplugging all external components; opening all the cases; setting myself on the lino; and grounding myself to thin air I proceeded to remove optical drives; hard disks; memory; floppy drive; and graphics card.

Box1: My first, the Dell Dimension 5100
Box2: My newest, a custom case with donor parts from Box1
Box3: The old machine, now a donor to Box2

With all the bits spread across the lino, I began to fit the Box2 hard disk; memory; and optical drive into Box1, with the optical drive and 512MB of memory going back ‘home’. I then took the floppy drive and a CD re-writer from Box3 and placed them into Box1. I have left the graphics card as the screw holding it to the case (preventing theft) is actually doing a perfect job (preventing theft that is), the screw head has been stripped so I can’t use a screwdriver. I shall need to find a set of small pliers to take the bugger out.

With those parts now in place, I began to add the hard disk and DVD ROM drive from Box3 into Box2. With all but the graphics card and processors shifted about, I hit a bit of a snag.

Initially, I wasn’t planning to swap the processor from Box2 back to Box1 as Box3 would cover it. I was wrong. Although it is a pentium4, the processor in Box3 has pins, but the plate thingy in Box1 doesn’t have holes. Since Box2 had the processor from Box1 I deduced Box3’s wouldn’t fit Box2. (I hope your keeping up, with all my colour schemes). This meant I had to move the processor back to Box1, which is fine, but I now had to move the hard disk and optical drive back to Box3, and put the processor back in. Yes, I had taken it out by this time.

After some more un-screwing, and cable prodding, I had Box1 re-built; Box2 half empty; and Box3 re-built. When I have an in-flux of money I need to buy a stick of memory and a processor to build up Box2, as Box3’s memory is DDR and won’t fit DDRII slots. I will keep the heat sink from Box3 as it was spotlessly clean (I’ll swap it into Box2), and aim to have the graphics card out over the next few days.

The motherboard; power pack; and cables will be used as spares, along with the noisy heat sink from Box2. I have no use for the processor and memory so they’ll be up for sale if anyone is in need, just leave a comment or use the websites contact form.

All in all it was a decent evening.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’m typing this from Box1.

Having been unfortunate at finding employment in various fields I have decided to head back into education, this time going back to college.

I’ve decided to gain an NVQ 2 in Professional Cookery, whilst studying at the new Middlesbrough College, in Middlehaven.

I haven’t officially started the course yet, that’s next week, due to it only being part time. If my job prospects hold out, I shall be employed shortly as well. Cool.

Being a cookery course, I need to wear a fancy chef’s outfit complete with scull-cap and apron. I will also have a full set of professional knives for the course, how cool is that. I’m not sure when I’ll have these items as I need to apply for assistance in buying them, but the college won’t release funding until the end of the month so I’m slightly stumped.

I’ve also tried to apply for the Adult Learning Grant, but the college has no forms available. Phoning the company directly leaves me ringing and ringing and ringi… you get the idea.

Driving up to college means I also need a parking permit. Guess what! Yep, the college doesn’t have any of those either. I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have bothered. I’m bugging my brother (well, I asked him) to get me a permit from work so I can park in the multi-story car park. These need renewing every three months though.

What is it with parking permits? I have to send proof that I actually have a car to get a permit to park outside my own house, that I’ll never be able to do due to other people parking there for two hours, as it’s also a public bay for up to two hours. *screams* I need too, with all this rubbish going on.

I’m taking a course at college to gain a certificate in food hygiene, which will not only look good on my slightly expanding C.V. but will allow me to work somewhere as an assistant chef, as I have decided to head down that route of employment as well as web design.

You may know that I like to bake every now and then, but I also like to spend time in the kitchen, and not just for the eating part. As I have a very low budget I don’t really buy anything fancy to cook, so I have no specialty. Which is a shame.

I’m hoping the certificate opens a few doors, allowing me to gain some knowledge and motivation to create fancy dishes for not-so-fancy people.
The course is spread over three weeks; consisting of only three days; with three hours per evening, from 6pm until 9pm; beginning next Tuesday, 6th of May. As I sleep a lot this is suitable for me so I’m happeh.

I shall update with news as and when required.

“What do you know about Designing Grid Systems” my mam asked me yesterday evening. “ermm”, I glanced; than followed in the direction of the folder, little realising I would be stuck doing part of her course material stuffs.

On the interior design course at University they have the ’students’ drawing out a grid that follows the page ratio of 1:1.414 .. well they try to get them to do it but no-one understands it. As I found out when the work was passed to me.

Not to worry though, me being clever and all managed to complete part one after around two hours line drawing and calculator using. Although I need to work through it to be more precise measurements and draw it onto A3 size, since I roughed it onto A4 squared paper.

Then there is part two to start, all about ‘The Golden Rectangle’, whatever that manages to be. Apparently all of this can be used in web design .. after the morning I had I think I’ll stick to notepad.

Oh well, I shall get on with the task in hand either tomorrow or throughout the week, while my mam is away on holiday, and I’m kitteh sitting.

I have recently decided to partake in a training course with Pitman Training. They’re a company that allows you to gain a diploma in a subject area you wish to learn, all in just a few short weeks.

I’ve opted for a DreamWeaver course to help me in looking for employment within the web design industry. For some reason they all seem adamant about using DW, even though it sucks. I dare say if I’d have ever used it to create my sites they wouldn’t look the same as they do through using notepad.

Over the next six weeks, a total of 22 hours, I’ll be lowering my standards to create a botched; badly coded; invalid; website. All for a qualification.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress. – On a lighter note I am quarter of the way complete with the updates to my web empire. The blog has been completed; the forum upgraded, with a lot still left to do; and the website at the halfway stage. I’m having trouble relocating the IF boards that the skins are on, so it will be a while before those are finished.

It’s now official .. well, not really but as I was saying .. I have left my university life and decided to look for work.

The Web Design course wasn’t working out the way I wanted, so I decided to drop out, again!

It makes more sense to me to look for employment within a web design company and to gain the experience and qualifications that way. Learning new languages myself is much better than wasting time on a pointless course that won’t teach me what I want to learn anyway.

Looking at my ‘results’ I at least managed to complete two ICA’s, albeit group ones. I have also been referred .. but what too I don’t know, and I’m not too bothered about.

Hopefully I can manage to find a job sometime soon. Bill’s need to be paid!

Due to my recent hard-drive death I have lost my Website Development ICA when the formatting took place.

I hadn’t managed to upload it to my server which I regret.
The deadline is June 1st so I’ll have the opportunity to redo it, whether I should bother to I can’t decide, since I’ll be failing the course anyway; leaving university life; and looking for training and work with web design employers. This will be more beneficial to me as I will learn a lot more and have an equal chance to gain a qualification while training with a company.

I may decide to do it, and add it into my portfolio.

Well it was inevitable. The course officially sucks!

I hate it. With the exception to the Web Development module, which is my favorite and the only one I like, the course has nothing to do with Web Design. It’s aimed more towards game animation, with like characters and levels and stuff.

Put those skills into a website. I haven’t learned anything new, other than a little bit on how to use Flash 8. Don’t ask me what though.

I think my time would have been better spent teaching myself PHP & Ajax & JavaScript & *enter other languages here* .. but not c++, I hate that.

Pfftt, another year wasted. Geez, my life sucks. New topic title: Life Really Sucks, I could make a whole series about the suckness of stuff.