Crazy for MOOC!

I must have been working on Vigenere for a week and a half, off and on.  I finally got it this evening.  I was so close for so long, and I had this idea in my mind about what the code should be like.  But, that’s the funny thing about this course... pretty much every time, the solution I come up with is on a whim and is nothing like what I originally envision.  Plus, it’s a more elegant solution (I think, at least!).  

(Screenshot taken from http://billofrightsinstitute.org/) My reading material for this evening, for American Government.  Lately, my left lower eyelid has been twitching with great frequency.  Googling the issue (yeah, I know) tells me it’s because I’m getting too little sleep, view computer screens too often, and have too much stress.  I tried to use a screen reader to give my eyes a break, but that doesn’t work well for reading comprehension.  Oh well.  Sorry, eyes!  

...of all my free time.

About a month ago, I took a basic SQL course on Khan Academy.  It was just difficult enough to hold my attention, and I found it made me think out problems more methodically than I had before.  After completing the course, I immediately wanted more.  

A search returned edX, which I think I had heard of before but thought, for some reason, it was just a dumping grounds for lectures, with no care or attention towards a syllabus, or making sure those taking the course actually learned something.  I thought I’d give it a chance, and promptly signed up for CS50, the entry-level Computer Science course from Harvard.  

A week after starting, I decided I wanted more.  These courses actually require effort, they’re not the “dumping grounds” I had envisioned before.  You get graded!  You have assignments with deadlines!  So, I also signed up for Creativity & Entrepreneurship and American Government.  Then, Justice starts next month.  I think I may be overestimating my abilities here, a bit...