Kicking Myself

So last semester I took this class in the Comm department. There's a running unspoken rivalry between the English and Comm departments (We think all Comm majors are stupid, can't write, and don't know what to do with their lives. They think we're snooty, awkward, and stuck in a poetry-induced trance. There's some validity to both.) Anyway, so I ended up in this class because I thought I had to take it, but then I didn't -- long story. The point is, I really didn't want to take this 7:45 class, and I didn't like my classmates, and thought the whole thing was stupid. Plus, my teacher said he wasn't really a teacher, and we could do whatever we wanted as long as we spent 130 hours on a project over the semester. He literally didn't teach me a thing (the course was project based, and essentially self-taught), and the words, "I don't care about quality work" literally came out of his mouth.

So I basically blew it off, knowing that I could pull an A without too much trouble. It was a new media and strategies class, so I created a book blog and read books and wrote blog posts all semester. Most of my classmates were doing stuff with Google Analytics and SEO and stuff, but I blew the class off and coasted. (In my defense, I had several other much more rigorous courses that I was focusing on.) I got an A for like 70% effort, a topic which we'll discuss at a later time.

Well. Now I have this fancy new job as a technical writer. I had my first client meeting today, and guess what he asked me about? Google Analytics and SEO. Crap. I COULD HAVE LEARNED! I COULD BE AN EXPERT! If I had stinking been a little more mature about it, I could have started knowing what I was doing instead of overcoming a learning curve on the job. Freak freak freak. Crap crap crap. 

The worst thing is I had a feeling that I was going to get this job, and I "ended up" in this class that I didn't have to take. If I had stinking had my spiritual eyes open, I might have seen that maybe God was giving me a heads up and some preparation.

Gah! Giant Squid of Something moment!