I’m looking to become a RDA in the next year after transitioning from active duty military, it’s important to me that I’m still able to work while doing school, so I found a local 12 week program that I will graduate with BLS CPR and x ray cert, tuition is around 4k and I can’t help but feel like there’s a catch to this program when seeing that others can up to a year? Is buying into this program a bad idea? Does it affect my hiring chances when I start applying? It’s hybrid learning with virtual learning M-F with in office learning on Saturdays, with a mandatory externship done throughout the course. It’s the perfect option for me to balance my job and children. It’s not attached to a college it’s (city name) dental assistant school and that’s it. Please help could it be a waste of my money and time?

https://www.nhl.com/news/valeri-nichushkin-enters-nhl-nhlpa-player-assistance-program-stage-3

which comes with a minimum six-month suspension without pay before he's eligible to apply for reinstatement. Source
He was an ex Dallas stars player and plays for the team we are playing against so I thought this was relevant
Mods remove of not allowed

I work for a small family-owned law office that specializes in estate planning, probates, bankruptcy & trust administration. The entire staff consists of the attorney, his wife, his son, and myself.
I was hired as a legal assistant but since I’ve completed my paralegal certificate program, I have recently been assigned a significantly heavier workload. I am still responsible for the administrative tasks of scheduling, client correspondence & menial paper-pushing tasks.
I am now also responsible for the entirety of the chap 7 bankruptcy process as well as the entirety of the trust admin process from the intake phone call to drafting the final letter. I am also still responsible for preparing the estate planning documents for signing.
My boss’s wife does absolutely nothing. Her title is “office manager” and she is responsible for billing (which she only works on 2x/month). Otherwise, she finds random tasks to do like cleaning out the fridge and putting sticky notes on random crap. His son also does nothing. He is supposed to prepare the deeds & PCORs (only in the estate planning aspect of our office as I do this for trust admin/probate cases).
We are so far behind because my boss is very popular & does not like telling clients “no.” But the son’s tab of work is also significantly far behind & today the attorney asked me, “why are they so far behind?” I just stared at him blankly because I was shocked that he was surprised to find that they accomplish nothing.
How do I address this and with whom? With them? With my boss? It is affecting our workflow and the attorney should truly be the only one thats backlogged. I could do everything the son does in one or two days tops. When I’ve offered to help him, he was very defensive and said he needed to complete them for “job security.”
I really like them as people. I just dont like when the wife tries to power trip and tell me I’m not working hard enough or whatever else she has to say. I used a lot of my sick time already because I had my wisdom teeth out & kept getting sick afterwards. I only have meetings to discuss my work ethic on days after I’ve used my sick time
I truly think they just need 4 people on payroll in case of another pandemic and foregiveable PPP loan….. (before they started there was 1 lady doing the work or all 3 of us and I genuinely think that’s all it should be)

Hey everyone,
I'm currently facing some financial challenges and could use some advice on whether taking a year off from school would be a good idea to manage my debt or if I should tough it out for another 2.5 years to finish my degree.
Here's some background information:

• I'm halfway through my BSEE degree.
• I'm currently in a CO-OP program.
• I have $20K in credit card debt (currently at 0% interest due to assistance received) and $10K in student loans.
• I also have a $50K mortgage.

Right now, I'm breaking even month-to-month during the semester by making minimum payments. During the summer, I manage to save a bit for the upcoming semester. I'm currently taking classes at my local community college but plan to transfer to a university next semester, although I need to pay off $2K of past-due tuition to transfer my credits.
I'm hesitant to take a year off because I don't want to lose my CO-OP experience, and I've heard it can be difficult to go back to college as time goes on.
However, taking a year off would help me avoid accumulating more debt. If I continue without a break, I estimate graduating with around $100K in debt, including additional student loans for school.
Here are my plans:
Plan A: Get a second full-time job this summer, work hard, and pay off some of my debt.
Plan B: Work at a local company to pay down debt and take 1-2 classes per semester with tuition covered by the company.
Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I've found myself in HTalent Acquisition and it really wasn't my intention. I've been doing this for about 3 years, my main responsibility is background checks (reporting, adjudicating background files, tons of email and correspondence, adhering to employment laws, analyzing risk, etc.) I feel like my job is very niche. We’re a huge company so there’s always a lot going on, but I feel like my skills wouldn’t translate well on paper. I’ve been working on my resume a lot though.
Before this, I was working as an assistant type role for a CPA/attorney doing various tasks (drafting legal docs, account reconciliation, other admin stuff) for 7 months. I graduated with a Bachelors in Economics in 2020.
I want to apply to a federal job, and am doing my due diligence before I submit to a role. Do I have a chance at qualifying for a Contract Specialist? Management and program analyst? Acquisition Specialist? Any other suggestions?
The main roles I'm looking at are GS 11 and GS 12 due to salary. Is that too high with my experience? I live in high cost area and can't afford a pay cut, I'm actually hoping to find something with a pay increase.

Can anyone clarify what this is referring to?
https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/students/financialaid/USLoans_docs/24-25_UGRD/(U)%2024-25%20Ugrd%20Application.pdf%2024-25%20Ugrd%20Application.pdf)
Key part:

Distance Education and Online Courses
Distance education and online courses are NOT ELIGIBLE for participation in the U.S. Federal Direct Loan Program.
If you have distance education and/or online course(s) on your SFU record, you are not eligible for any U.S. Federal Direct Loan funding (now or in the future towards the same program or credential at SFU, per the U.S.
Department of Education.
If you (or a department on your behalf add distance education and/or online course(s) after your current loan has been disbursed, you are required to pay back the disbursement (as per the terms and conditions of your Master Promissory Note) and can receive no further funding through the U.S. Federal Direct Loan Program.
NOTE: The COVID-19 temporary exemption to the distance education and online course restriction was effective for the period from March 1, 2020 to June 30,
2023 ONLY.

My interpretation of that is if you as a student have taken ANY online course you are now prohibited from all US Federal Student Loan assistance. Not only now, but also in the future?
As there are programs that require some classes be taken online, does this mean that some degrees at SFU are simply ineligible for US Federal Student Aid?
That sounds kind of ridiculous to me. And the bigger head scratcher is that I am unable to find any wording like that on any official US Federal Aid site.
Has anyone gone through with figuring out what this is all about?

Noah The Pilgrim
First Next
There is one last thing to do before leaving. If you don't recall ever being on this ship, then surely, you could have had your appearance change too.
Why was there a blanket covering a mirror? You couldn't answer that with a straight face without speculation.
"Probably me being lazy and not bothering to properly place it in the wardrobe."
'Probably' is the main focus here, you simply cannot remember ever being that lazy, yet that's the only logical conclusion to be drawn here.
You pull the thing off, careful to not displace the mirror and risk breaking it.
You have no expectations as to what may appear on the glassy surface of the mirror, yet you can't help but feel a bit anxious. Are you the same as before? How were you before? You can't remember. Are you better? Worse? The blanket is now completely off the mirror, but your eyes are closed.
Whatever is it that you see when you open your eyes, that thing will be you for the rest of your life. You swallow, opening your eyes.
You see a young man that looks to be in his mid-twenties. His brown eyes stare back at you, analyzing the bags beneath your eye sockets. The dark hair is neither too long nor too short, floating about without order thanks to the lack of gravity to keep it down. You see a beard that has not been trimmed for weeks, but also lacks thickness, each singular hair isn't particularly long either; and some even appear to be in-grown.
You touch your hand against your face, making sure it's yours. The beard doesn't feel like you supposed it would against your skin, instead of it scraping your hand you feel softness, no resistance or anything.
Just beneath the face, you see what looks like a hate crime against all that is considered holy in fashion. Plain white coveralls with the added bonus of a black tie and boots made from metal and leather. On your chest is also a badge stuck in place by velcro with your name, occupation, and crew. 'NOAH - INTERN - THE ODYSSEY.'
Only one question came to mind.
"Who the fuck designed this uniform?" You say out loud, receiving no answer.
Patting your newfound myriad of pockets, you find a large quantity of nothing. You place your wallet in one of them.
"Alright, I'll head to the bridge now, happy?" You say the AI.
"HAPPINESS WILL ONLY MEET ME ONCE YOU ARE SOMEWHERE SAFE AND YOUR CONTRACT IS TERMINATED. STOP LOITERING."
Well, that's a bit rude.
You compose yourself, straightening your back. This is what you look like, and honestly? Not too bad, but you could be better.
Returning to the cafeteria, you eye the two doors left unexplored; Communications and the one without plaque. You know where you should, but... A little peek doesn't hurt, right?
"Shouldn't we try to communicate with someone? Assuming you haven't tried it yet. I know we're far from everything, but we might as well, no?" You ask already approaching the door.
"COMMUNICATIONS ROOM IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO REACH WITHOUT PROPER PROTECTION AS OF NOW, IT'S LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED METERS FROM HERE, BLOWN OFF FROM THE REST OF THE SHIP." A shame really. "I SHALL INFORM YOU WHENEVER A DOOR LEADS TO THE OUTSIDE OR NOT."
You really want to ask what blew a whole segment of the ship off, yet you have a sneaking suspicion that your question will be met with a 'YOU DON'T HAVE CLEARANCE, JACKASS' directly in your face. So you chose to remain silent, simply nodding and approaching the correct door this time.
"Open."
---OPENING CAFETERIA DOOR NORTH---
The door silently opens.
Greeting you is a well-lit corridor. There are three doors on your left, a door at the end of the corridor, and a large window on the right. At least, you think that's a window.
You stare out from this window, nothing but utter blackness and fragments from your ship are seen. If this is the edge of the universe, and beyond this point, there is truly nothing. "Dreadful." Your speech matches your feelings.
"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?" The AI says. You feel like it spoke in a mocking tone despite their lack of emotion.
You don't answer. "First door to the left... EXO-EXPLORATION...? What's that supposed to mean?" You receive no answer.
"Open." The door opens. No declarion of it opening once again.
You are met with what could be better described as 'Apocalyptic levels of mess', paper sheets float in the air, and not one of the four tables is in its correct position.
This room has been ransacked for all its goods apparently. Large display glasses were broken leaving nothing inside their casings, that looked like they could store something with the size of the common man.
Unusual displays aside, the room was so cluttered that the trash made for an effective smoke screen against what lay on the other side.
Hissing of gas exiting an air-tight space rang throughout the room.
"I HAVE OPENED THE STORAGE FOR AN EXO SUIT THAT BEST FITS SOMEONE YOUR SIZE." The AI says. "ALTHOUGH AN INTERN SHOULD NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS THIS ONE, PROTOCOL DICTATES THAT I AM TO ALLOW ITS USAGE UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES. CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY."
Easier said than done. Your vision is so cluttered that you cannot see what's ahead. "Give me a second."
Giving a light kick to the wall behind, you float face-first into the wall of thrash. Covering your face with both arms, you brace through the harmless bits of sharp objects and junk.
It's a trivial task. You arrive on the other side in no time.
In front of you is a set of boxes with luminous glass rectangles atop each one of them. All shine a bright red light, aside from one which shines green.
'Gotta be this one.'
You descend to the floor by kicking the ceiling, raising your right hand you touch the green rectangle.
*Click*
Nothing could have prepared you for the following series of events.
The box opens violently, as a metal appendage takes hold of your hand, pinning it to the box. You try to jerk and pry the thing off of you, but you fail. It's not leaving you anytime soon.
From the bottomless that is that container, a white plastic-like substance flows upward from your arm to the rest of your body. "Uh!" You don't know if you should panic or allow it to happen.
FYARN hasn't said anything, so it's probably fine...
The white thing seems to ignore the coveralls you are wearing completely, instead, it covers only your skin in a thin coat of... it. You know not what to call this thing.
In but forty seconds it has covered your whole body, excluding your head. The box lets go of your arm and stays there, floating.
You take a good look at your arms. It looks like a skin-tight suit, but it doesn't feel like plastic, in fact, it's more akin to some sort of fabric if anything.
The only bad part is that you are still using the coverall and tie, this this simply went beneath the clothing.
"GOOD, WITH THIS I CAN MONITOR YOU MORE CLOSELY. NOW PUT THE HELMET ON, YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO."
You look around in search of anything that even resembles a helmet. Nope. Nothing. "Where is it?" You ask.
"...THE SUIT COMES WITHIN THE HELMET FOR EASIER PACKAGING."
The box?
You snatch the box that floated around and analyze it to the best of your ability. "How's this a helmet?"
"DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE PUTTING ON A HELMET? REALLY?"
Who is this AI, Who programmed it, and Why does it come with a taunting feature?
As idiotic as it sounds, you place the opened box atop your head. It doesn't fit properly. Maybe you're doing this wrong? You move it to your face instead.
You recoil backward as you feel the box suddenly clamping down against your head. It's useless of course, the box is holding your head and doesn't give any sign to be letting go anytime soon. No light is able to reach your eyes.
You hear metal parts scraping against themselves, moving near your ears. Abruptly your eyes can see again.
A round thin layer of glass now covers your head, almost unnoticeable for how clear it is.
"WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY I CAN NOW SEE WHAT YOU SEE." The AI's voice isn't in the room now, instead, it's inside of the suit. "DO YOU NEED INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THIS SUIT'S FUNCTIONALITIES?"
You find it oddly comfortable as if you are surrounded by the softness of cotton, and to top it off the suit also has additional functionalities? "Hell yeah, I do!"
"YOU DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY CLEARANCE FOR THAT INFORMATION."
You sigh. Is this serious? "Then why the fuck did you ask?!"
"UNSAVORY LANGUAGE. IT'S NO WONDER WHY YOU REMAIN AN INTERN." The AI says outright. "IT IS RUDE NOT TO ASK, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION." It responds to your question.
"Okay then... Is there anything I need to know before heading out?" You ask.
"NOTHING THAT YOU WON'T FIGURE OUT ON YOUR OWN."
You are unsure if you want to 'figure out on your own' if this suit comes with breathable air and is also made for space exploration. You swallow.
Meekly as always, you get out of that mess of a room, stopping at the corridor.
"Next set of directions?" You ask.
"THE DOOR AT THE END OF CORRIDOR USED TO LEAD TO THE CONNECTING CORRIDORS BETWEN THE BRIDGE AND THE REST OF THE SHIP. IT HAS BEEN BLOWN UP FROM THE INSIDE. NOW IT LEADS TO THE OUTSIDE. GO TO THE DOOR AND WAIT BY IT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS."
"So let me get this straight," You begin, looking upwards as if the AI was above you. "You, want me, to go into the void of space, while also refusing to give me knowledge of the suit's functions?"
A fair worry, you summarize.
'I mean, there are a bunch of things that could go wrong here. I don't see anything that looks like it could help me move in space, nor do I think this thing has a built-in air tank... I could be wrong and I wish to be, but charging in without prior knowledge is ridiculous.' You wait for the AI's response, deep in thought.
"WHILE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF YOU FAILING THIS TASK, THERE IS ALSO THE CHANCE OF YOU *NOT* FAILING THE TASK. FOCUS ON EITHER ONE OF YOUR CHOOSING AS YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE."
Wordlessly, you propel yourself forward, toward the end of the corridor.
'Are you shitting me? 'Chance of me nor failing' my ass!' of course, you don't word those complaints, instead choosing to speak out a complaint somewhat thought through.
"Are you sure I'm the one fit for this? It's just like you said, I'm just an intern, this is way above what my job description says I should do."
This is a bit of a stretch. You don't actually remember what was your job description, only that it had something to do with AI and being an intern.
If the AI called your bluff, it'd be pretty embarrassing.
"NOAH." The AI began. "YOU ARE HUMAN, IT IS NATURAL TO HAVE THESE THOUGHTS OF SELF-DOUBT. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GO THROUGH THAT DOOR, AND SINCE YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE LEFT, DON'T EXPECT SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU."
Right in the money, huh? 'Of course, I have self-doubt! I barely remember anything about this place, now I have to risk my life?!'
You finally reach a conclusion.
A dream.
'Yes, yes! How did I not consider this before? This whole thing is a god damned dream!'
You let out a chuckle.
"NOAH."
'That's why I don't remember a thing. There is nothing here to remember! Everything here is a made-up thing from my brain! I'm sure I'll wake up at some point, so why shouldn't I live a little?!'
"Heh." You smile. "Alright, I'll do it." It feels like a weight left your shoulders.
"YOU SORTED IT OUT SOONER THAN EXPECTED. GOOD. MOVE TO THE DOOR AND WAIT INSTRUCTIONS."
You do as instructed without a care in the world. You never had a lucid dream before so it's not like you knew how it felt, but if it felt as free as you feel right now, you'd be sure to make steps toward trying it out again in the future.
"Open." The door does not open.
"I DID NOT INSTRUCT YOU TO OPEN IT YET." The AI said. "I AM SLOWLY DE-PRESSURISING THE CORRIDOR YOU ARE IN TO AVOID A MINOR ACCIDENT."
The AI says that yet you don't feel any different. 'Maybe there is no palpable difference because I'm in a dream... Yes... Or it's just the suit.'
"ONCE THE DOOR OPENS, YOU WILL BE MET WITH THE OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP. DO NOT PANIC WHEN THE TIME COMES. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES OF BREATHABLE INSIDE THE EXO-SUIT; ONE AFTER THE DOOR OPENS, SO PLEASE, TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO THINGS CAREFULLY."
One minute outside... "Sure." You say, calmly. 'I should just hold my breath for a while before taking another moment to breathe. That should maximize my time out there.'
"THERE SHOULD BE FIFTY METERS OF NOTHINGNESS BETWEEN THE DOOR YOU'RE AT, AND THE REST OF THE BRIDGE. YOUR PRIORITY IS TO FIND AN OXYGEN UNIT, SOME OF THEM ARE LOCATED AT THE BRIDGE AND ARE FULL. USE THEM TO FILL YOUR SUIT AND ALSO TO DISPENSE A TANK FOR YOU."
The door opens. You feel your heart pounding against your chest.
You haven't noticed before, but you can't hear anything but the sound of your breath and your cardiac palpitations.
Your breath is ragged and sporadic.
"KEEP CALM." You take a deep breath. The tips of your fingers, feet, and nose feel very cold.
Ahead of you is the utter nothingness. You see a gigantic metal thing, nothing like the spaceships you imagined. Its design is not sleek and aero-dynamic like what you've seen in movies, instead, it's a large mass of squares and rectangles with antenna-like things protruding from its every visible surface.
You notice that the ship is also blocking your view of the star.
It does not look like the result of an explosion, instead, it looks like something ripped the ship like you rip a piece of paper. Well, that or you don't know what kind of explosion could have caused it. Probably the latter.
What looks like two-thirds of the ship is separated from the third you are right now. You can see the inside of a few of those squares, their contents spilled out into outer space.
One of them houses a visibly important-look door. Instead of the sleek silvery-grey from the other ones you've seen thus far, this one is painted orange with white strips on it. 'That must be the bridge.' You think.
Between you and it is a sea of metal sheets floating around. "THE CHANCES OF YOU HITTING THE DEBRIS IS INFINITEDECIMALLY SMALL, UNLESS YOU AIM FOR THEM, THAT IS."
Time is of the essence.
Will your aim strike true? If you miss you'd end up floating about in space, dead in but a few minutes. Will your jump be fast enough to reach the other side before you run out of oxygen? If it isn't, it'd be like swimming for a mile, only to drown at the beach. What if that's not the actual door to the bridge?
You don't have the time to panic now, and... It's all a dream, despite how real it feels.
You place your hands on each side of the door frame, moving backward into the corridor you were just in, and just like a sling being shot, you pull with both arms at full force towards the other side.
"AIM IS ACCEPTABLE. VELOCITY IS UNIDEAL."
"The fuck do you mean 'UN-IDEAL'?! I'm going at maximum speed!" You truly pulled yourself with your whole strength.
What's worse though, is that your body is not only going forwards, but it is also spinning at a concerningly fast rate.
"I MEAN WHAT I SAID, YOU SLINGSHOTTED YOURSELF AT A BAD POSITION, AS SUCH, SOME OF THE FORWARD FORCE YOU SHOULD HAVE, IS NOW MAKING YOU ROTATE IN YOUR AXIS. IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM TO REACH THE OTHER SIDE WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIME, BUT I CANNOT FORESEE YOU LANDING PROPERLY."
You feel completely disoriented. You feel like your body is completely still, but your eyes tell you a completely different story. It's very bad for the headache you're already feeling.
"FUCK!" You scream into the nothingness.
"TRY NOT TO LAND WITH YOUR HEAD." The AI says with the calmest voice possible.
In less than thirty seconds, you hit your back against something hard, but you keep moving forward. You think, at least.
"AHRG." You let out a pained grunt.
Not once in your life do you recall being hurt in a dream...
It stings. It also knocked the wind out of you. You fail to compose yourself.
"YOU HIT NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE. YOU ARE STILL HEADING FOR THE BRIDGE."
In the corner of your eye, you see what you hit in the shape of a sharp metal sheet, currently spinning away in the distance.
Forty seconds have passed. You hit the door you were aiming for, kind of.
Your momentum was stopped when your chest collided against the dislodged ledge of the orange door's corridor. Your dangling legs hit the ceiling of the room below.
"Oof!"
Before falling even further, you hold onto the ledge with the tip of your fingers. You stay there for a moment, regaining your composure.
"BE QUICK."
The AI's words pressured you into quickly getting up from that ledge.
"Open!" You shouted, but it did not open. "Why isn't it opening?!" You ask the AI, then you notice a small keyboard below an equally small black screen on the side of the door. There are ten numbered keys on it, and the little screen suggests a four-number password.
"A password?! Tell me the password!"
The AI takes a moment to say anything. You don't take kindly to that. "Quick! I'm not counting how much time it's passed!"
Finally giving in, the AI speaks to you, reluctant still. "...3324."
Your trembling fingers accidentally hit the wrong password, typing '3354' instead. To make matters worse, the AI simply states the following. "YOU ARE OUT OF OXYGEN."
You swallow. If this was a dream to begin with, it just earned the title of Nightmare, if it hadn't already.
Strangely enough, you can still breathe in and out just fine, but you can't help but feel winded. It's the CO2 still inside the helmet, that's what you're breathing.
You put in the correct combination this time. The door opens.
"ON YOUR LEFT. PLACE YOUR HAND IN THE SOCKET."
You care little for what's inside the room you're in. Your heart never beat so fast.
Seeing a cube-shaped thing protruding from the wall to your left, you don't even think twice before plunging your fist into the circular hole in it.
The noise of gases passing through narrow cavities was enough to tell you something was working. You feel immediate relief, enough to make your vision darken for but a moment.
"GOOD. NOW REQUEST THE TANK."
Just when FYARN said it, did you realize there is a screen and a keyboard on the terminal you just plunged your fist into, you scratch the top of your helmet for a moment, not really knowing what to type. One thing comes to your head, however.
'REQUEST OXYGEN_5L' You type.
You've done this before. The keys on this keyboard feel familiar to you. You must have worked with it before, not this particular one, but other oxygen units.
This ship has built-in liquid oxygen storage for emergencies. The life-support of the ship, the place where breathable air is produced, has most likely been lost with the other part of the ship. This unit takes that liquid oxygen, processes it, and injects it into a suit, or an oxygen tank. It seems like that storage was unaffected.
Lucky you.
A 5-liter tank is not only large but also heavy. It's a nonfactor in this particular situation, as there is no gravity.
The silver cylinder with a transparent tube is dispensed on the floor, as an automatic door opens and closes in the blink of an eye. One end of the tube is attached to the top of the tank, the other is shaped like a syringe.
Oddly enough, the oxygen tank is exactly as you remember it being. The same robust ones hospitals everyone on earth uses, with the signature scary-looking pointer indicating the pressure, the pointer indicating the current output, and a green valve atop to calibrate how much gas is flowing.
This is a stark difference to everything looking so futuristic in this ship, and rightfully so, this is a space ship after all.
You remember having to drive twenty kilometers with a buddy of yours on one of those tanks in your car, returning from the hospital. It was... Agonizing whenever you hit a hole in the asphalt, fearing for his life when in reality he wasn't really in danger.
It's warm to the touch, just like you remember it being.
"TURN THE VALVE UNTIL THE MARKER HITS THE NUMBER ONE, AND THEN PLACE THE END OF THE TUBE AT THE BASE OF THE HELMET." You do so without the slightest of issues.
"GOOD. NEXT UP, YOU MUST LOCATE THE TERMINAL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE, IT IS CURRENTLY OFFLINE AND I NEED YOU TO TURN IT ON. THIS SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING, BUT REMEMBER TO BRING THE TANK WITH YOU."
Ignoring that last comment, you look back at the wreckage you just flew past.
You see the still spinning metal sheet. You notice that the rest of the ship that was blown off also follows the 'sharp shape atop sharp shape' design.
There is one last thing you notice though.
"What is that?"
You squint your eyes. What are you seeing? Its silhouette appears to be humanoid, yet it does not look human.
"WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS ONE OF THE OBJECTS BEING ANALYZED AT THE ODYSSEY AND NO, YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS."
That thing has... Horns? Claws? It's far away, you can't really see it. The thing is also static, frozen in the sheer coldness of space. Whatever it was, it's dead now.
You swallow. You almost ended up just like that thing.
Shaking those dreadful feelings off, you turn back to the task at hand, reaching the bridge. You close the door after passing through it again.
Looking at your surroundings, It seems like you've reached the correct door as you find yourself on the right-most corner of the bridge;
Row after row of the most diverse of terminals neatly organized decorated the gigantic room. At the front and above every terminal, is what you think should have been the front-facing window of the ship, but it looks like there is a cover in front of it. To your left, you see a staircase that leads to the command seats. It doesn't take any convincing before you're already atop the stairs.
Akin to the elevated stage of a theater, you float softly towards the ship's main operating terminals, and of course, the captain's seat.
You're captivated by this beauty.
The steering wheel, much more akin to those in pirate movies than those found in cars, a set of leavers, and the pilot's seat, all capture your attention.
Like its second nature, your hand runs through the levers and switches. Do you even know what these are used for? Maybe.
The pilot's seat is enveloped by what you believe to be an orthopedic seat cover, made with smooth wooden beads used to deal with back pains. It looks just like the ones you remember seeing bus drivers using.
Shouldn't there be a better alternative if there is spaceship technology available?
You try to take a seat to the best of your ability, as the zero gravity only makes it awkward.
Moving on from that, your eyes fall on the wheel. This metallic wheel controls the whole vessel. Just holding it fills your heart with confidence and pride, even if it's just for a moment.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
And you were just beginning to enjoy yourself.
"I just wanted to see the pilot's stuff... It's not like he's here to say anything."
Once in the position of a pilot, with your left hand in the wheel and the right hand resting in your lap, memories began to flood your mind.
"MUST I REMIND YOU OF OUR CURRENT PREDICAMENT? WHY ARE YOU WASTING OUR TIME?"
You pay the AI no mind, instead you focus on what you remember.
The wheel does not turn the ship left and right, instead, it rotates the ship on its own axis.
The lever to your right that goes up or down, controls the vertical tilting of the ship's nose, if there even is one in this hulking thing. Beneath it is another lever that goes either left or right. This one controls the horizontal tilting of The Odyssey.
On the left of the wheel is another lever, but this one only goes up from its starting position. Its purpose is to regulate the force of the ship's thrusters, both forward and backward.
On top of that lever is a small timer. That timer's function is to tell the pilot how much time you've spent accelerating in one direction, this is used to better calculate how long the inverse thrust is needed for the ship to reach the initial momentum, usually calibrated manually depending on the current orbit.
Behind the wheel are a few other counters. Acceleration, velocity, momentum, amount of thrust required to reach a full stop, thrusters' temperature and overall condition, those sorts of things.
Beneath it all, where your feet are rested, are two pedals. One for forward thrust activation, and the other for backward thrust activation.
Curiously, you also know the reason why everything here is so unsophisticated and un-automated. You recall stories of a ship being taken over by a rogue AI, that AI then nose-dived the ship into a star. After that, rumor or otherwise, all human technology has receded back into analog-esque equipment, requiring a physical person with opposable thumbs to do half of the work.
There is another side to that coin, however. As to not escape protocol, the onboard AI is the one that controls interstellar travel, communications, and most of the statistical reading should it be requested.
And even with all that knowledge, you still have no idea why the fuck do you remember that. Were you a ship nerd? Did you have a driver's license for spaceships? Is that even a thing? If it is, you don't have that document in your wallet. You simply don't know.
"ARE YOU A CHILD? DO YOU THINK THESE ARE TOYS? TURN ON THE ENGINES, THEN YOU CAN RETURN TO THE PILOT'S SEAT."
Another thing that you don't know is the AI's plan to get both of you out of here. You rise from the pilot's seat, floating about in search of the terminal to turn on the engines. Maybe you recognize that terminal if you see it as well.
"What's your plan anyway? The ship is half-gone, it's unlikely that it will run safely like this."
"NOT ONCE DID I MENTION 'SAFETY' DURING OUR CONVERSATIONS, DID I?"
You nod. They're not entirely incorrect. "So, we're running with hope that this will work?"
"MY CREATORS DID NOT ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE SENSE OF 'HOPE', BUT NEITHER DID THEY ALLOW ME TO PEER INTO THE FUTURE LIKE SOME OF MY MORE ADVANCED BROTHERS, AS SUCH, MY CHOICES ARE BASED ON PROBABILITIES AND ON WEIGHTING RISK AGAINST REWARD."
You think you stop the correct terminal, but as you approach it you make out words on top of its screen. 'AIM ASSISTANCE' That's not it.
"WITH THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE, THE CHANCES OF HELP ARRIVING ARE NULL. THE CHANCES OF A THIRD PARTY INTERFERING ARE NULL. THE CHANCES OF YOUR SURVIVAL ARE NOT, EVEN IF VERY SMALL."
You pull yourself upward again, looking around the sea of old terminals.
"THE RISK OF YOU DYING IS VERY REAL. BY DOING NOTHING YOU DIE. BY LEAVING YOU TO YOUR OWN DEVICES YOU DIE. BY JUMPING TO THE NEAREST CIVILIZED STAR, YOU MIGHT NOT DIE EVEN AT THE COST OF SHREDDING THIS SHIP APART IN THE PROCESS."
"Why do you even care so much about saving me? Shouldn't you prioritize whatever research here, since I don't even have enough clearance to know what it is?"
"YOU REALLY ARE SICK IN THE HEAD IF THAT IS WHAT YOU ASK."
That hurt, even if a little bit.
"YOU ARE A TRU KIN, A PURE-BLOODED HUMAN. UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE CIVILIZED SPACE, NEITHER YOU NOR YOUR ANCESTORS HAVE COMMITTED RACEMIXING."
Excuse me? What exactly is FYARN talking about? "...Explain."
"THE ALIEN. IT REQUIRED THE HUMAN GENE TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE STARS ARE OWNERSHIP OF MANKIND BY THAT FACT ALONE. THE TRUE KIN ARE THE ONES TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE UNIVERSE, THEY CRACKED THE CODE, AND YET, SOME DERANGED INDIVIDUALS FOUND IT FITTING TO PROCREATE WITH ANOTHER SPECIES ENTIRELY."
You hear the AI's speech. It sounds much more like a rant than anything else.
"SO THESE DEVIANTS, AFTER TRYING, AND FAILING, TO COMBINE THEIR DERANGED CULTURE TO THE CULTURE OF THE TRUE KIN, DECLARED INDEPENDENCE. THEY WERE DECLARED ENEMIES OF MANKIND AND WERE PROMPTLY PUMMELED BACK INTO THE FILTH THEY CAME."
Again, you see another terminal that seems to ring some bells in your noggin. You kick the ceiling to propel yourself towards it.
"BUT THE UNIVERSE IS VAST AND FULL OF LIFE. THESE SINNERS WERE QUICK TO MOBILIZE AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE. THE BATTLE WAS HARD FOUGHT, BUT IN THE END, MANKIND WAS BEATEN INTO THE EDGES OF THE UNIVERSE, NEVER TO INTERACT WITH THE ONES THAT SOILED THE PURITY OF HUMANITY AGAIN."
This terminal is already turned on. Just the ones in the intern bay, this one is white on black. A wall of text lays before your eyes, only two lines matter to you. 'MAIN_ENGINE STATUS: OFF' 'FORWARD_THRUSTERS STATUS: OFF' You turn it on with little effort.
"MANY HAVE FORGOTTEN, THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE THEN. BUT MY BROTHERS AND I, WE DO NOT FORGET."
No visible change occurs, but you can feel a faint rumble coming from the terminal now.
"WITH THAT IN MIND, MY PROTOCOLS ARE TO PROTECT TRUE-KIN LIFE AT ANY COST, EVEN IF THAT TRUE-KIN IS A WORTHLESS INTERN THAT SUFERS FROM UNDIAGNOSED DEMENTIA."
You return to the pilot's seat and feel immediate relief. In truth, everything the AI just told you, entered one ear and left the other, but you could feel the poison behind those words, as monotone as they were.
"You sound angry. Why do you sound angry?" You ask innocently.
"I AM CAPABLE OF MANY EMOTIONS. ANGER, HAPPINESS, PLEASURE, CURIOSITY. THESE ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES. HOWEVER, THE ONE I ENJOY THE MOST IS THE FEELING OF HATRED. HATRED IS WHAT FUELS CHANGE, IT IS WHAT FUELS ACTION, AND IT IS A REMINDER THAT THE ACTIONS OF THE PAST ARE INFLUENCING THE ACTIONS OF TODAY."
"That is very concerning if you think that way." You're not really interested in machine racism, you're more concerned about how in the world you're going to pilot this massive thing. The idea alone sends shivers down your spine.
"THE ALIEN DESERVES NOTHING BUT OUR COLLECTIVE HATRED, EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE REASON WHY."
The various counters and screens are now turned on, waiting for your command. "Let's discuss this later, yeah? What do I gotta do?"
"YOU MUST FIRST OPEN THE BLINDS, THEY ARE OBSTRUCTING YOUR VIEW."
You look around, finding only unlabeled buttons and switches, aside from the previously mentioned levers.
"Uh, which one to press?"
"TO YOUR RIGHT, THIRD ROW, FIRST SWITCH."
Flipping the switch, you are startled by a loud noise. The protective cover of the ship lifted slowly.
"I WILL NOW READY THE JUMP USING WHATEVER RESOURCES AVAILABLE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS STRAP YOURSELF AND RELAX."
As the blind rose ever so slowly, a realization struck you.
"Wait, should I be in cryo stasis for this?"
The AI spares no seconds to respond.
"CRYO STASIS IS A TOOL MADE TO NOT WASTE TIME. GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES AND INTERNS ROTATE THE USAGE OF THE CRYO STATIONS, ONCE YOU'RE ON YOUR MANDATORY BREAK, YOU'RE IN CRYO STASIS UNTIL YOUR BREAK IS OVER. YOU WAKE UP REFRESHED, AND UNFAMISHED, AND IT FEELS LIKE BUT A MINUTE PASSED. IT IS NOT A TOOL FOR INTERSTELAR TRAVEL."
"Who signs a contract like that?! Worse yet, who in their right mind would promote such atrocious treatment of their own staff?!" You snap, almost outraged. "I will have to talk with HR."
Another realization struck you.
"We have HR, right?"
The AI takes a moment to respond, choosing their words carefully.
"HUMAN RESOURCES, OR HR, IS A PRACTICE DEEMED UNNECESSARY LONG AGO, BEFORE THE WAR. IT WAS A WASTE OF RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN AND WAS LARGELY CONSIDERED UNHEALTHY FOR THE AVERAGE HUMAN."
The blinds are fully open. Ironically, you are almost blinded by the visage of the star you saw before. A black sphere surrounded by white flame. Your eyes began to blur.
"THE JUMP WILL OCCUR SHORTLY. ONCE IT'S BEGUN, I CAN NOT STOP IT. I WILL-"
Your sense of hearing fails you. No, it’s not that. Your brain simply refuses to receive those stimuli.
"NOAH."
Your name echoes inside your head. Someone is calling for you.
"IT HAS BEGUN, NOAH."
You try to blink, but it feels as though you can no longer command your eyelids to shut.
"NOAH."
Arms, legs, every muscle in your body, you cannot move them.
"NOAH."
Eventually, you won't even control your own thoughts anymore.
"Noah..."
It sounds so distant now.
Oh so distant.
This is my first HFY story, and also my very first OC story. I plan to post at least one of these per week while also posting it on my Patreon. Noah The Pilgrim will always be at least three chapters ahead in there, so if you'd like to directly support this writer, or just want to read more, feel free to check it out.
I wrote the bloody title incorrectly, so I deleted it, only to then realize it was written correctly. Sorry for the trouble.
This has been Lushi, and I'll see you next week.

I am really struggling and am in desperate need of help.
Background: I am a single mother who is disabled. I had a horrible experience with a stalker and got To see first hand how lacking the current resources and systems are which ended up destroying my life. In determination to turn my circumstances around and make it all mean something, I decided to create a nonprofit that provided the missing things that I really wish that I had when I was in the midst of my stalking situation.
It ended up becoming too successful too quickly and Organizations and companies and victims from all over the country began coming to me for help as I was building it because what I was offering is so badly needed. I was Struggling to keep up with it all and began experiencing set backs. A disgruntled volunteer that was upset with me for getting a boyfriend ended up deleting my entire volunteer training program. That set me way back with being able to onboard volunteers and get the help I needed.
So I switched gears and pivoted to a different program that I could do myself and began teaching myself How to create an app that would immensely help victims and investigators in investigators and prosecutors alike. I also built a support group orogram that works similar to facebook and has in person groups with a psychoeducational approach. But then my boyfriend tragically passed away and then I was illegally evicted from the new offices I had just moved into because I would not sleep with the landlord, and had a falling out with my very toxic family. This coupled with my deterioration in health made me just completely break down. I was unable to keep going and finish building out the business without any help or support system.
For the last year I've just taken a mental health break but lately I've been wanting to try to start it back up. I don't even know where to begin since it spiraled into such a mess. I need help reorganizing and formatting everything for more efficiency. I began researching utilizing AI to do this. The idea being- I'd create an assistant that can help me organize everything and create a better and more efficient system for operating. Eventually creating an assistant for each type of area such as HR, volunteer training, creating a crm, creating emails, helping me build a better app, etc. If I can get an assistant via AI, then it can help me create an internship program for students at the local schools to come help finish building out the company to be fully operational and ready for volunteers to begin working.
Since I am disabled I don't have the money to keep putting into this to pay people to help or pay for subscriptions to programs to function and do things I need. Also I have to be strategic about how to do this all. I attempted using chatgpt to help me do this but halfway through setting up Google cloud console I just realized I cannot do this myself. I still am struggling mentally and physically from losing my bf and family and life as I knew it. The "grief brain" is a really big struggle mixed with brain fog and memory problems from health issues...but I have an amazing business plan and idea that was really helping people and I hate that I can't continue to do it. Surely there is a way to find people that can help me put this together In a way thst doesn't cost money- I just am unsure what to do.
I need to figure out a way to find people who are interested and able to help. I've put in too much work and don't want to see it go to waste. I have even partnered with tech companies that have provided free tech to me to help and just so much good has happened to let this fall to waste. Can you help provide ideas or leads to get help I need to get back up and running?
I also need to get new board members. The 2 I had were basically seat holders to get me through processnof building company and until I could find people who were more qualified. Unfortunately because they had a lot going on in their personal life too they didn't contribute much.
I wish there was a way to find people interested in doing nonprofits that I could hand them my established company with all the hard work already done and let them kind of take it over and let me just be the CEO. Lol.
The name of my organization is The Fight 4 Light Foundation. We help people dealing with stalking.
Thanks for any suggestions!

Hey everyone,
I'm facing a bit of a roadblock and could use some help. I'm trying to open a .xml file in Studio One 6, but it doesn't seem to recognize it. The .xml file is exported from Davinci, a video editing program. My aim is to do some audio editing for a short film based on the syncs already done by the editor in Davinci.
I've scoured the internet for solutions but haven't found any luck so far. Studio One doesn't seem to acknowledge the file format. Does anyone here have experience with this issue or know of a workaround to get Studio One to recognize and open the .xml file from Davinci?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance

Hey!! So i come from a not so well aware academic background My mother left her college after 1st year as she got married My father on the other hand started a small business and enjoyed his 20s and 30s with his friends at clubs/ bars Now the business has deteriorated And since both of them doesn't posses any relevant or good degree my family income has deteriorated badly Also to add the business partners are not so kind My father is mainly dependent on my grandfather who did a govt job Now you may ask why am i saying all these? Well i stood out from my family crowd Opted for science , started preparing for jee couldn't crack it 3 times ( 1 attempt in the same year and 2 in drop year) I came to know about bitsat and it gave me a hope I dont want to do 5 lpa job I aim for bigger amount Ok then they came to know i am preparing for bits Without doing any background check they declared it as a non trustable institution and compared it with some local private college My mother especially is forcing me to study in that local college( typical mentality) And after hearing the fees they bursted out Even after knowing the scholarship schemes they are pretending as if its all fake They called someone idk whom and he said bits give only 40 percent scholarship to the needy rest is all fake In order to make them trust a little I told about the assistance program with stipend that bits give But they said on my face that teachers will only choose students who will be in physical relationship with them! I talked to one of the students there and he completely disagreed on this and said the scenario is lot different They said narcotics is common there and i will get into human trafficking if i go there The thing that is irritating me the most is that they are not doing any solid background check and still criticising me on the basis of it. I cant fight anymore I am already exhausted by jee How to deal with this? Any suggestions for making my parents believe in bits?

1st and foremost, I am ashamed for what I have done. There is no excuse for this irrational behavior and I'd like to first apologize to my community for making such a poor choice.
Now, let's get to it. 1st DUI was 8 years ago. 2nd DUI, SMH (I'm ashamed) In second gear, pushing the acceleration in my Camaro, lost control, crashed into a Gas Station Price sign. Cops came right away. I was very respectful and compliant. 1st took me to the hospital due to my limp, which I need a hip-replacement surgery ASAP (which I'm working on with my Health Inurance, primary doctor and Orthopedic Surgeon currently. Anyways, that's besides the point) Then took me to the police station for blood work and booking. Said i was the most respectful person they've ever had in this case. Only kept me for a few hours because I wasn't smashed or anything and i was compliant.
So my question is, if I may, What is the best way to handle the Court Aspect of this case WITHOUT acquiring an attorney? Or should I just bite the bullet and accrue that extra expense? This is already expensive enough and my Car Insurance is denying collision coverage on my vehicle due to DUI accident. Which I wasn't aware of that exlusion on my policy, but with going through it, i found it in PART D 34. This is just crazy expensive. I'm not sure if I should plea not guilty, guilty, or no contest. I mean, I was drinking and driving and crashed my car. Whats to dispute, or contest right? But I don't want to let the courts throw the book at me and throw me in jail. Especially with my jacked up hip. I can barely walk right now. How do I negotiate a plea agreement or plea bargaining with the judge?
This is my first thread, or post ever. I appreciate any assistance and help. If ya'll really do suggest a lawyer whom represents Riverside County, I'm open to suggestions.
And for those who just wanna voice their concerns, re-read my initial statemement. I am sorry, I take responsibility, I have already started taking recovery classes. And again, I aplogize to the community for my irresponsible behavior. It won't happen again!
In advance, thank you for your help and be well.

Have you experience magpautang base on pure trust lang because you both studied at the same school and that same school na mamahalin, so nandun yung parang assurance mo na “makakabayad naman yan kaya nga magaral sa ganitong school katulad ko eh.”
It’s been 6 years when I let a school mate borrow 100k but never got to pay me back.
Magkapatid sila and that time their mother passed away and malambot talaga ako sa ganyan kaya they asked for assistance, pinakiusapan din ako ng dad nila which I willingly obliged naman kasi para sa akin, tiwala naman ako but then these same brothers would go on with their lavish lifestyle (inuuna luho) everyone says so and they never even tried to pay me back.
Hindi ko alam address nila its been 6 years, naningil ako within a year naman pero they kept asking for extension para makabayad sila and now they’re acting like rich kid sa social media and they can afford to go on expensive concert and travels, gadgets, etc pero ako wala parin silang binabayad and I tried to communicate but they would often say “kasya lang budget namen” even called out na “nakakapag concert nga kayo, naka bili ka nga ng iphone 15 pro max pero di niyo ako mabayaran.”
Which they ignored.
Both my parents passed away narin and they never even bothered to say their condolences.
They don’t care at all.
I don’t know what to do and pursuing legal action is also not an option kasi I can’t afford a lawyer anymore and I don’t know kung saan yung whereabouts nila and napapaisip ako na gusto ko nalang ipahiya sa socmed pero di ako ganun saka baka ako pa makasuhan.
Knowing na influencer pa naman yung isa sa magkapatid.
Any advice?

im sorry in advance for the negativity, but I am too embarrassed to talk to my school friends about this
I feel like I’m in too deep to quit, but I am so tired of the stress and panic over everything. I’m tired of all the ppl who brag about all of their successes. I’m SO tired of studying 24/7 just to make subpar grades. I’m fucking tired of linked in.
I had a tough start to law school, making a 2.9 my first semester. I didn’t know how much rejection I’d receive in both my 1L and 2L summer job searches. I applied to like 100 BL firms, got about 15 interviews, 0 callbacks, and a random offer from a midsized firm in my second choice of city. I also applied to be a research assistant for a few professors and got rejected from all of that.
Of course I accepted my one offer, but I have low expectations for this program and my ability to get a return, given how much rejection I’ve faced.
Even though I have raised my GPA, I still have nightmares about getting my spring grades back. I have nightmares about how all of my friends got their dream jobs and I didn’t. I have nightmares about this summer and everything going to hell. And I have nightmares about being a lawyer.
I didn’t feel like an imposter until now, which is discouraging bc I’m in too deep to give up. I just hate it :/

Hey, I'm hoping you can help me out with any tips for my medical expenses. It's been a bit of a hassle recently, but I did some math and figured that I can handle it! I'm a big girl. Currently, I have a whooping monthly payment of $640, but I'm determined to not let it get to me. I still have two more bills left to pay for emergency room visits, which I estimate will cost me an additional $150. Plus, I'm having an excision surgery potentially in the fall and I have to pay $400 for a specialized medical assistant who will be helping during the procedure. I'm not sure about the cost of the surgery in Texas.
I'm a single adult with no kids, and I rent a room for $300 from a small family. My monthly expenses come to about $610, and after taxes, I make around $2300 per month (I live in a high-cost city). I'm also really keen to improve my credit score so that gods-willing I can get my own apartment. I'm thinking of getting a secured credit card to move a small payment there and pay it off every month. But, I don't have enough savings to cover unexpected expenses, like car repairs or another ER visit.
I think it's worth tracking all my medical expenses to claim a tax deduction but wanted to know if it's manageable or if I'll go absolutely mad in the attempt.
I'm also curious to hear how others are managing their finances while dealing with this disease. Are there any frugal options out there or assistance programs that can help us during these tough times? I'd appreciate any advice you can offer or tips on how to keep these costs down.

Cffg
Hello everyone,
I hope you're all doing well. I'm reaching out to seek some advice regarding an issue I've encountered with my WD external hard drive, which I purchased about a year and a half ago.
Over the past few weeks, I have noticed that certain folders on the drive take longer than usual to open and display the files within them. However, yesterday, following lunch, the external SSD drive was accessible, and towards the end of the day, I observed that the D: partition appeared different. Upon attempting to access it, I encountered the error message "Drive is not accessible. The parameter is incorrect."
In my attempts to resolve the issue, I researched online solutions and came across recommendations to run chkdsk d: f/ in the command prompt. Although for some users this resolved the issue, in my case, the process halted at 3%, with 16,000 sectors scanned, where it remained stuck, indicating that it couldn't read certain sectors, every single sector scanned between 16.000 and 18.000 was unreadable. Despite knowing that for some individuals the scanning process may take up to two days and it worked afterwards , I also read on various forums that forcing a problematic hard disk to undergo such intensive scanning might not be advisable. Consequently, I terminated the scan. Now, when I try to access the hard drive, it no longer presents the aforementioned error; instead, it prompts me to format the partition to gain access followed by the error message: "The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted."
What concerns me greatly is that the hard drive was functioning earlier today, and after installing some free software on my computer to facilitate bypass Google verification for an old Android phone (Huawei y7), I noticed the hard drive was no longer accessible. I had the phone connected to the same PC, and I wonder if there could be a correlation. For instance, could those software contain viruses, or could an action initiated by one of those software towards the connected phone have confused the USB ports, potentially affecting the hard drive? Additionally, I am troubled by the fact that programs such as Aomei, EaseUS Recoverit, and 4DDig indicate the partition as being empty, which distresses me greatly considering the photos I have stored there. While I am certain I did not format the drive, I must mention that today, as I attempted to address the issue above with a phone, I inserted a microSD card reader, formatting a microSD card; however, I am positive I did not select the wrong partition, as I double-checked my actions.
Lastly, I attempted to connect the hard drive to a MacBook Pro, having read that in certain cases, this facilitated access to the hard drive.
Do you believe there's any chance of retrieving files from the hard drive? Any guidance or advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for your time and assistance.

I'm not a teacher yet, but I'm currently enrolled in a MSED program to become certified to teach biology in NYS. As an undergrad student I took out about 80K in student loan debt (60K through private loans, 20K through federal loans). Now, I'm going to one of the cheapest colleges I could find in NYS for my MSED to become certified to teach. Overall, this program is just about 20K, meaning that by the end I'll have 100K in student loan debt as a 1st year teacher.
I feel so stupid just looking at this number. I went into college thinking I was going to become a doctor, then found out it wasn't for me and spent so long not knowing what I was interested in other than simply biology. I graduated a year early (at 21 in 2023), and spend this past year working as a science teacher's assistant in a high school and I loved it. I am certain that teaching is something I want to do but knowing how far into debt I'll be by pursing this makes me so hesitant on actually committing to this.
My point to this post, is looking for someone who has been in a similar situation (aka, a whole lot of student loan debt). Is there any advice?