Hey and hi! I previously posted these Character Chats in order to fill the void when the comic was on involuntary hiatus, and I'm pleased to hear that it was received positively and people were asking for more. I couldn't really commit to it once the hiatus was over, since I've got a job and all. But good news, my whole team got laid off! I've got a lot more time on my hands now, so I think I'll keep this series going for a few weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays or so. If anyone complains about me surfing reddit at work during my notice period... well, what are they gonna do, fire me?
Today my giant novely ouija board has selected Prince Aaronev Tarvek Sturmvoraus. Our first Spark, and first main character, but somehow our third Valois out of five picks.
Tarvek is a member of the large and complicated Valois family tree, descended from our pal Andronicus Valois, the Storm King. He is the son of Prince Aaronev Sturmvoraus VI of Sturmhalten and an unknown mother, and the older brother of Anevka Sturmvoraus. He and Anevka share the same grandmother with the von Bliztengaard siblings and Violetta, making them all cousins. The Selnikovs may also be close family members, as their main residence is in Sturmhalten. Tarvek also calls Zulenna a cousin at one point.
The Storm King conspiracy among the Fifty Families was said to be fizzling out in the time before the comic, but the Mongfish family (i.e. Lucrezia) got involved and whipped them all into shape. Besides making most of the Knights of Jove Lucrezia loyalists, part of this involvment was ensuring there was a suitable male heir to the Storm King using Spark sceince, which ended up producing, at minimum, Tarvek and Martellus von Blitzengaard. The degree to which Tarvek's mother was involved and consenting is unknown. While we don't know how much was done, Tarvek is a powerful Spark, physically fit, and quite intelligent, so mission accomplished I suppose (though Tarvek does wear these tiny pince-nez around, so he may have poor vision - nice going, Lucrezia).
We don't have a family tree or anything, so we need to take the story's word that Tarvek's claim for being a direct heir of Andronicus is one of the most direct, if not the strongest overall. Two of the strongest claimants, Tarvek and Martellus, share a grandmother, so presumably their legitimacy is either through her or her late husband. Grandmama is once referred to with the title "Dowager Princess of Sturmhalten", it's possible Aaronev inherited his title as Prince of Sturmhalten by being her son. On the other hand, Tarvek also says that his descent comes down through his mother, so maybe she's Grandmama's child instead? Or it's wrong to trace back things to this set of grandparents after all? The family tree is thrown for another loop when Orotine declares Martellus a third-place heir rather than the commonly assumed second-place, so now who's in second place and how's that guy related to Tarvek's family tree, and... it's at this point I throw up my hands in exasperation.
Tarvek spent some of his early childhood as a political hostage on Castle Wulfenbach, being raised with other hostages by von Pinn. Tarvek recalls this time fondly, and in particular became good friends with Gil, whose identity was still hidden. When the two of them were hunting for secrets, hoping to discover Gil's lineage, they discover a red-herring left by the Baron. While Tarvek didn't buy it and tried to dig further, he got caught. Along with some snitching from Gil, this got him expelled from the Castle. Of course, everyone was spying abord the Castle, and Tarvek was just the only one kicked out. My assumption is that the Baron wasn't worried about Gil's identity being exposed, but didn't approve of Gil getting close with Tarvek for one reason or another and arranged to destroy the friendship.
He spent his remaining childhood in Sturmhalten, where he was wrapped up in family scheming, including Aaronev's schemes with the Other. Besides Aaronev, he also spent time with Anevka and Violetta during this period, and received some Smoke Knight training. He later goes to Paris for his higher education, where he was a good student and made friendships with influential young people like Colette and Neena. He was also involuntarily dragged into Gil's college adventures, where he became, uh, "acquainted" with disreputable characters like Bangladesh Dupree and Zola. He's called back to Sturmhalten after completing his education.
As a young adult, Tarvek's goals are initially to learn all he can from the Other conspiracy in Sturmhalten, destroy them afterwards, use this knowledge to overthrow the Baron, become Storm King, get the Fifty Families under control, and bring peace and prosperity to his new empire. However, Aaronev is in charge in Sturmhalten, and has different ideas. Tarvek detests his father and the Other conspiracy he's involved with, but cooperates with them to stay in their good graces and learn all he can. Tarvek attempts to act as a moderating influence on Aaronev, but Aaronev is too far gone to pull back. Aaronev ends up capturing nearly all the young female Sparks in Europa beneath the Baron's nose, and destroys them utterly trying to implant copies of Lucrezia into their minds, while Tarvek doesn't do much more than watch.
Aaronev eventually subjects his daughter Anevka to the treatment, nearly killing her. The Circus of Adventure happens to be in town, and as an expert on the Muses, Tarvek recognizes Tinka as a van Rijn original when she performs. Tarvek has his men abduct Tinka, and uses her as the basis for building a masterpiece clank which would connect to Anevka's mind and allow her to move and speak while her body was comatose. For what it's worth, he does try to pay the Circus after the fact, but they naturally ran like hell out of town. Tinka is eventually damaged beyond his ability to repair by Aaronev.
After this, he also conspires (or pretends to conspire) with Anevka to use her clank body's voice box to imitate Lucrezia's ability to command revenants, and use that ability to overthrow Aaronev and the Baron. When the Circus comes back to town with Agatha in tow, she's found out as Lucrezia's daughter at a show, with more beans being spilled later when Agatha's drugged with a truth serum. Aaronev tries to throw her in the Lucrezia-machine, but Anevka launches her coup right then, and finalizes her voice box by studying Agatha's own voice. Tarvek, having fallen for Agatha basically immediately, attempts to smuggle Agatha out of town under Anevka's nose, but the Geisters eventually get Lucrezia in her head anyway.
Tarvek, at this point, wants to integrate Agatha into his plan to use Other technology to usurp the Baron, which means keeping her safely at his side. This means both cooperating with Lucrezia to learn from her to begin with and protect Agatha's body, and also sabotaging Agatha's efforts at surrendering herself to the Baron for the greater good. One his deals with Lucrezia is making a clank head imprinted with a Lucrezia copy, designed to fit onto Avenka's clank body. Tarvek lures in Anevka for Lucrezia, and after some back-and-forth betrayals, eventually deactivates Anevka's head and puts her in storage, essentially killing her for the time being. Juggling Agatha, Lucrezia, and now a second Lucrezia proves too much for Tarvek once the Baron's troops arrive in Sturmhalten, and he ends up slashed in the gut, shot, and abandoned in the ensuing chaos.
Tarvek ends up in the Great Hospital in Mechanicsburg, as one of many of the injured from Sturmhalten. Violetta, who had been assigned to Mechanicsburg by Tarvek to keep her out of the proverbial firing line, manages to get him out of custody in the hospital... but inside of Castle Heterodyne instead, which is something of a lateral move. After connecting up with Agatha, Taevek comes down with Hogfarb's Respelendent Immolation, either due to traipsing about Castle Heterodyne of all places while wounded, or, Tarvek speculates, as a poisoning attempt from his own extended family. Gil is recruited to help with curing him, and after extensive bickering, infections, distractions, complications, and one apotheosis, he's back in good health. Tarvek attempts to help fix the Castle, and aid Agatha however he can, including fighting with Lucrezia and Vole, and attempting to strangle Zola. His bickering with Gil during this time mostly puts him on the defensive and has Tarvek trying to justify his actions, but he eventually does has a quiet epiphany.
He eventually gets grabbed by Other in a case of mistaken identity, and his quick analytical skills wind up placing him in charge of the Wulfenbach fleet's grand strategy temporarily - it's at gunpoint, but Boris assesses that he's really doing what's in the best interest of the Empire. He has to scurry off when Klaus comes onto the scene, placing him in a perfect position to recruit the Empire's Vespiary Squad and their weasels when Klaus turns on them. Notably, he risks life and limb rescuing a squad member, who he needs of course, but also Jorgi, who mostly annoys him. He sends the Vespiary Squad to hiding places abroad. As the battle for Mechanicsburg wraps up, Tarvek ends up stabbed with a poisoned dagger by Martellus just before the time-stop.
Post time-skip, Gil dedicates extensive resources towards getting Tarvek out of the time stop. Tarvek isn't able to do much before being kidnapped by the Immortal Library, and then kidnapped by Mister Obsidian on behalf of Grandmama. He does manage to breathe a bit in Paris, before being kidnapped by Mister Obsidian again on behalf of Seffie, to be sent to England. But en route aboard a pirate vessel, he's (shockingly) interrupted by a kidnapping attempt, this time for Grandmama again. Martellus sent assassins after Tarvek to interrupt the interruption, leading to bloody battle between Seffie's pirates, Grandmama's Smoke Knights, Martellus' Knights of the Hunt, and poor Tarvek. After being rescued by Gil, Tarvek flips the script, and he and Bang kidnap Gil instead, changing course to England.
In England, he can finally, you know, not get kidnapped for a bit. He decides to join Agatha in the Royal Society, and despite nearly getting strangled by Higgs, manages to reach Agatha and help work on curing her of Lucrezia, and curing Gil of Klaus. After interminable delays like a undersea cult, briefly seeing beyond time, punching Tweedle, and a revenant attack, they eventually pull it all off.
Later, in the war against the Polar Lords, Tarvek is essentially given the role of Gil's official treacherous vizier. On paper, helping the Empire helps keep him safe to further his own ambitions, but in practice, Tarvek seems more focused on doing good by his friends than anything to do with becoming Storm King.
Whew! And that's the short synopsis!
As a Spark, Tarvek's specialty is masterwork clanks in the van Rijn mold. His Anevka clank maintains full sentience even after any organic parts it was attached to died off, and continues to be used by Lucrezia to devastating effect. He also has a knack for rapid analysis, such as being able to understand the Wulfenbach fleet's strategy with just a glance. It's possible his political aptitude, scheming skills and ability to anticipate people's actions are a byproduct of his spark, but it may also just be the natural result of his upbringing. He is unusually composed for a Spark, and is very rarely seen in the Madness Place, and never for very long.
Beyond the Spark and his cunning, Tarvek also received some Smoke Knight training, making him skilled in martial arts and sleight of hand. That said, he'd prefer not to get in fights, and his first resort use his Spark or guile to get out safely (his second resort is just shooting them, with a gun). He also has a passion for fashion design, particularly lady's fashion.
Besides his conquer-Europa ambitions, Tarvek seems primarily driven to help and protect the people he loves, but his preferred tactics for doing so are often underhanded, or screw over people that he doesn't particularly love. Tarvek is the kind of guy who has to come to the conclusion that mind-control slavery is bad in general, rather than bad for people I know. He does come to that conclusion on his own, so kudos for that, but for a lot of people it's not even something you have to think about. Tarvek is also quick to use "they'd kill me if I tried, I had no choice" as a defense, but never quite understands that there was always a choice available he didn't consider - die trying. That all said, Tarvek is in generally improving his character over time, and wants to do the right thing, both in the "greater good" sense and doing right by other people individually, and finds himself frustrated at himself that he's often failed. I don't want to discuss Tarvek's ethics too much further here, since there's a great deal to talk about and this is supposed to be a discussion thread! Why do I have to do all the work?
Major Relationships:

• Agatha: Tarvek fell for Agatha pretty damn hard, internally logging her as "future bride", and even at his scummiest times in Sturmhalten was trying to act in her best interest, and just ignoring what she actually wanted and also fucking it up anyway. By the time of the Castle arc, Tarvek has mostly thrown away all of his own ambitions in favor of working for Agatha's, even in moments when he feels pretty hopeless about his actual prospects as a suitor. One major advantage in his court is that he's able to actually articulate his feelings like an adult.
  
• Gil: It's been a true roller coaster for these two, from friends to enemies to rivals to allies to secret lovers. It takes a great deal of bonding for their distrust of one another to fall away, and after the time skip Tarvek lists Agatha and Gil (and, by implication, Violetta) as the only people left he really cares about, and the two of them spend a lot more time hugging than you would have expected.
  
• Violetta: Tarvek spent a good deal of his childhood with Violetta, and earnestly tried to protect her. In natural early-Tarvek style, it was by ignoring her wishes and leaving her in the dark, but points for trying. They have a bickering siblings type of relationship, and Violetta is fine trash talking him despite the power imbalance between them. Tarvek is pretty disappointed that he's rebuffed when trying to sincerely express that he's glad she's alive, since she expects childish taunts out of him.
  
• Aaronev: Tarvek really hates Aaronev for all the horrible things he's done, especially for putting Anevka through the machine, and spends about two seconds mourning after he's killed. Tarvek had been play-acting as a loyal son for years, and it's a bit tragic that Aaronev bought his act wholesale - what little interaction we see suggests that Aaronev, scumbag that he is, did really like Tarvek.
  
• Anevka: Tarvek did not take it well when it seemed Anevka was going to die, and went to extreme measures to save her. But Tarvek doesn't assign the same level of personhood to the Anevka clank after the original Anevka dies (he's generally not the best at the whole "clanks are people too" concept), and eventually "kills" her by turning her off and throwing her head in a box, where she probably still remains if Sturmhalten hasn't been razed to the ground.
  
• Lucrezia: While most people hate the Other on a conceptual level, Tarvek has spent enough time with her to really begin to hate her on a personal level. He's aware of her foibles, such as her susceptibility to flattery, and tries to take advantage when he can. His more personal knowledge also makes him better able to detect when Lucrezia is taking over for Agatha than most.
  
• Higgs: Like many, Tarvek cottons on that Higgs has a secret in Castle Heterodyne. Tarvek does try to keep it under his hat and make excuses on his behalf, but can't resist teasing Higgs despite him being incredibly dangerous. Tarvek openly confronting Higgs about his identity later on nearly gets him strangled to death. Despite that, Tarvek and Higgs have formed a good rapport, and have solid mutual respect. He's even one of the people Tarvek pours his heart out to when he thinks Violetta is dead.
  
• Neena: Neena has a bit of a crush on Tarvek, and Tarvek for his part does some light flirting at the ball but otherwise doesn't think about her much at this point. It's an odd match for someone like Tarvek, since Neena is earnest, enthusiastic, and completely lacking in guile. Maybe that's exactly what someone like him needs - stranger things have happened!
  
• Martellus: As two men aiming for the same throne, Martellus and Tarvek are natural enemies. Tarvek obviously dislikes Martellus - and even gets a good punch in - but doesn't take any moves to stop Martellus' forward momentum, and makes no moves towards legitimizing his claim as Storm King beyond not being dead. His strategy may be to just give Martellus enough rope to hang himself with, but it may also show genuine disinterest in this whole Storm King business.
  

Ok, so in my head I feel like a read nurses being RN, something else, and then 10 other nursing titles - which I realise is prolly wrong and I'm only certain about reading about two, maybe three different nursing titles. I dont know if these titles are related to different types of education or if they are related to different types of authorisations or whatever else.
In Norway nursing education is a 3 year bachelor, I know there's atleast one other alternative but it's mostly about duration of education and not about method of it.
Def. forgetting something here, but first year in my school is nursing theories/academia, anatomy, physiology and microbiology, and pathology, with a clinical/practice in geriatric care, second year is public health and clinical nursing and two practice, one in medical unit and another in surgical, and then third year is home nursing and psychiatry practice and preparing for writing a bachelors.
Now, I simply wanted to ask what my Norwegian nursing education was equal to in US (and/or UK)-terms, and what other versions there are.
But now I also wanted to add a thought about nurses value - which to be clear is massive and our importance is equally massive. But I always felt at unease of nursing ego, both during education and also nurses I've met in work.
People say nurses aren't doctors assistants, but for me it seems we are in many ways the extention of the doctors plan and care for the patient. "But, we know the patient and recognise the most subtle signs of patients getting worse, we stop the docs from making mistakes" etc. etc.
I get it, we are important, but in somatics I've never seen anything other than us being an extention of the doctors presence. Doctors could relatively quickly learn nursing skills whereas no nurse could quickly learn doctor skills. Whenever I asked questions throughout the education or in practice, I might get an adequate answer within the first or second question, but very quickly I got to the "idk, ask a doctor" - which I respect, but worse, nurses pretending to understand the answer to my question and giving a poor reply.
My 12 year old child easily did all the medication exams, calculating dosage, strength, volume, infusjon speed etc. etc., yet I hear nurses talking about how complex math skills one need.
I get it, there's no need for us to go through medical school to do our work, I'm just tired of the percieved arrogance. I had a theory about part of it was due to wanting to lift the status of female dominated occupations, which kinda got underlined when we had a class on the importance of feminism and the value of women in the work space, but I might be wrong.
Nurses have never given me answers that made me feel more prepared to understand complex bedside situations, but doctors have.
I feel like nurses learn words and sentences, which we gradually forget as one would forget sentences prepared for a vacation to a foreign country, whereas docs learn the language and the grammar so deep that they wont forget it anymore than they forget their own language.

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Hello!
So as the title states, I am a newly 22 year old female who is terrified and feel lost. So I’m currently in my last semester of nursing school and I officially finish at the end of July this summer. (Sounds like I should be happy right?) however during my time in nursing school I did not work. I’m very privileged and honored to have parents who took care of me during this time but now I regret not working at all. I also have been basically living off my student refunds and monthly stipends from my scholarship program. I feel like it really has inhibited me from being an adult and has allowed me to slack off and just spend my money on things I want or unnecessary things when I should’ve been saving. Basically I’m currently looking for a job right now even though that may sound weird since I’m going to be graduating but my funds are low right now. I just hate that I’m unemployed and feel like a bum. Also to add into the mix I have social anxiety (yes, as a nurse you can’t be shy but I’m not shy when interacting with patients or performing nurse duties which is weird lol) and the only jobs I can obtain are fast foods currently however I previously worked in that industry and my anxiety is through the roof when interacting with customers. Any advice on overcoming social anxiety and also any advice in general for your early 20’s?

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Hello! I am an incoming third-year medical technology student planning to shift to a Dentistry program at a different university. I have realized that the medical technology course may not be the right fit for me, and I do not see myself practicing it in the future. But, I am feeling some regret about the time I have invested. Should I continue with MLS, or should I proceed with the shift to Dentistry? If I decide to shift, how do I cater some of the present subj, and which subjects will be credited?"

Solana's journey is plagued by centralization concerns, casting a shadow over its purported decentralization. The network's governance is heavily concentrated in the hands of a select few, with vital decisions dictated by a centralized authority. This top-down governance model undermines the autonomy of network participants and raises questions about the integrity of Solana's ecosystem. Moreover, Solana's validator ecosystem is dominated by a handful of large players, forming de facto cartels that wield disproportionate influence over the network. These validator cartels collude to maintain their grip on power, stifling competition and centralizing control in the hands of a privileged few.
Solana has been fraught with repeated instances of network outages, undermining its claim of being a reliable blockchain platform. Let's scrutinize these incidents with meticulous detail:
December 2021 Outage: On December 8, 2021, Solana plunged into darkness as a major network outage halted transactions for over 17 hours. This downtime not only frustrated users but also highlighted the fragility of Solana's infrastructure, raising serious questions about its reliability.
September 2022 Incident: In September 2022, Solana was rocked by yet another debilitating outage, lasting for nearly 10 hours. Transactions ground to a halt, leaving users stranded and transactions in limbo. The incident underscored Solana's vulnerability to systemic failures and eroded trust in its ability to deliver on its promises of speed and scalability.
April 2023 Downtime: On April 12, 2023, Solana experienced another crippling downtime, lasting for approximately 8 hours. This outage disrupted transactions and exposed the network's Achilles' heel, further denting its reputation as a reliable blockchain platform.
Comparatively, networks like Ethereum and Bitcoin have maintained near-perfect uptime, standing as bastions of reliability and resilience in the blockchain space.
Centralization at its Core
Solana's purported decentralization is a facade, masking the reality of centralized control lurking beneath the surface. Let's dissect the centralization of Solana in granular detail:
Governance Concentration: Unlike truly decentralized networks where governance is distributed among a diverse array of stakeholders, Solana's governance is heavily concentrated in the hands of a select few. Vital decisions concerning protocol upgrades, network operations, and ecosystem development are made by a centralized authority, disenfranchising the broader community and undermining the principles of decentralization.
Validator Cartels: Solana's validator ecosystem is dominated by a handful of large players, forming de facto cartels that wield disproportionate influence over the network. These validator cartels collude to maintain their grip on power, stifling competition and centralizing control in the hands of a privileged few.
Protocol Changes: Solana's protocol changes are dictated by a centralized authority, bypassing the consensus mechanisms that underpin truly decentralized networks. This top-down approach to governance undermines the autonomy of network participants and erodes trust in the integrity of Solana's ecosystem.
Manipulation Rife
Solana's susceptibility to market manipulation is a pressing concern, with incidents of manipulation casting a shadow over its reputation. Let's unravel the web of manipulation ensnaring Solana:
Pump-and-Dump Schemes: Solana has been plagued by orchestrated pump-and-dump schemes, where coordinated groups artificially inflate the price of SOL tokens before dumping them on unsuspecting investors. These schemes exploit market liquidity and prey on the greed of speculators, leaving retail investors nursing heavy losses.
Wash Trading: Solana's markets are rife with wash trading, a deceptive practice where traders artificially inflate trading volumes to create a false impression of liquidity and demand. This manipulation tactic distorts market metrics and undermines the integrity of Solana's price discovery mechanism, eroding trust in its market dynamics.
Insider Trading: Solana's centralized governance structure creates fertile ground for insider trading, where privileged insiders exploit non-public information to gain an unfair advantage in the market. This unethical practice undermines the principles of fairness and transparency, sowing seeds of distrust in Solana's ecosystem.
Entanglement with Centralized Exchanges:
Solana's close ties with centralized exchanges further exacerbate its centralization woes, consolidating power in the hands of a select few and compromising its purported decentralization. Let's dissect the entanglement between Solana and centralized exchanges:
Exchange Collusion: Solana's listing on centralized exchanges is often marred by collusion between exchange operators and Solana insiders. Listing fees, market-making agreements, and preferential treatment create conflicts of interest that undermine the integrity of Solana's market infrastructure.
Market Surveillance: Centralized exchanges wield significant influence over Solana's markets, conducting surveillance and enforcement actions to maintain order and compliance. This centralized control contradicts the decentralized ethos of blockchain and exposes Solana to the risks of regulatory scrutiny and market manipulation.
Custodial Risks: Solana's reliance on centralized exchanges for custody services exposes users to custodial risks, including exchange hacks, insolvency, and mismanagement. Entrusting assets to centralized custodians undermines the principles of self-custody and financial sovereignty, compromising the security and integrity of Solana's ecosystem.
The Cartel Conundrum
Solana's centralized governance structure creates fertile ground for cartel formation, where privileged insiders collude to maintain their dominance and influence. These cartels wield disproportionate power over the network, stifling competition and undermining the principles of decentralization. In contrast, Ethereum's decentralized governance model fosters inclusivity and transparency, empowering the broader community to participate in decision-making and governance processes. This decentralized approach mitigates the risk of cartel formation and ensures that Ethereum remains true to its ethos of decentralization and open participation.
Conclusion
Solana's troubled history of chronic network outages, centralized control, market manipulation, and entanglement with centralized exchanges paints a damning portrait of a platform plagued by systemic flaws and inherent vulnerabilities. In contrast, networks like Ethereum, PulseChain and Bitcoin stand as pillars of reliability and decentralization, offering a safe haven for investors seeking refuge from the stormy seas of cryptocurrency. As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed – and in the treacherous landscape of cryptocurrency, exercising caution is paramount. Solana's tumultuous journey serves as a sobering reminder of the perils lurking beneath the surface of seemingly promising blockchain platforms. Proceed with caution, for the path ahead is fraught with danger.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this email is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. Please conduct your own research and due diligence. Do not blindly follow or listen to advice, even from wealthy individuals. Always make informed decisions based on your understanding and consult with a trusted advisor if needed. The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other individual, organization, or company mentioned.

Hi all! After a crazy, but incredibly fun and rewarding year earning my pilot certs, I wanted to make a write-up of my experience in hopes that it’ll be helpful for any other aspiring or current pilots. To summarize, I went from zero aviation experience to CFII in 13 months, Part 61, paying as I go and on the pretty cheap side. I do want to emphasize that I was ~incredibly~ lucky and had some very generous people who helped me out, and I could not have done this as efficiently and cheaply if it weren’t for them. I’m going to list all my takeaways below, but I think my biggest piece of advice is to network as much as you can because there are some amazing, generous people in this community that want to see us all succeed.
Background:
For context, I’m in my mid to late twenties and have been in the workforce for about 5 years. Through a combination of factors I decided to make a career switch to professional pilot but was hesitant because I did not want to take on debt. I have a family member who is an airline pilot who helped me devise a plan. I moved home and kept working my job remotely so I was able to put all my paychecks towards flying.
Private Pilot – 3 months, 75 hours TT, $12k
I did my private in a Piper Archer owned by my local FBO. The owner allowed my family member to be my instructor and gave me a small discount for pre-paying hours. We flew almost daily. I also took ground school at another local FBO in-person, and that was much more helpful than having to learn everything on my own because I was brand new to aviation. I took the private written exam as soon as my ground school concluded which was also the week of my checkride (bad idea in hindsight, but it worked out).
I solo’d around 25 hours and took my checkride with about 60 hours in the Archer (15 additional hours were in a friend’s airplane). The checkride was challenging, but straightforward and I was well prepared. The DPE said good things about me afterward and I was officially a private pilot! I’d be happy to answer questions or do a writeup in a separate post on any of my checkrides but for the sake of brevity I’ll skip that for now.
~Key takeaways from private:~
Fly as often as possible and make sure your instructor is aligned with that. Also stay on top of ground school. Also, don’t rush to take the checkride before you’re ready, it’s okay to have a lot of practice first. Lastly, I know DPE availability is a big issue in lots of areas and can cause people to have to wait on a checkride even though they’ve been ready for months. In my experience, if you try hard enough and call around, you will find someone. However, it might mean you have to travel a little bit which I know is not possible for everyone.
Instrument – 2 months, 150 hours TT, $14k
I was feeling a little fatigued after private so I was slow to start studying for instrument. I started by doing a lot of flying for fun, mainly flying in the Archer by myself on little cross countries to check off some of the requirements (in hindsight I should have found someone to split time with).
I did my instrument at a flight school in one of the adjacent states. This particular school specializes in accelerated programs, but they do not have a formalized instrument course. I went in-person and spoke with the director of flight operations to discuss my options. Since I had to take PTO to do this, the goal was to finish my instrument in one week with the checkride at the end. I paid a flat rate for the airplane and instructor time. I also stayed over there during that week so I had to pay for housing as well.
Before I went over there, I did some prep in the Archer that I did my private in and took the written exam (Sheppard air). I also purchased Sporty’s Instrument course and used that to prep and for the endorsement needed to take the written. The week I spent at the flight school was honestly a blast, and I was able to take my checkride on day 7 with 20 hours in the plane and about 4 hours of sim time. Again, happy to discuss the checkride in the comments or another post.
~Key takeaways from instrument:~
TAKE THE IRA, FII, AND IGI EXAMS AT THE SAME TIME. You only have to purchase the IRA Sheppard course and can take all 3 exams back to back. Also, again stay on top of ground school because instrument flying requires a lot of technical knowledge. But it honestly is really fun!
Commercial – 3 months, 263 hours TT, $8k
The biggest challenge for commercial was time building, of course. This is where networking saved me. I made friends with another instructor who frequented my local FBO who also owns a plane. He needed the time as well so we flew together a lot and I paid for the fuel. I also had another friend at the airport who owns a plane that he doesn’t fly often and offered to let me time build in that (again, I’ve been so lucky to come across some very generous people).
I did my checkride in the Archer that I learned in with my family member signing me off, and with the same DPE who did my private. Commercial was probably the easiest one I had done so far, but it still was no joke! I will say I was amazed with how much easier things came to me by this point versus when I first started, which was a great feeling.
~Key takeaways from commercial:~
Network, network, network. Spend as much time as you can at your local FBO or flight school and make friends with everyone. Like I’ve said, there are some very generous people out there who love to help out new pilots, and I could not have made it this far without them.
Also, in retrospect, it would have been a really good idea to have done commercial from the right seat. I’ve heard of a lot of people doing that and if I had, I would have been able to knock out CFI a lot sooner and cheaper.
Multi-engine add-on – 1 week, 298 hours TT, $4.3k
Shortly after getting my CPL, I had a week of PTO and decided to knock out my multi add-on. I found a flight school with a Seminole and got ahold of their MEI, and we figured we could knock it out during that week. I contacted the DPE who did my private and commercial and we scheduled my checkride for the end of the week. This flight school was about 2 hours driving from home, and I was able to stay with friends while I was there.
This one was a little challenging because this was in January in the midwest and we were seeing a lot of low IFR days. We ended up getting weathered out the first half of the week, but luckily the Seminole was an easy transition for me and we got me trained up in 3 days, 8 hours of flying. I took the checkride as scheduled and passed (I will say I have had extremely good luck with weather for all of my checkride days so far).
Sidenote: Prior to this checkride, I also took the AGI and IGI exams and asked the DPE who did my multi checkride to sign off on the ground instructor certificate at the same time. I did this because I’ve heard it helps when applying to CFI jobs (shows a little extra effort) and it was easier to do it this way versus having a FSDO issue the cert. Cost me $50 to the DPE.
~Key takeaways from multi:~
Do your research to find an airplane at a good rate. I paid $395 per hour which included the instructor, but I’ve seen some schools charging a lot more. Also, I looked into schools with accelerated courses that you pay as a package, and based on my experience I would not recommend because I was able to do it much cheaper my way.
My instructor did a good job of making sure I knew all the aircraft systems well enough to teach them in case I go for my MEI (which I would like to do soon). Since the MEL is light on material, I highly recommend this. Also, when I was doing research I was told to look for a Seminole or DA-42 because they’re easy trainers, which I would agree with based on my limited experience.
CFI – 1 month (on top of all my experience thus far), 316 hours TT, $5k
This was the scariest one for me. I had heard all along that CFI is the hardest and longest checkride and for the most part I would agree. I originally was planning on going to a school with an accelerated program for this, but after asking around I decided to do it on my own (with my family member signing me off).
This one was heavy on ground school. I got some lesson plans from various people as I heard that’s what everyone has prepared for the checkride, but I hardly ended up using them. I also had a friend send me PowerPoints he made for the technical subject areas. I edited them/made them my own and these are what I ended up using for the checkride along with a couple props.
As far as studying goes, the thing I found most helpful was watching random YouTube videos before bed every night. Although it was all review, I picked up a lot of tidbits that weren’t quite drilled into my brain as I still feel new to aviation overall. As the DPE described it, to be a good CFI you basically need to be a nerd about everything aviation and that’s what I tried to do. I would guess that I studied a few hours a day for a month and a half or so. As for the flying part, I had a little bit of right seat experience prior to buckling down for CFI (probably under 5 hours), so I’d guess it took me about 5 more hours to feel comfortable in the right seat. I took the checkride with the same DPE who did my private, commercial, and multi and passed! The checkride was 8 hours total so definitely a long day. As we were debriefing, I went ahead and scheduled CFII with him as well.
~Key takeaways from CFI:~
Start nerding out now (if you aren’t already). Keep a running collection of links and videos that explain concepts well or teach you something interesting, they will be useful for the checkride. Also, don’t buy lesson plans. As my DPE put it, there are really only like 5 lesson plans for any given topic and we all steal them from each other, so no need to reinvent the wheel or pay for them if someone else can give them to you. I’d also recommend really getting to know the PTS, because it lays out very clearly what you are required to do on the checkride (for example you know you’re going to need to teach runway incursions so it’s a good opportunity to be really prepared). I’m sure my last point is most applicable to those doing CFI on their own since you won’t have a school telling you exactly what to expect.
CFII – 1 month, 368 hours TT, $1.3k
CFII was possibly the easiest checkride to prepare for. I did this one in a friend’s airplane – a Mooney with a G750 and GFC 500 autopilot. It probably took about 10 hours of flying (I already have lots of time in this plane) to be ready. For studying, I reviewed Pilot Cafe, YouTube videos, and obtained some lesson plans from a friend. I did not use PowerPoints or anything for this one. I also had already completed the written exam back when I did my instrument rating. I’m not sure what else to say about this one, but I did it with the same DPE again and passed. It feels amazing to be done with checkrides for a while!
~Key takeaways from CFII:~
Select an airplane with a good autopilot. This made the flying portion of the checkride super easy. For the oral, I highly recommend working with instructors who send students for a lot of instrument checkrides. I feel like there are so many very specific questions that DPEs like to ask on instrument/CFII checkrides, so it helps if you have someone who knows what those questions are going to be. Also, FlightInsight on YouTube and Boldmethod were my favorite resources for this one. Lastly, make sure you know your avionics and autopilot really well, including reading and being able to teach all of the limitations that are in the user manuals.
Notes regarding cost:
I did a decent job of tracking all my expenses throughout this process. I noted in the title that the total cost to me was about $50k, which consists of the ~$45k that I discussed above plus some additional expenses. I also did my commercial ASES rating at Jack Brown’s seaplane base which cost me about $2.5K total (of course this was just for fun). The remaining amount consists of things like buying a headset, books, random accessories, and even some things I called “unnecessary expenses”. I temporarily paid for a membership at a flight school that I barely ended up using, so I put that in that category. While I did everything pretty cheap, I was definitely not perfect!
Here is a further breakdown of my expenses:
Airplane rentals/fuel - $36.9k
Instructor fees - $2.5k (bear in mind I got a lot of free instruction from friends & family)
Ground school - $1.3k (includes actual ground school and books)
Flight accessories - $1.2k
Written exam fees - $1.2k (8 exams total)
DPE fees - $5.8k (7 checkrides; this includes seaplane)
Medical fees - $290
Housing - $900
Misc/unnecessary expenses - $1.2k
Total: $51.7k
Overall Takeaways:
- For those doing Part 61/pay as you go, I highly recommend finding an independent instructor with a flexible schedule. This was key for me because I had a work schedule to work around.
- NETWORKING/MAKING FRIENDS. Go to every fly-in you can, always stop into the FBO to say hi to people, etc. etc. Having friends in aviation was monumentally helpful for me and saved me SO much money. Cannot stress this enough!
- If you are on a timeline, make sure you set specific milestones and when you are going to hit them. Make sure your instructor is on board too.
- Do your research! Reddit has been a fantastic resource for me throughout this process. Talk to people who have achieved the things you want to achieve. I really cannot thank you all enough for all your help and insights on your experiences!
Again, I am more than happy to answer any and all questions. I also apologize if anything is jumbled or confusing; this took a long time to write and I’m sure I missed things. I will also disclaim that while I did a good job of tracking all my expenses, I was not perfect and YMMV for sure. I just hope this gave a somewhat helpful picture for those hoping to do something similar to what I did.
As for next steps, I am aiming for the airlines one of these days! I have a couple interviews at flight schools coming up so I am planning to quit my job and finally start flying full-time soon. I want to do my MEI sometime soon as well but I haven’t figured out how I’m going to pay for the PIC time yet.
I also want to say that I absolutely love general aviation and hope to always be involved in it. I have made so many friends, had some incredible experiences, and learned way more than I could have ever imagined in the past year. For anyone thinking about flying, hopefully this is your sign to just do it! Feel free to comment with questions!

https://imgur.com/a/pFbDjZI
I’ve been applying for entry level IT roles for some months now. Well over 500+ applications between clearance jobs, indeed, LinkedIn, USA jobs, Monster, & Zip Recruiter. Recruiters will reach out for a phone screen, I’ll pass it and then the hiring manager will reach out. The interviews will go well, I’ll ask for feedback or concerns about my qualifications. They’ll reassure me that I’m a good fit and that they’ll reach out within a week. Then comes the fun part; they either ghost me or send me an email/message like this.. “the funding has been cut, we’re restructuring, the government canceled the contract.”
I don’t know what to do anymore. When you know its not the resume, its not your interviewing skills because you’ve been practicing and have every resource available to improve, you have the IS degree, certs, secret clearance, and a solid portfolio. I’m starting to feel like I was sold a pipe dream of working in IT. Maybe it’s just not for me.
I’m not making this post with the intentions of discouraging anyone. I know there are people out there getting jobs with less box checkers than me. I just needed to vent. I was really excited about the opportunity to interview with this company. The pay was perfect, I’m fully qualified for the role, it’s in the city I want to live in, and they support veterans.
My only other options at this point: 1. Hope the Air Force will take me back on active duty 2. Go back to college for accounting or nursing 3. Become the stereotypical veteran that couldn’t make the cut in the civilian world
For those of you have a job in IT, even if it’s a job you hate, I hope you know how blessed you are. Don’t take your positions for granted.
SIGNED
A disgruntled VET

So a few weeks ago at 2:47 PM, I had an ESL teachebusiness consultant from Ukraine reach out to me on LinkedIn who told me that the technical University in Kyiv, Ukraine where she was working at had a vacancy for a remote ESL teaching position that they needed to be filled. She sent me a link to the university where she worked at, along with a PDF listing the details of the job description. I'm unemployed.
My main concerns that I encountered with this consultant was that she wouldn't respond to my messages for several days at a time and lose interest in communicating with me as soon as I replied. Was I not replying fast enough to her messages? Like I'm frustrated that this consultant offered a job interview to me despite knowing the 10 hour time zone difference between us and how she sounded very urgent as if she needed the job filled asap, only to ghost me.
My background is a bachelor's degree in Information Management and 6 months of teaching ESL in South Korea with 2 years of working at a call center and work as a tutor.
I immediately responded to her one minute later at 2:48 pm and I told her "thank you. Yes, I am interested in this position." After spending 5 minutes editing my resume, I sent her a copy of my resume. However, she didn't respond to my message on LinkedIn or my email until 8 days later.
8 days later, she sent another message on LinkedIn and email saying "Hi OP! If you're still interested in the opportunity, I'd love to invite you to a job interview with our company. Could you provide me with several available time slots."
I responded 4 minutes later saying "Yes, I am available from 8AM to 10 PM as I live in the Pacific Standard Time (PST). However, I have a very flexible schedule so I can change my schedule if need be."
The consultant responded one minute later "Thank you, I'm thinking about which time slot to offer as we have 10 hour time difference.
I responded 1 minute later saying that it would be best to continue this conversation early in the morning as at the time she was messaging me it was 1: 24 AM in my time zone (pacific standard time) and that I needed to get some sleep. She didn't respond to my message, as all she did was send me a "thumbs up" emoji to my message.
I didn't get a follow up message the following morning, so 4 days later, I sent a follow up message saying "good day. I am following up about the time slot for the interview that we discussed last week."
The last message that the consultant sent me was "Hi OP! Unfortunately we have to stop the cooperation. Due to big difference in time, we can barely offer students. Thank you for your time."
She sent a final email saying "Hi OP! Your candidacy won't be considered further for this position. To keep in touch, I would offer you to join our teacher's club where we post teacher resources and material weekly."
I wrote an email and LinkedIn message saying "Thank you for letting me know. Yes, I am interested in joining the teacher's club."
However, she never sent me a follow up email about the teacher's club. Was this a scam? Would it be worth it to have joined the teacher's club?
So if she knew that the time zone differences was going to be a problem, then why did she even bother to reach out to me on LinkedIn and email to offer me an interview for the remote job in the first place? And why would she stop messaging me as soon as I immediately replied to her message?
Was I not responding fast enough?
Seems like she wasted both of our times. Cana anyone give me feedback as to what I did wrong or why this consultant did this?
​
​

https://archive.is/EZUY4
With a one-time financial investment into the complete overhaul of its auxiliary gym, Pioneer Valley Regional School is hoping the work will pay dividends for students in the classroom, on the athletic field and for the rest of their lives.
The upgrades, which cost around $65,000, according to Director of Finance and Operations Jordan Burns, turned the school’s auxiliary gym — affectionately branded as “The Aux” — from an old workout space to a modern gym that welcomes students of all abilities and motivations. Among the improvements are a new floor; all-new equipment, including six racks; and a strip of artificial turf.
Nick Adams, Pioneer’s physical education teacher and assistant athletic director, said the improvements can “bridge the gap” between education and physical and mental wellness, and students of all backgrounds have been engaging in the new space since it opened in March.
“The kids are starting to identify the flow. … They come in, no matter what team they are, what age, it’s all scalable, so we can reach all of our students that are willing to come in,” Adams said. “Traditional phys. ed. isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. ... All teams, all genders, all social groups, we’re able to go inside and work toward a common goal, which I think is very unifying for a school.”
Burns added that the renovation was a big project for the school and the results speak for themselves.
“That was money well-spent to take a space that was somewhat of an eyesore and turn it into not only a functional classroom and training space, but a space that students can be proud of,” Burns said.
The gym is open for Adams’ two strength and fitness classes and then after school most days for students to use. He also expects the gym will be open for student athletes and their teams in the summer, and the school has been communicating with Northfield’s Recreation Department to see if they can set up public workout hours.
This “investment for a lifetime,” Adams said, can instill good physical exercise habits, which in turn directly benefits mental and emotional health for students. He noted those benefits, especially for middle school boys and girls, are invaluable for their growth into young adults. The practical knowledge of gym equipment is an added benefit, too, as students can take the exercises and routines they develop at Pioneer and take them to a public gym.
“Anything that we can do to get a positive reinforcement in their confidence, like, ‘Hey, I couldn’t do that last time, but I tried it this time and it was possible,’” Adams said. “They get that and you really get to start to see them shimmer and that’s cool, but we’ve got to access it, which is the hard part.”
Junior Jackson Campbell and several other students said the auxiliary gym’s improvements have been a huge boost for the school and they’ve enjoyed using it.
“It’s a good spot to come and feel like yourself,” Campbell said, joking that it’s “the best room in the entire school.” “People work together in here.”
“It’s a really valuable resource,” added fellow junior Joey Seaman.

Hello! I am an incoming third-year medical technology student planning to shift to a Dentistry program at a different university. I have realized that the medical technology course may not be the right fit for me, and I do not see myself practicing it in the future. But, I am feeling some regret about the time I have invested. Should I continue with MLS, or should I proceed with the shift to Dentistry? If I decide to shift, how do I cater some of the present subj, and which subjects will be credited?

I passed! AT/AT/AT. Took the test this past Saturday May 18, at a test center. Thank you to everyone on this sub, reading through your tips and experiences made all the difference.
Context: Start to finish, I completed this journey in about 4 weeks. I was laid off in March of this year and am job hunting. So, having the time, I opted to do it on a very aggressive timeline, to knock it out and beef up my resume. Not having it on the resume felt like a blocker for the positions I’ve been applying to, time will tell if it helps. I do wish I had thought to do it while still employed, so I could have done it on their dime. (I could not have pulled this off this quickly while working full time.)
Budget (USD) $723

• $159 - PMI membership
• $79 - PMI Study Hall Plus
• $425 - PMI Exam
• $20 - Andrew R's Udemy course
• $25 - AR Prep Book, Ebay
• $15 - Third3Rock Study Guide

Timeline

• April 19: Purchased AR’s course
• May 1: Once I got course completion certificate, I submitted PMP application. No audit.
• May 3: Bought Study Hall Plus
• May 11: Finally confirmed my PMP application approval. It had been approved a few days prior, but the notification was not sent. So I recommend checking and not waiting for an email. Paid and scheduled exam, to take on site. Too many horror stories of online, test center is 15 min away.
• May 18: Took and passed exam!

Prep and study plan:

• AR Udemy course for the 35 PDU. Watched on 1.5-1.75x speed, took notes. Got 72% on the in-session mock exam.
• AR PMP Exam Prep Simplified book. Read the whole thing. Averaged about 70-75% on the section quizzes. Saved full mock exam till later.
• PMI Study Hall Plus: Took all 5 full exams (only 1 per day, I’m not a monster. Took the last one 3 days before exam). Scores 69/73/75/63/62. I reviewed all questions after, and made sure I understood the wrong ones. The expert questions killed my last two scores. Also took a bunch of the SH mini quizzes. First pass, scored 60-70’s.
• I built a post-it Mural (mural.io) of the 49 processes/ITTOs. I was having hard time getting these to stick, and taking the time to do this helped me visualize it and keep it straight in my head. It’s not perfect, more of a brain dump in virtual post-its, but I’m happy to share a read-only link if anyone is interested.
• Watched David McLachlan’s 150 PMBOK 7 Q&A on YouTube. Helpful to learn his approach to highlighting key points and eliminating.
• When away from studying (i.e., driving, on walks, etc) — instead of my usual podcasts, I listed to a bunch of Scott Payne’s podcast “PMP Exam Prep Success Secrets”. More conversational, a much different style than DM or AR. I found it helpful. I don't know if it's the best podcast resource out there, but by then I was fried, so I grabbed first one I could find. I was done researching :)
• Third3rock PMP Study Notes/Cheat Sheet. So many of you recommended this! I grabbed it about 5 days before exam, read through multiple times through the week. Fantastic resource! (Thank you u/third3rock!)

Final countdown to test: Two days before exam:

• Took AR’s full exam in from the Prep Simplified book (85%)
• Reset SH mini exams and started redoing them, improved scores to 80-90’s, and one 100
• Re-read Third3Rock docs

Day before exam

• Rewatched AR’s mindset videos, reread minset section of prep book
• Re-read mindset section of Third3Rock
• Did more mini SF exams to stay in practice
• Reviewed Mural content

Morning of exam:

• Reread Third3Rock mindset section, and AR's mindset pages on drive in

Finally the test itself :

• Scheduled for 8am at testing center. My husband dropped me off at 8am to save me the stress of finding parking (test center at local university.)
• Locked up my stuff, turned off phone and took off apple watch. Got signed in and started at 8:30. Had to show ID and show empty pockets at beginning and at every break.
• I could not bring my water into test room, but could leave it on counter near proctors.
• There were only 5 drag and drop. Only one question required calculation for CPI. No PERT or Comm Channels. No MBTI or DiSC. Maybe 5 ITTO at best. Everything else followed closely to Study Hall approach, situational and mindset. Heavy on agile and hybrid.
• I followed the 230/155/80 timing, which was super helpful to time things out. I paced myself, took breaks at 154 min and 83 min, and finished with 4 minutes to spare. I didn’t mark any for review, and at my pace it was just as well, I would not have had time to review.
• I used the highlight and strikethrough on every question. Do the tutorial in beginning to get comfortable with the tool.
• Be careful to understand the rules at the test center. I almost got in trouble at the first break! I asked permission to go to my locker for snacks after 1st break, which were right off to the side and in view of proctors. I stayed at locker to eat some granola and grapes, and was reprimanded, since I was supposed to bring the snacks out to the proctor’s desk area, which I now realize was in view of the cameras. Whoops! I apologized and said I misunderstood the rules. I’m glad they did not suspect me of trying to use my phone, etc. I was a little nervous waiting for final results due to this.
• Make sure to return from break a few minutes early, because proctor needs to sign you back in to your station. I had to wait until they got to me.
• Got my provisional pass on way out the door, and my official pass confirmation the next evening.

Most helpful tips:

• Read the last sentence in the scenario question FIRST. So you know what to pay attention to when reading the scenario.
• Strike through the obviously wrong answers first, to stay focused.
• Mindset, mindset, mindset. When in doubt, mindset.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Hi Yesterday, I had my first tournament in the WTC format. I met some really nice opponents and saw some interesting lists. I had previously seen the WTC maps PDF and was curious how I could play with my list, which consisted almost entirely of monster units. Before this, I had only ever played with friends on tables like I was used to from GW 15 years ago, where I always had great success with my monster list.
At the tournament, I found that a third of the area was cluttered with ruins and there was no other terrain. It seems completely absurd to me, as it practically feels like an empty table for infantry and beast units. Right at the central objective, there is an infinitely high wall, and every time I approach, my opponent sends out a unit to block my path and leaves me no opportunity for interaction.
I am all for strategically using one's army, but it hardly requires much planning, and I practically cannot interact with it if I don't have indirect fire.
It baffles me how Imperial Knights and Chaos Knights are supposed to win with such map layouts. As a newcomer, it seems to me that the map layout was designed to maximally buff infantry units.
I might seem completely crazy, but could someone please explain to me why I'm completely wrong?

I'm interested in getting my diploma in practical nursing and have started working on my prerequisites for admission.
From doing quick searches, it seems there's not many job opportunities for LPNs in Interior Health. Most of them are part time, casual and relief positions.
Is it easy to find a job after graduation?

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The Ultimate Guide to CompTIA Certification Study Resources: Prepare with Confidence
CompTIA certifications are a great way to kickstart or advance your IT career, offering a wide range of certifications that can be overwhelming to navigate. In this comprehensive guide, we'll provide you with a detailed overview of CompTIA certification study resources, helping you prepare for online exams with confidence.
CompTIA Certification LevelsBefore diving into study resources, it's essential to understand the three main levels of CompTIA certifications:

1. Core Certifications: Entry-level certifications covering IT fundamentals, such as:
   • CompTIA A+
   • CompTIA Network+
   • CompTIA Security+
2. Specialty Certifications: Mid-level certifications focusing on specific areas like:
   • Cybersecurity
   • Data analytics
   • Cloud computing
3. Professional Certifications: Advanced certifications for experienced professionals, such as:
   • CompTIA CASP+
   • CompTIA PenTest+

Study Resources

Official CompTIA Resources

1. CompTIA Learning and Training: Download practice questions, exam objectives, and study guides.
2. Certification Study Guides and Books: CompTIA offers study guides in both ebook and print formats.
3. Online Learning Platform: Interactive online courses and study materials.

Free Study Resources

1. CompTIA Free Practice Tests: Get free practice test questions for CompTIA certification exams.
2. Reddit Study Groups: Join online communities, like CompTIA_, to connect with others studying for the exam.
3. YouTube Study Channels: Channels like Professor Messer and CompTIA offer video study materials.

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Additional Tips

1. Make a study plan: Set aside dedicated time to study and review material.
2. Practice, practice, practice: The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel on exam day.
3. Use flashcards: Flashcards can help you memorize key terms and concepts.
4. Join online communities: Connect with others studying for the exam to stay motivated and get help when needed.

Preparing for CompTIA certification exams requires dedication and the right study resources. By leveraging official CompTIA resources, free study materials, and paid study resources, you'll be well on your way to passing your exam and advancing your IT career. Remember to stay focused, practice regularly, and join online communities for support. Good luck on your exam!
Additional Resources

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3. CompTIA Free Practice Tests

By utilizing these study resources and tips, you'll be well-prepared to tackle your CompTIA certification exam and take your IT career to the next level.

Hello once again :D
This is just a topic that has been sometime now in my mind to asses. So here is refutation of this claimed prophecy, and i might not take the "traditional" aproach to it. But i still try to show how ambigous and general the claimed prophecy is.
CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE “BEDOUINS TALL BUILDING” PROPHECY
Introduction:
The prophecy attributed to the Prophet Muhammad concerning the construction of towering edifices often interpreted with a focus on contemporary urbanization trends, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula. This critical examination delves into the historical context, socio-economic analysis, and academic perspectives to highlight several weaknesses and inconsistencies in interpreting this as an legit prophecy.
Historical Context and Interpretation:
The hadith frequently cited in this context is found in Sahih Muslim, where it is reported that the Prophet Muhammad said: "You shall see the barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing tall buildings" [1]. Scholars and believers have linked this prophecy to the rapid urbanization and economic growth of traditionally nomadic societies, like those in the Arabian Peninsula, citing cities such as Dubai and Riyadh with their iconic skyscrapers.
However, it is crucial to understand the context of this hadith. The reference to "barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen" indicates a dramatic socio-economic transformation rather than merely an architectural trend. Historically, the Arabian Peninsula has experienced numerous cycles of wealth and poverty. The Nabateans, for example, built monumental structures like Petra long before the advent of Islam [2] . Thus, the construction of tall buildings can be seen as part of a broader historical pattern rather than a unique or unprecedented event.
Ambiguity and Vagueness:
One significant issue with using the prophecy of tall buildings is its inherent ambiguity. Tall buildings, defined by their vertical prominence, have existed throughout history. The ancient Egyptians constructed the Pyramids, the Romans built towering structures like the Colosseum, and medieval Europe saw the rise of cathedrals with soaring spires. Each of these could have been interpreted as "tall buildings" in their respective eras.
Moreover, the phrase "competing in constructing tall buildings" is subjective and lacks specificity. While modern skyscrapers indeed represent a competition for height, the human ambition to build higher has been a constant for millennia, driven by technological advancements and urban planning needs rather than a divine signal. Historian Lynn White, Jr. noted that the drive to construct monumental buildings is a universal phenomenon found across various civilizations throughout history [3]. This suggests that the desire to build tall structures is an inherent aspect of human societies rather than a prophetic fulfillment.
Technological and Economic Factors:
The development of tall buildings in contemporary times is primarily driven by technological progress and economic factors. Advances in engineering and materials science have made constructing skyscrapers feasible and cost-effective. Urbanization, population growth, and limited land availability in cities necessitate building upwards to maximize space. These factors are rooted in practical human needs and capabilities, not necessarily in fulfilling a prophecy.
Additionally, globalization has led to significant investments in urban infrastructure worldwide. Cities strive to build iconic structures as symbols of economic power and modernity. This global trend is motivated by economic competition and urban development strategies rather than prophetic fulfillment. Economist Edward Glaeser argues that skyscrapers are a natural result of economic incentives and the need for efficient land use in urban centers [4] .
Prophecy and Self-Fulfilling Nature:
Another critical aspect to consider is the self-fulfilling nature of prophecies. When a prophecy is widely known, it can influence people's actions and decisions. In the case of the tall buildings prophecy, awareness of the hadith could subconsciously or consciously motivate individuals in the Muslim world to engage in constructing tall buildings as a means of economic and social progress. This creates a circular logic where the prophecy appears to be fulfilled simply because people are aware of it and act accordingly.
Theological and Scholarly Perspectives:
Islamic scholars have varied interpretations of prophecies, often emphasizing metaphorical or moral lessons over literal predictions. Prominent Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun, in his seminal work "Muqaddimah," stressed the importance of understanding the socio-political context of prophetic traditions and cautioned against overly literal interpretations [5]. His insights suggest that such prophecies should be viewed within the broader tapestry of human history and development. Certainly, here is an expanded discussion on the perspectives of scholars regarding the tall buildings prophecy, incorporating various theological and scholarly viewpoints.
Also modern Islamic scholars continue to debate the significance of the tall buildings prophecy. For instance, Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a prominent Islamic scholar, has discussed the prophecy in his lectures, highlighting that it is part of a larger set of signs meant to convey moral and ethical lessons rather than precise future events. He emphasizes that these prophecies should inspire Muslims to reflect on their spiritual state and societal responsibilities rather than to fixate on specific architectural developments [7].
Sociological Implications:
The sociological implications of prophecies, particularly those related to urban development, are profound. The construction of tall buildings in the modern era is closely tied to national pride, economic development, and globalization. Sociologist Saskia Sassen, in her research on global cities, points out that skyscrapers often serve as symbols of a city's status and economic power [6] . This perspective underscores the idea that the proliferation of tall buildings is more about human ambition and progress than fulfilling a divine prophecy.
Additionally, emphasizing tall buildings as a prophecy can have socio-political ramifications. It may influence policy decisions and urban planning in Muslim-majority countries, potentially diverting resources from more pressing social and economic issues. This focus on eschatological signs can also affect public sentiment and behavior, leading to fatalism or a sense of inevitability about the future, which can hinder proactive efforts to address contemporary challenges.
Conclusion:
When scrutinized critically and through an academic lens, the tall building's prophecy reveals significant ambiguities and lacks a concrete basis for being considered a legitimate prophecy.
Historical context, the subjective nature of what constitutes a "tall building," and the technological and economic motivations behind skyscraper construction undermine its reliability as a legit and non-self fulfilling prophecy. Instead, the proliferation of tall buildings should be viewed through the lens of human progress, technological advancements, and urban development, rather than as a prophetic prediction that lacks objective basing.
By examining the prophecy through historical, sociological, and theological perspectives, it becomes clear that the construction of tall buildings is a complex phenomenon influenced by numerous factors beyond the scope of a singular prophetic tradition.
References:
[1] Sunan Ibn Majah 63
[2] Nabateans and the history of Petra: Nabatean Civilization (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabataeans).
[3] White, Lynn Jr. "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis." Science, 1962.
[4] Glaeser, Edward. "Triumph of the City." Penguin Press, 2011.
[5] Ibn Khaldun, "Muqaddimah," 1377. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn\_Khaldun).
[6] Sassen, Saskia. "The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo." Princeton University Press, 2001.
[7] Qadhi, Yasir. Lecture Series: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi The Signs of the End of Times, pt 1 - Introduction and the Early Fitnas

cross-posted from GradSchool and what it says on the tin.
i just graduated undergrad in anthropology with a focus in archaeology last december. i have a plethora of research experiences, and i'm in the field right now taking part in a prestigious field program. i had a good undergrad GPA (3.6) and i believe i'd be able to get good LORs. here come the problems:
i was an online student. i didn't do a thesis in undergrad. i wasn't in honors courses, and i don't have many written pieces to submit for writing samples. i moved close to campus in my last year to take part in in-person research once i realized i wanted to go grad school, but i finished up my degree online which made me ineligible for the honors college -- and therefore an undergrad thesis.
i think i could get into a decent phd program, but i'm not fully confident that i'm ready especially since i really haven't attended real, in-person classes in 4 years. i am an archaeology student, but i never took chemistry, or human osteology, or geology. i feel like i missed so much in undergrad that would be aided by taking a master's. plus, i would love to take part in a publication or two and do some conference presentations.
i know people usually say a terminal master's is a waste of time if you know you want a phd, but i just feel like i missed so much..... and i know i could technically teach myself chemistry and geology or whatever, but i missed out big time on lab *classes*. i know how to handle myself in clean and wet labs thanks to my research experiences, but i have next to no practical knowledge beyond the extremely niche things i learned working with archaeology grad students.
i don't know. what helps is that my online undergrad was fully paid for by my job (which is why i took this option, and also the fact that i didn't realize i wanted a phd until halfway through my program), so i have VERY little student loan debt from undergrad, so that would make the hit from taking on paying my way through my master's hit a lot less.
bear with me, i'm a first gen student, which makes navigating all of this so much harder.
i realize that cohort sizes have shrunk dramatically since covid and highly qualified applicant pools have increased sharply. i know i'm a good, competitive student, and that usually terminal MAs are a waste of time, but with my situation and the aforementioned application issues, i am very conflicted. please let me know what you all think.
and because it matters, my specific interests are geochemistry/geochronology/stable isotope chemistry as it informs paleoclimate and paleomobility.
thank you for your time.

I'm reaching out for some advice/guidance regarding my job search situation after a challenging last year or so. I guess I start by saying that this will be a long post.

1. I finished a contract job early last year. After spending a significant amount of time on the resume (first time i did so largely on my own, took a better part of a few months trying to figure that out). I started applying online around the summer and I was getting interviews, but it didn't go anywhere (got close twice, getting to the third round, but still nothing).

Long story short, It got to the point where this year, i needed to move back in with family because i didnt want to go into debt. Now, there telling me to apply to the CRA and do the situational judgement test, and then everything will be fine and you could apply to any job.
Ignoring how incredibly competitive those roles must be, there's likely a high probability that I don’t have the years of experience for that (have basically around 2 years in several roles) that I dont see, with my employment gap and despite me doing volunteer work right now how even if i do the situational judgement test, that it could be remotely worth the effort.... Is this in any way realistic? Anyone familiar with what the process is actually like applying for jobs at the CRA?

1. My interviewing skills are weak. I've made careless mistakes as I look back on some interviews i've done. I've thought about going to the university i graduated from and asking for help, however, I always felt that interview prep was more suitable after getting the request for the interview from the employer, meaning you have a few day notice at best.

Each job description/job your applying for is different so your preparation will be different each time. Is there a place any of you went to in order to get help with interviews? Has general interview preparation worked for you?
I've practiced with family/friends before many times, but it hasnt really helped because the issue is and its hard to explain, but its hard to simulate an actual job interview with people your familiar with because the nerves aren't there for me.

1. At this point, I view advice like "apply online", "keep applying" given my unemployment gap is longer then a year, that advice feels like a wasted effort right now, I've tailored and altered my resume slightly, changing job titles, the beginning profile summary so it aligns better with jobs i've applied for so many times, I have so many different versions of my resume saved on my computer.

I had finally decided last month, to change my strategy and given that I had to move back in with family, I looked more toward volunteer work, as an easier way to cover up an employment gap, and an easier way to gain work experience right now. I started a non-paid volunteer role last month (thankfully, no interview required, just orientation process). This felt like a realistic option, but its a non-paid volunteer role. That very obviously wont work long term, and thats why I'm looking for general advice here on what to do next.

1. I've contacted agencies. Robert Half, Recruiting in Motion, Altis Technology are the ones where I have actually get responses back. However, i guess it comes back to the interviewing skills issue where maybe I'm just not showing enough energy during those calls. Which is why, going back to #2, If anyone has tips or resources that helped them improve their interview skills beyond practicing with family and friends, I'd greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.
   
2. I'm also signed up with YMCA's Employment Services through Employment Ontario. I recently did that, so its to early for me to say whether they'll be any benefit from it.
   
3. In terms of networking, I went through a significant amount of mental and physical health issues during my time in university. One of my regrets during that time was not being able to do, what your supposed to during that time which was network/build connections. I was in no shape to remotely think about working and doing school work at the same time. I tried that once during the summer time one year and I was really struggling , and I was only doing 2 courses during that semester. I’m far better now compared to before, but its more that, now that I’m out of school. I’m not sure where to start with that. ________________________
   

Thank you to anyone that might have took the time to actually read all of that. For some reason, I feel better after writing it.

Hey there! I'm GMing Strength of Thousands for a group of my friends (who very much should not be reading this; if you're here and doing so, you know who you are, shoo), and we've been playing for the past couple of months. Just had a session the other night where I got to implement a particular idea I had based on prior session events, and I wanted to talk about it somewhere, to maybe get some feedback on the idea or maybe see if it's something others have done.
I've ran Book 1 pretty by-the-book for the most part, with some additions like bringing in some backstory NPCs, the party's masks being relics, and, maybe most importantly as a change from what's purely presented in the book - Stone Ghost, back during his time as Uduak, having been a student at the same time as Ot. Pretty big timing change, but I've got some justifications for it already, plus it allowed the party to get some information on the "big bad" of the book where otherwise it seemed like they might not get much at all about him.
That said, the party still seemed underwhelmed by Stone Ghost after their encounter with him under the school, and seemed pretty convinced that they hadn't seen the last of him. And, you know what? I agreed. They'd gotten some hints and backstory about this guy, but only properly encountered him directly one time. So, I began working on drafting up an idea tied to someone else they found in those tunnels - Binji.
Poor, sweet Binji. The party took a liking to her pretty immediately; they caught a glimpse of her at the end of one session and practically bee-lined toward interacting with her in the next one, and they've effectively adopted her. It hasn't been too long so far, but they've seemingly made it their mission to improve her lot, and have started doing some research and calling in favors to get her some help with her lice situation, clothes, making sure she gets comfortable accomodations and doesn't just sleep outside despite her insistence that it would be totally okay... All of that fun stuff. The Magus in the party has even expressed a desire to teach her some combat skills, and the party together have made some comments about trying to get her into the Magaambya as a student.
So, the party has a new friend they've adopted from the tunnels, and a defeated enemy who is still lingering, bound by a grudge and ancient magic firmly entwined with his soul. With Noxolo's help and Ot's urging to see if Uduak could be contacted, to help him move on if nothing else, the party engaged in a small ritual (nothing official in terms of system rituals, just a "vibes-based" thing Noxolo was doing) in which they managed to summon Uduak, but the protective aspects failed due to his unique circumstances. After multiple turns protecting Noxolo, a second "ritual" was enacted to bind Uduak's spirit, which also didn't work as intended - and so, little ol' Binji has found herself with the mark of a summoner, and the proud, angry Uduak Basni now finds himself as her eidolon.
Anyway! Just needed to ramble these thoughts out into the world somehow. I'm definitely looking forward to including more of these two throughout my time running the AP. Uduak's likely going to be taking some hits to his pride, on top of this situation vastly limiting his potential to cause additional trouble on campus. And it's looking like Binji will need to spend some time learning about what this new ability is, which should hopefully give me a good excuse for her to take a bit of time before joining the school properly and becoming an initiate later on. Perhaps in time for Book 3!

For context (without doxxing myself):
I am a very average law school student GPA-wise. In fact, I fall near the lower end of the "middle."
I don’t come from wealth, nor is anyone in my family connected to attorneys. I was always taught, from high school through undergrad, that it's all about who you know and network with. Thus, I’ve been building relationships with people for a very long time. I always told myself that if I ever got the opportunity to be invited to an interview, I should make the most of it (I think the hardest part about getting a job is just being invited to sit down).
Well, this spring, like all of us 1Ls, I started applying to jobs. I knew my GPA wouldn’t be discouraging, yet it wouldn’t be what grabs an employer's attention. Everything is solid on my resume. Instead of going through my career services office, I decided to cold email firms and reach out to attorneys I met at law school networking events, and even those I networked with prior to law school.
To my surprise, I was invited to a few interviews with some firms, both big and boutique, that I really liked. Ultimately, both of these firms offered me very well-compensated jobs, and I ended up going with the niche firm because I felt really welcomed, and the job they offered wasn’t only for the summer but indefinitely.
When I was called into Career Services, I explained to them the job offers I had received and informed them about the path I was going down.
To my surprise, their happiness for me was met with some skepticism. They even made a comment about how they were shocked I got offered these jobs with my GPA, and started to question if I was connected to any of these firms in a way. “Wow, they are really going to pay that much?”
To be fair, I am shocked myself and I am truly grateful to be in this position. But the office just seemed really annoyed that I kind of undermined the whole idea they push that grades correlate to how well you are compensated for your first job.
I hope this comes off that I am being humble and I’m excited/grateful. But I am kind of salty that career services (along with some of my peers) feel like this was just handed to me, and they are being passive-aggressive. Just had to vent this out…