Surviving the Fall 2025 Semester

Fall 2025 tested me, especially Algebra.

I have never been strong in math. In fact, I was secretly hoping I could avoid it when I switched my major from Cybersecurity to Computer Information Systems. Reality hit fast. Algebra was required. Something I had not touched in almost 30 years.

To make it even worse, it was accelerated. Seven weeks instead of fifteen. One day of class felt like a full week of material. There was no room to fall behind.

I buckled down. Hours of practice. Reworking problems. Watching explanations. Doing it again. And somehow, I passed with an A-.😊😊

I thought I would get a break

Instead, when finals ended on October 28, my professor suggested I take his accelerated Pre-Calculus class starting October 30. Most people told me to wait until spring and take the regular course. I agreed.

Then I thought about it.

And like a bonehead, I enrolled.😫

It meant eight more weeks of long nights. Missing gym workouts. Choosing study time over comfort. But I pushed through and passed Pre-Calculus with a B-. At the same time, I was taking Intro to Business online on Saturdays and finished that class with an A-.

Fall 2025 did not just test my math skills. It tested my discipline.

For the first time, I proved to myself that I can handle what once intimidated me.😊