Week 11 - Day 4

We finished Contract and Tort Law last week. Had a midterm exam on Tuesday this week. I got 80%, which is not too bad, but I could have done more study.

This week we are learning How to set up a business and what sort of business to start. One usually has to decide if the new business will be a sole proprietor, a partnership or a corporation.

Next week we will do Workplace Law (more HR which we have already done). The following week we do Property Law, Banking, Finance & Debtor-Creditor law and the final exam.

Week 10 - Day 1

And 21 years later we have another Black Monday.

Reminiscent of the Black Monday of 1987 when billions of dollars were wiped off the stocks of a huge number of companies around the world but mostly in USA. The same thing has happened today.

Two financial companies have gone under. Lehmen Brothers declared bankruptcy and Merril Lynch was sold at a fire sale price to the Bank of America. Now I realise this is not a financial blog, but I like to take note of the major happenings that may or may not affect me next year when I have to start looking for a job. This crash may affect me.

Anyway we are now doing 4 weeks of Business Law. It's all rather interesting actually. But there is so many new words (jargon) to learn. I have to know what Vicarious liability is, as opposed to Intentional liability, and so on and so forth.

Today we did the Law of Torts, and tomorrow we will start on Contract Law.

I have always been interested in the law. I grew up reading Perry Mason and I love John Grisham's legal novels. I did think seriously about becoming a paralegal, but a couple of years ago Ontario regulated the paralegal industry and I decided that perhaps I did not want to work in a regulated industry. So far Ontario is the only Canadian province that has regulated its paralegals.

I already know too much about law. I spent almost six years learning the details of Canadian Immigration law while I was fighting to be processed in a timely manner. I even had to threaten to serve the Immigration department with a Writ of Mandamus.

This is an order that forces the department that has been served to explain why they are so slow in processing the file and requiring them to finish processing it within a specified time period. I never got my explanation, but I was landed as a Permanent Resident within 4 months of that letter. So knowing how the law works, and knowing that it does work, can work in your favour, when you use it properly.

Week 9 - Day 4

I was back in school this week, but the whole week was all mixed up. The HR teacher has a bad back and she was trying to arrange to have 4 weeks off for bed rest - something her doctor had demanded that she do. She found a teacher for her Business Law class. Since the school was unable to find anyone to cover her 4 week ACCPCC class, she has ended up staying at school, but just doing half days (the ACCPACC class) and doing other things in the afternoon, since she has made arrangements for the Business LAW class already.

Anyway because of these changes and also due to the week off we had last week, the teacher went on vacation to Florida and did not get back until Monday this week. So we had a Business Law class instead. She also had a specialist appointment on Tuesday so she called the business law teacher and arranged for him to teach us both Monday and Tuesday. The HR teacher came back on Wednesday and Thursday for the last 2 days. That gave me one extra day to finish my essay. BUT I still couldnt study for the exam on Thursday.

This morning (Thursday) I had to take my son to the pediatrician to get him looked at. We will get a proper assessment later on when an appointment can be made, so thats good. BUT this meant I could not study and he missed 2 hours of school. The appointment was at 9am, and I was able to drop him back at school at 11am. Then I went to school. I had 2 hours to read 5 chapters and hope something stayed in my brain. Now all I can do is wait until the grades have been done.

Next week the class will continue with Canadian Business Law. That is also for four weeks.

Week 8 - Day 3

There are no classes this week. We students have this week off school. Partly because it is the first week back at school for kids, and most of the sudents here are parents with kids. And secondly, the teachers need a break, because their last break was back in March around Easter.

Private career colleges do not have a fall term, a winter term and a spring term. They are teaching ALL YEAR ROUND, even during the summer. After all I started this Diploma course in the middle of July - the height of summer. There is usually a 2 week break at Xmas. As well as short breaks at Easter and the end of the summer holidays.

The school is still open but just no classes. For those people who need to use the school computers, they can do that. Next week is the last week of HR. The last exam is on Wednesday 10th. I have an 8 page essay to write for HR, which is due next Tuesday 9th. I havent even started it yet.

Right now I am reminiscing over Helene Hanff and rereading Q's Legacy. I will start the essay tomorrow, I promise.

Week 7 - Day 2

Another exam today. Chapters 6 through 10 of the Human Resources textbook. I didnt do very well in this exam. This exam is worth 20% of the final grade.

The reason I did not do as well as I would have liked was because I spent most of yesterday and today running around getting documentation from a government dept in order to get a grant that comes with the student loan. Today it was all done and fixed up and hopefully the grant will be processed quickly.

I couldnt do much study on the weekend because I spent both days at the Buskerfest.

Week 6 Day 4

The HR Manager, from the publishing company I was wanting to speak to for my report, has had to back out. Because its summer her vacations are interfering with our attempts to get together. She had a vacation last week and has another one next week. Which means she has a lot of meetings to catch up on after both vacations. So my interview is a no-go. But I'm not worried.

Fortunately I started making notes and getting organised for the essay as well. My essay topic is The difficulties and problems that Female CEO's and Women in Management need to overcome to do their jobs properly. My first thought was Carly Fiorina. So right now I am reading her biography.

Week 6 Day 2

Well I was told I made 94% in the Career Management Class, so that's good.

BUT I had a test today on Human Resources. Unfortunately, I procrastinated too long (reading too much I think), and did not do much study. The test is worth 15% towards the final grade. If I get anything below 85% on my final grade for this class, then I'll know I flunked the first test.

On the plus side, I have been in touch with an HR manager at a local book publisher in town. I know I mentioned that I wanted to interview an HR manager because the report was shorter. Well I will still want to do that, but since I cannot get an interview until the first week of September (she is very busy) - that will only give me 5 days to write the report before I have to hand it in.

So I am also writing a longer essay on the difficulties and problems that Female CEO's and Women in Management need to overcome to do their jobs properly. I am using Carly Fiorina as my example. A woman who reached the top as CEO and Chairwoman of Hewlett Packard Inc. Five years later she was unceremoniously dumped (fired) by an all male executive and board.

I am currently reading Carly's biography, Tough Choices, which I picked up from the library today.