Why?

 I've always been smart. Specifically, I've been the type of smart that unnerves people. However, I never learned to study (I never needed to), and my twenties were a whirlwind of bad decisions and bad men. After a few years of healing, I've realized that while I'm still smart, I'm uneducated.

I graduated with honors from high school and attended university, however, the cost of school and undiagnosed ADHD put a stop to my pursuit of education. After a short stint in the Air Force, a pregnancy in my early twenties, and a horrible divorce that took years of my life and sanity, I fell into a career in technology. 

I've learned a ton in my career, but I've learned just enough to do my job. I'm considered an expert in software testing, but there's still so much that I don't know. 

So, I'm starting a side project - this blog. I don't have the funds (or time) to pursue higher education in person, and online courses aren't strenuous enough to keep my attention. But I can read, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries and complete projects. 

Ivy League schools post the syllabuses for their courses online, and while self-led learning isn't the same as having the support of an institution and thought leaders, it's a start. The information and education are available to me.

I'm deciding the areas that I want to study, and finding publically available syllabuses to follow while adding in projects and sources that interest me. 

Maybe, if I decide to pursue academia again, this project will assist in making the process easier. At the very least, I can look at myself and know that I've done what I can to keep the crown of "smart kid" even though I'm past the point of being a wunderkind. Or this may be a project that I remember once every few years and update. 

Wish me luck. I hope this blog helps to motivate someone to pursue education without the goal of immediate credentials.