Why Does LRCC Gatekeep Its CompTIA CE Classes

Why Does LRCC Gatekeep Its CompTIA A+  CE Classes Behind a Graduation Requirement?

I'm getting ready to start Finals week at LRCC (Laurel Ridge Community College). I started my ITP100 capstone project early without the full set of instructions. Why am I doing all this work ahead of time based only on the grading rubric the professor made available? Time crunch. Wise or not, I signed up for a CompTIA A+ class from NOVA's (Northern Virginia Community College) continuing education department that runs Tue. - Fri., 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for the next 2 weeks. I finished my ITE 152 class 2 months early because we were allowed to self pace. English 112 - as much as I hate English - I'm proficient and fast at it and turned my final project in last week for grading. Logic (PHIL100) class and ITP100 are all I have left. Getting the bulk of the work done for this class, where all I have to do is modify my code to conform to the actual instructions should be relatively easy.

And "why?" might you ask did I sign up for this class at NOVA? I did not verify the information provided on LRCC's website, but on their website it says if you want to take this same CompTIA class as I am from NOVA, you first have to have completed either a different CompTIA certificate or an A.A.S. in an IT field. Yes, that's correct. LRCC is the only community college in the Virginia System, that I am aware of, that requires you to complete an IT degree program BEFORE taking a CompTIA CEU course. SMH. 

Why? I've got no idea. It's not the first time I've had to deal with a gatekeeping policy at LRCC. I wanted to take a course - ITN 260 - this summer that has as a prerequisite ITN 100. I asked for and was denied permission to take them concurrently - despite the fact that I had previously passed the ITN 100 (Introduction to Telecommunications) some time ago when it was listed under the old IST program. I didn't ask to skip the prerequisite course, just to take it concurrently with another course that requires it as a prerequisite. I'm not going to elaborate on how, but I was able to have the original Dean's decision that denied my request overturned. 

I'm concerned I may have burned some bridges in getting the prerequisite waived for ITN 260, but the gatekeeping of these things is at a next level. I understand it's there for a reason, but if a student can demonstrate a sufficient reason to modify or waive it, it shouldn't take actions that burn bridges or requires a student to apply to a further away community college to get things done. Instead of butting heads with the administration again, this time over the CompTIA certification class prerequisite requirement, I chose to bypass LRCC all together in this decision. Easy enough. No fuss, no fight.

I have one other problem with LRCC's CompTIA classes - they all seem to be in-person/ on campus classes and run on a very limited schedule. NOVA's has a myriad of classes. Zoom, in-person, and hybrid; spanning multiple time frames. NOVA's classes are just more accessible vis-a-vis time and place (NOVA's summer schedule is a little tighter though than when they run classes during the regular semesters. The classes in summer also run on a condensed time frame that is still better than what LRCC offers).

ITP100 Capstone Project

 

ITP100 Capstone Project criteria is up. 

Edit 5/11/2024: Project completed. If anyone in the future is doing their capstone project and finds this blog post here are a few pieces of advice I would give to complete the project. I encountered issues. Take a break. Sometimes you need to let your mind rest and then come back to the problem. When you run into something you think is impossible just remember: There is a way to solve this problem using the information we were taught this semester. Ask yourself, "What did we learn this semester that I can use to solve this problem?" Almost all the solutions can be attained by using the programming methods & practice we learned and did during the course. 

Right now all you can see is the rubric for grading but, there's enough information there that you can start your pseudo coding for the modules your going to create. You should be able to start coding too, you'll just need to adapt your code to whatever requirements we find once the project is unlocked Monday morning. This information is currently available to anyone in the class and you can access it here: Rubric for Capstone Project (you must be logged into your school account to see it) or just clicking on the announcement in Canvas. If your like me and use the weekend to try and get the majority of your school work done this is a big help being able to plan your logic out a few days early.

I'm assuming the project is going to be in Java (since that's what we practiced on the most), but I couldn't tell from what I read. Feel free to share any insights you have below. 

Edited: 4/19/2024 for brevity and clarity.

Edit: 4/21/204 - 

I've got to say that I'm loving this project (I'm saying this with sincerity even though I'm describing my issues below). I feel like it's really forcing me to think and learn. I've had to go back and erase half my code because something I did created an error that I couldn't figure out how to fix. The erasing, rebuilding, and trying again and again is helping to cement things in my mind in regards to how things work - all this and the project technically hasn't even opened up yet (opens up tomorrow). Do I think I'm competent in coding? No. But I'm getting better. I can look at what I've done and understand it. I can look at it and see it's missing something. When it's throwing a compilation error I'm getting better at identifying the error and (hopefully) correcting it. I've realized that my original outline was inefficient and found a way to improve it doing multiple nesting and if statements.

Java Exercise 4-1 Instructions

 

Thoughts On and Instructions For Successfully Completing Exercise 4-1

We were assigned a java programming exercise in my Software Design class the other day. I started doing it the other night after a long day of work and studying. I had no 'plan' when I started. I took some code I had created earlier from Chapter 4 and tried to modify it to fit the assignment (Each of the chapters has a "You Do It" section where they instruct you in a step by step fashion to write code that is relevant to the material you just covered in the text. It's not necessary to do the coding, but I do it every time it comes up and save it in a library of code on my laptop). I found it overwhelming and just couldn't get it. I gave up that evening feeling extremely dejected.

I woke up in the morning and decided to tackle it with a set of fresh eyes. My first problem from the night before was that I just went in and tried to 'code' the exercise with no game plan. This is where things started to get better in the morning. I went back and found the relative text in the textbook that delt with what we were being asked to do and wrote a set of directions. Afterward, I refined the directions to make them easy to understand and to make it so someone who is familiar with the class should be able to complete the lesson using them (modified them for brevity and clarity). They are below.

What I would say I learned from this is that going in without a game plan is a potential path to failure. If I was good, or at least better, at coding I could have gotten away with it. But I'm not. Using pseudo code would have probably been best from a coder's perspective. But, I'm not a coder and I work better when I can set things out with explanations and a clear set of stepped instructions. I thought I was familiar enough with the material that I could just 'modify' my previous code and get it to work. I was not.

I did not complete the whole exercise (the last step). I ran out of time to tackle that step. And, to be honest, I was just so happy to get the first part done which put me in a 'B' letter grade range that I was okay with not finishing the last step.

One of my issues with coding (to date) is that I just don't remember the form. I constantly have to look up the correct way to write something. I'm thankful that my ITP100 class has been open book for everything. If I had to do any of the requirements from rote memory I would be in a bad position. The other feature of the class that has been good so far is that only 1 assignment (midterm?) was timed. Without a time limitation I'm free to look up answers to make sure I've got it correct. Also, if any questions we have in quizzes or tests have code questions in them, the lack of a timer on them allows me to put the code in an IDE and check what I think the outcome should be with what it is in reality. That has saved me from an incorrect answer a couple of times.

(Tasks 1-5) (pages 119-124 in Java book)

1. In codespaces it's important to follow the instructions (tasks 1-6) step by step. I normally hit the 'check my grade' button to verify a task was done correctly (it's Cengage so that doesn't always work).

2. Use proper java conventions when writing out your gets and sets (the codespaces doesn’t want to give you credit if you don’t).

3. You know how to write a class

            public class ThisIsAClass

            now create one for the Sandwich class

4. The instructions give us the 3 variables (fields) we’re going to use. After writing your class, you must declare your variables. Part A of the instructions gives you all the information you need to complete this.

 

               double price;

    String mainIngredient;

    String bread;

 

 

5. This last step will  accomplish tasks 3-5. Once you do 1, you just have to repeat it 2 more times, modifying it for each data field. We are basically creating a method for working with each field (I’m trying my best to use the correct vocabulary here; I may be wrong in the terms I’m using but my output for the code is correct.)

 

A method is either public or private. I’m using public because I don’t think I’m creating new objects and I’m not worried about hiding data. We’re going to ‘get’ it first, then ‘set’ it. I’m going to use the words get and set together with my data fields. Remember this order: ‘get’ it, then ‘set’ it. 2 methods for each field. Start like this:

 

public String getMainIngredient() to make it easy to follow, and in what I believe is convention, we’re just adding ‘get’ to mainIngredient using the camel casing format and we’re going to ‘return’ the variable. It should look like this when done:

 

public String getMainIngredient()

    {

        return mainIngredient;

    }

 

After we ‘get’ it, we need to ‘set’ it. So now we create a similar method for setting. We’re going to public void setMainIngredient(String newIngredient).  What we’re doing is taking the input that we got from the prior method and setting it into are mainIngredient variable. It should look like this when done:

 

    public void setMainIngredient(String newIngredient)

    {

        mainIngredient = newIngredient;

    }

 

Just repeat this for each data field (variable) we’re going to use.    If I understand things correctly, the reason we leave the ( ) empty in the get method is because we’re getting or returning user input. In the set method, we’re now assigning the data that we got earlier to a new intermittent variable and back to the data field for use in our application.

 

Task 6 TestSandwich

(workInProgress)

LRCC ITP100 Review

 

LRCC ITP100 Software Design Review

I recently took a beginning software design class at Laurel Ridge Community College, located in Middletown, Virginia. The course was ITP100 Software Design and it was conducted by Dr. José M. Nieves. This is my review of the professor and the class:

 

A quick note before my personal opinions on my professor(s): I work full-time. All my classes this semester (Spring 2024) were online with no Zoom meetings or classroom attendance. I think it can be difficult to judge someone personally when the class is conducted entirely online. All interactions with the professor are via email unless you schedule a meeting (in-person or Zoom) due to issues, which I did not.

 

Another thing I'd like to note is the course title - Software Design. I think the course would better named Intro To Software Design & Beginning Programming. The first couple weeks deal with software design such as the software development lifecycle and pseudo code. A lot of the class is starting to learn the basics of the Java programming language; it touches on Python in a similar fashion.

At first Dr. Nieves writing comes across as a bit pretentious. He is clear (in my opinion) on requirements in his course syllabus and module outlines. He was responsive to my emails. However, his initial responses at the beginning were not on point to my inquiries. At one point, I got terse with him, asking him to reread my email before replying (not recommended speaking that way to any professor). My patience wore thin after a few improper responses. Unfortunately, I'm not the most tactful, and my deference for position can be quickly overcome based on my age/ life experience (deference for position vs. deference for age and life experience; in other words I believe that all the professors are due respect based on their position, but I, being older than a typical college student (older than most of my professors) feel entitled to the respect of an apposite response to my inquiries and have no problem stating so as an equal in respect/deference owed due to my age and life experiences). After this brief exchange, where I received a light reprimand by Dr. Nieves about respect, all of Dr. Nieves's responses were on point and thoughtful.

 

I think an all-online beginner programming class is a mistake for those with little or no experience in a software design/ beginning programming class. I would have liked at least Zoom lectures from the professor. This isn't a reflection on Dr. Nieves but more a reality about the difficulty of learning something so new and different from what you may have learned before. If you have prior experience, you'll be fine. If you're new, you're likely to struggle. I put a lot of time and effort into this class. A lot of time. Expect it to be hard if you have little to no experience.

 

In my opinion, Professor Nieves grows on you over time. He repeatedly reminds the class about office hours and his availability to assist. I never utilized anything other than email for direct communication with him, so I can't speak on his in-person help. He coordinated and guided an extra credit activity regarding local data centers, which only a few students participated in (done via Zoom). While reading Rate My Professor, Dr. Nieves seems to get a lot of flack from students about how hard he is. I found this difficult to reconcile with the attendance for the extra credit. It leads me to believe that some people who had problems with his 'toughness' may just not have a great work ethic and are looking for an easy grade. Let me tell you now – it's not easy. It's work. I started out with an unfavorable opinion. My opinion changed over time. I think he's a professor that cares. I think learning programming is hard for people with no experience, and people have unfairly attributed the difficulty of the material to their opinion of the professor.

 

If I were to offer one criticism of the course, it would be that Dr. Nieves time-gates all the material. To me, it doesn't make sense to time-gate the material and prevent those able to proceed at a faster pace from doing so. There are no Zoom lectures or any other professor-led instructions that would warrant this policy. I would speculate that at best, it's to help the professor manage what he has to deal with when responding to student inquiries each day/week; limiting the type and amount of subject matter inquiries. If you're a fast self-pacer you will be disappointed by this restriction.

Would I take a class with Dr. Nieves again? Yes. I'm not really choosy in that manner though (unless it was someone whom I thought was terrible, then I'd avoid them). Bottom line is I'm there to learn. He's knowledgeable, capable, and approachable. He can also be reasoned with. As far as I'm concerned his grading is fair; but know that I put work in to get my (good) grade.

In conclusion,  I'm a little over a week away from our final project in this class, and my initial opinion that I am not made for software design & programming is re-affirmed after taking this class. I came into this class believing programming was not my cup of tea and I'm leaving it feeling the same way. I'm in the Cybersecurity degree program at LRCC and this is one of the required classes for the degree. There's one more I'm dreading - Python for Cybersecurity (okay, I'm also dreading Advanced Linux Administration too). In the end though (so far) I'm glad I'm being forced outside of my comfort zone in learning something new to me /hard for me. I don't regret the experience, the class, or my instructor; I view them all as beneficial to me.

Edit - 5/11/2024: Class is over. Capstone project complete. I loved the capstone project. It was hard for a beginner programmer, yet deeply satisfying to work through and apply all that we learned over the semester to complete the project. I actually got an 'A' on my project - which I was shocked on. I really thought my program looked sloppy (as I imagined an experienced programmer looking at it). I think the sloppiness was in part due to me switching my approach to a solution on more than one occasion. I was also certain the professor would find errors that I had missed in my own review of my programs functionality. If there were any, he did not fault me for them or point them out.

What has your experience been with Dr. Nieves and/or LRCC's ITP100 class? Let me know in the comments below.

College Bookstore Options Need Explanations

College Bookstore Options Need Better Explanations

Edit: 4/17/2024 - Classes are almost over now. I've found that my initial enthusiasm for the Red Shelf e-book has severely waned. I almost never used the ENG112 e-book throughout the course. First, it has DRM (digital rights management) restrictions on it limiting your ability to copy and paste. I'm old and like printing out the current weeks lesson on paper. It gives me something physical to touch and hold and write notes on. The e-book has a 'notes' feature but, it's just not the same to me. I ended up getting a .pdf copy of my book from Z-Library. The best feature of the Red Shelf book is it's ability to create citations in MLA format for you when you selected text. A really cool feature, but not a necessity. Bottom line, I would still purchase either a physical book or e-book from college bookstore (it would depend on my personal preference over the material being covered), but that's only because I believe you should pay for your textbook. Using a book from Z-Library feels like stealing by proxy. This way, if I pay for the book, I feel like I'm entitled to the copy I get from Z-Library (where the Z-Library copy is preferred because of the lack of DRM).

Was I duped?

At first I thought I was. Now I’m reconsidering it. It all started at my college bookstore. I signed up for ENG112 at my local community college. Compared to when I went to college the first time - over 2 decades ago - things have really changed.

The process of obtaining your college Textbooks can easily be done all online now. At my college it’s done through Follet Discover. First, you login to an internal college web service through the internet. You’re then given several app options to launch. You can launch the Follett app and it generates a page specific to you and the courses you signed up for. The page auto-populates with all the course material required for your class(es).

While checking out the course material I was informed by the web page that there were 2 required textbooks for my English 112 course. Both had the same title. I assumed one was a basic text and the other was a workbook or something related. 

When you clicked on the first required textbook you are presented with further options - physical or eBook, rent or buy. Me, being old school, chose a physical text. I read books for pleasure in my Kindle reader. But with textbooks I like to feel the pages. I like to be able to flip back and forth between the pages - searching for what I’m looking for. I like the feel of a pen as I write notes on the pages of my text. I like the feel of accessibility a physical book gives me. I chose to buy over rent hoping the text will still be required next semester and I can re-sell it.

When you clicked on the second required text there was only one option. Electronic. And it’s a time limited rental with no option to own your purchase.

So, about a week later I get my physical book and the Teacher opens up the course (by ‘opens up’ the course I mean she has allowed electronic access to the syllabus and the first course submissions). I started by examining the e-text that I thought was different from my physical book. It takes a few minutes to get used to navigating the text in a browser on my phone as it has a few quirky features.

To my initial surprise it’s not a workbook or other material, but contains the required reading material for the first week. I then move to my physical textbook to check it out. It’s identical. Honestly, at this point I felt like I’d been duped into purchasing the same thing twice. An unnecessary purchase of an already overpriced necessity.

The following morning I decided to get on the Follet web page and screenshot the excessive/confusing  choices I was presented and complain to whoever would listen. Wouldn’t you know it? Apparently after you purchase your course material the Follett page does not go back to present you with the choices you need for your current class schedule.

What I’m actually presented with on the web page is the ability to launch my rented eBook in a new web page - something called RedShelf eReader & Brytewave. I try futilely to get back to the original pages I was presented with prior to purchase - to no avail - to get my screenshots.

So, after poking around I actually launch the app that opens my eBook in a browser and start poking around. It’s actually REALLY cool. Like with a PDF reader you can highlight text. But it goes even further; allowing you to create flashcards and notes. Better yet, in my opinion, is you can highlight a portion of the text with your mouse and it will create a citation and/or a bibliography entry for you! Not only THAT, but it will let you choose between an APA, Chicago, or MLA format for your citation. For an English class that requires you to use citations this is REALLY cool.

The physical textbook text is so small I found myself completing my reading assignment on my phone - where I could resize my text to a much more comfortable/ readable text size. Now, with these new-found features of the rental book... I wish I had known.

It’s only the first few days of my new learning endeavor. Classes don’t even officially start for 2 more days. But, I suspect my new go-to is going to be this Brytewave/ RedShelf eBook. I wish I had known. I wish the college bookstore had done a better job of explaining the options available. On the other hand, without this error, I might have never tried the Brytewave eBook in the first place. At first I believed I had been duped into purchasing an eBook I did not need. While it now appears it may be the physical book that was a waste of $105.

I do have one caveat to this post. I did not choose, nor have I ever chosen, the e-publication in the first option I was presented with at the bookstore. I am assuming it's essentially an eBook in a .pdf format. Something similar to what I would get on my Kindle.

Alexa vs. Google Assistant

 

Why I Currently Choose Amazon's Alexa Over Google Assistant: A Personal Preference Shaped by Functionality

As the world leans more into the digital age, our homes are becoming smarter, filled with devices designed to make our lives easier and more interconnected. Among the leading figures in this revolution are smart assistants, with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant being two of the frontrunners. While both have their merits, I've found myself leaning towards Amazon's Alexa, primarily due to the distinct advantage of its wake word functionality, especially in a household filled with Android devices.

The Annoyance of Unintended Activations

In my experience, one of the most notable differences between using Alexa and Google Assistant comes down to the wake word. With multiple Android devices scattered around my home, attempting to summon Google Assistant often results in a chorus of devices responding. The ubiquitous "Hey Google" or "Okay Google" tends to activate my Android phones, often leaving the intended speaker ignored and me frustrated. It's an inconvenience and an unwelcome disruption that affects the flow of my daily interactions with my smart home.

Alexa's Wake Word: A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

On the flip side, Amazon's Alexa operates on a wake word that doesn't overlap with other devices in my ecosystem. Saying "Alexa" rarely, if ever, triggers anything but the intended device. This straightforward solution elegantly bypasses the cacophony of responses I've come to expect with Google Assistant, streamlining my interactions and making them more predictable and reliable.

Navigating the Communication Barrier with Alexa

Despite my preference for Alexa's wake word, it's not without its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to understanding commands. One of my biggest frustrations with Alexa is its frequent inability to comprehend my orders accurately. Too often, I find myself in a repetitive loop of rephrasing and repeating requests, trying to find the magic combination of words that Alexa will understand. This not only disrupts the flow of my day but also diminishes the convenience that led me to favor Alexa in the first place. It's a stark contrast to Google Assistant's often more nuanced understanding of language and intent. This communication barrier with Alexa is a significant drawback, highlighting a compromise between avoiding unintended activations and achieving effective and efficient command execution. It's a reminder that while the wake word might draw me to Alexa, there's a larger context of usability and interaction quality that continues to influence my overall experience with smart assistants.

The Trade-Off: Smarts Over Convenience

It's important to note that my preference for Alexa's wake word doesn't blind me to the advantages Google Assistant holds in other areas. Personally, I believe Google Assistant showcases superior intelligence and capabilities, often providing more accurate and helpful responses. It's a testament to Google's extensive data and advanced AI. This acknowledgment makes my preference for Alexa somewhat bittersweet. I'm aware I'm choosing convenience over potential functionality, a decision that often leaves me wondering what advancements or conveniences I'm missing out on.

The Future of Alexa: A Diminishing Horizon?

Adding to my reservations is Amazon's recent decision to scale back funding for Alexa's development. This move suggests a potentially grim future where Alexa lags further behind its competitors, unable to keep up with the rapid advancements in smart assistant technology. It's a concerning prospect, considering how integral these devices have become to our daily lives and how much they stand to evolve in the coming years.

Final Thoughts: A Reluctant Preference Revisited

Upon reflection, the reasons behind my continued use of Amazon's Alexa, despite its limitations, become more nuanced and complex. The initial allure of a distinct and non-intrusive wake word has kept me in Alexa's grasp, but the growing recognition of Google Assistant's superior capabilities casts a shadow of doubt over my loyalty. My home is deeply entrenched in the Amazon ecosystem, with Eero wifi and Alexa devices in every room. This extensive integration represents not just a financial investment but also a comfort and familiarity with the system's intricacies.

The cost and effort involved in transitioning from Amazon's to Google's smart speakers are significant deterrents. It's not merely a matter of purchasing new devices; it's about uprooting a system that has become embedded in my daily life. Moreover, there's a certain reluctance, perhaps even a fear, of facing the same frustrations that initially pushed me away from Google Assistant. The idea of my phone misinterpreting my attempts to control smart speakers is an annoyance I am hesitant to revisit.

Yet, as I weigh the convenience of Alexa's wake word against the progressive decline in its understanding capabilities and the potential stagnation of its development, I'm left questioning the longevity of my choice. My preference for Alexa, once rooted in a clear benefit, now seems more like a path of least resistance — a familiar, well-trodden road that I continue down partly out of habit and partly out of apprehension about the unknown complexities of change.

In this light, my allegiance to Alexa is a complex tapestry woven from practicality, financial considerations, and a certain inertia against adopting a potentially more disruptive but smarter system. As the smart assistant landscape continues to evolve and as my own understanding of what I value most in these technologies becomes clearer, the balance might tip. Until then, I remain with Alexa, aware of the compromises, but also cognizant of the barriers, both logistical and psychological, that keep me from making a change. My preference is reluctant, indeed, shaped as much by the circumstances surrounding me as by the capabilities of the technology itself.

How To Read Your Google Takeout Emails

 

How To Read Your .MBOX Emails From Google Takeout

December 10, 2023

Running out of free space in your Google account? Is most of your space taken up by emails and email attachments? This will help you to free up space. You can download all your old emails, delete them from Google, and still be able to read them. The instructions that follow in my blog post assume you have already downloaded all your emails via Google Takeout.

Doing a search on how to read the emails I downloaded was mostly unfruitful. There were some older items I found doing a Google search, but they did not work for me. Additionally, I kept getting results from sketchy looking websites that wanted me to download their .MBOX reading software. If you’re like me, that’s not a solution you’re going to use. 

Start by downloading Mozzilla Thunderbird https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/. Mozilla Thunderbird is a free program that you can use to view the .MBOX file downloaded via Google Takeout. 

Note: In order to import your Gmail archive (Google Takeout download in .MBOX format) into Local Folders within Thunderbird for searching and viewing purposes, you need to temporarily configure at least one account in Thunderbird.

The first time Thunderbird runs, you will be taken to the Account Setup tab.

  

Install & Set Up Thunderbird

1.    Go to https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US and click the Free Download button.

2.    Open the downloaded file and install Thunderbird.

3.    Uncheck the “Use Thunderbird as my default mail application” box on the Summary section.

4.    Configure it with your personal email account.

Install Thunderbird Import Tool

You will need to install a third-party import add-on within Thunderbird, to import the MBOX file.

1.    Click the hamburger/grid icon in the top right corner and select Account Settings from the drop-down menu.

2.    Click Add-ons and Themes from the bottom of the left sidebar.

3.    Enter Import in the search field at the top and press ENTER.

4.    Click the green Add to Thunderbird button next to ImportExportTools NG.

5.    Click Add and OK! in the dialog boxes that appear.

6.    Navigate back to the main Email tab (tab with your email address at the top).

7.    Right-click Local Folders in the left sidebar and select New Folder.

8.    Enter a name for your new folder such as My Old GMail Imported Email in the Name field and click Create Folder.

 

 

Import Your .MBOX File(s)

You will now import the .MBOX from your Google Takeout download. It will be imported into a local Thunderbird folder, which is stored on your computer’s hard drive.

Note: Make sure to extract the contents of your Google Takeout .ZIP archive before proceeding. 

1.    Right-click the Imported Email folder you just created, then hover over ImportExportTools NG in the drop-down menu, and select Import mbox file

2.    Select Import directly one or more mbox files from the dialog box that appears and click OK

3.    Navigate to the folder where your Google Takeout. MBOX file(s) is stored, select one or more of the files, and click Open. The contents of your .MBOX files will be imported into Thunderbird.

It may take several minutes to import your .MBOX file(s). Import times depend on how much hard drive space your computer has, how large the file is, and how many files you’re importing at once. If you have more than one large .MBOX file to import, we recommend importing them one at a time.

 

After your file(s) has been imported, you can click the Imported Email folder to view all of the emails included in the file. The .MBOX file imports should include the name of the Google label followed by “.mbox” (e.g., Inbox.mbox, Drafts.mbox, etc.).

Credit for almost the whole Blog to Swarthmore College. After the intro, I put in a few minor edits to the instructions. Their entire article can be found here: https://support.swarthmore.edu/support/solutions/articles/14000044855.