Software Engineering is an interesting mix of practice and theory. On the theory side, you should make a habit of browsing / googling for things that are a good intersection of interesting to you and novel. Be forewarned, some of the common places to get information (like stackOverflow) can be very intimidating.
The standard expiration date for most checks is 180 days (six months) and personal checks are included in this policy. In the United States, banks are privately owned and not government operated so banks do have the right to refuse your deposit if there happens to be any suspicion of the item's negotiability.
Question:Does a life jacket expire? Answer: There is no expiration date but you should learn to inspect your PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices) as seen below I will show you some of the things we look for when checking them. If you have torn, worn and rotted PFDs you may say they have expired.