本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Hi, Someone here ask about Seneca yesterday but I can find that thread any more so just post here see if this hlp.
Me a Seneca drop out, landed here in 1988 after first college year in China (wow, 2000 is over!), Had the same confusion to chose between university and college. I was get accepted for both but hell for the reason I don't want talk about here I went to Seneca. I have to admit that these three years were by far the best years of my life. No work load, no homework, relax and enjoyable.
There were three types of instructors:
1,those old dogs born and rise Canadians who spend most of their life in the schools. Like to talk about cars, boats, RVs and beers wee more than teaching, took half of time joke around with students in class, easy going, end up everybody got A++++ in the finals even you had no clue what crap you had put on the exam.
2. Old bastards that get their ass kicked in the IBM or Oracle, some how managed sneak in the college. Usually in the first day these guys will tell you his/her past experience had nothing to do with what you suppose to learn, so don't expect he/she will answer any of your questions. As matter of fact, he/she is learning while you are learning; they will give you a two-page list of books that he/she thinks is helpful for your future career development. Usually you get C in the final from these guys.
3, Indies/Pakis/Eastern Europeans, Oh my f!#@# god! What can I say about them, every class was like fighting a battle and words came back and forth like bullets. We all screw to death try to figure out what other side was talking about. If you don't have "Beat-that-rock- till -it-break " kinda attitude, avoid them. Normally you expect C++ from them in the finals but you can always argue, the chance that upgrade to B or B++ is tremendous.
My typical Monday was like: Wake up at 4:00pm (too much drink last night), hang out to the kitchen found a piece of pizza left over from last Wednesday, ate them with cold milk. The girl next room came back from school at 5:00pm, had some chitchat. "Yo watz up?" Friend in the school called up, no attendance taken and no home work today, no quiz /test tomorrow, a damn perfect day I say. 23:45pm, have a coffee or iceT and a cigarette in the back yard, look at star or moon or some other stuff, thinking about future money galfriend parent and lots of crap, fell guilty about waste another day. - Monday night blue.
Tuesday, 12:00am. Don't fell want sleep, turn on the computer, (286's mind you). Hookup to a BBS, Fight with another guy over a 9.96 kps modem. (Mind you again, 9.96 kps was the fastest you can get anywhere at that time and there was no Internet Yet, or maybe there was but cheap guy like me can't afford it), went to bed at 5:30am and wake up at 4:30 PM. The rest just like previous day- Tuesday night blue.
Wednesday night blue.
Thursday night blue.
Friday, Wake up at 1:00pm went to school first time in a week, caught someone in cafeteria, some more chitchat, and copy lots and lots of notes. Had dinner at the party. sigh! No more blue!
Saturday, Marjon at friend's place all day. Back home at 2 o'clock in the morning, lose 20 bucks, look at my visa statement, worry about the next rent, phone bill, transportation, meal- wait a minute, cheap guy like me always have some way to eat free, such as attend a group support sessions like in "Fight Club".
A lot of them give out free donuts and coffee. Hmmmmm.....donut... I've been told that sneaking into other people's wedding receptions are also a good bet. For once in my life, I'm actually GLAD that I don't have a significant other that I need to spend money on...Of course, if she was fabulously rich, and I was her playtoy, that would be another story....
The days before examz always busy. We gang up at someone's basement set up a little study exchange program. Each one of us had a faire share of stick to make up a notes of different part of the book. The notes have to be comprehensive yet highly concentrated, so we can print them on a piece of smallest possible paper with smallest size that we can read- guess you already figure out what's that for, huh? It's incredible, work, work and even more work, I have to digest every thing that they're barked for whole semester in a single night! Sigh. No wonder I don't have any friends...I just don't have time for a social life!...jeesh...what a sad life. Would someone just kill me and put me out of my misery? Please!?!? Argh....
Did I mention Sunday? No?..oh, here we go. I went church on Sunday. Jee! Why you laugh? Church was one of few spot I like to park and Sunday was really my big day. The reason were: Free meal, this one alone already worth the trip. Chicks were beautiful, in that church I even managed to met a gal who later win the first place in Chinese beauty pageant. It's so much fun, no where else an outsider constantly in the center of radar screen. Every body was try to convince me that our grandpa's grandpa's grandpa… were not monkeys, of course I'll surrender quickly if it was He or older SHE, I just play dumb if it was younger SHE and it happened beautiful
Every summer some of us can landed a job in the IBM through Co-op, lots of over time and lots of money here. At the time I feel I was doing the right thing to chose Seneca. See, Seneca is cheap but other words it's economical. There were two ways to get the things done- easy way or hard way, you go figure.
Seneca have a smart way to rip you off with tuition; the guy behind this must be a genius. You have to pay at beginning of the semester so you can get a timetable and you thought THAT'S IT! Often but not always, near the end of semester you will get another bill from registration office say you still own them such and such you have to pay them before semester is over or you can kiss your report say goodbye.
Too smart or too dumb, I managed to pass every subject with an average of B. One-day I decide to drop out for some quick money. I didn't learn anything from those SOB anyway and I was not intended to contribute more my hard-earned cash to this SCHOOL_SHOP.
So I'm out there for couple of years and found out what I learned (or didn't learned) in Seneca is totally, completely out of touch with the reality. It's another story how I survived the great recession in early 90's and get my present job. Some of you guys are right, In this IT field you don't need a diploma or degree. At age of 30's I start look forward next 5 or 10 years where my career head to, I have almost everything an ordinary person can expect from the life (not because I'm smart but because I'm cheap). But more and more fell the kind insecure and emptiness. Day after day I said to my self how much I hate the f@#@ job, it's just not the thing I like to do. (Did I say I'm a sys admin?) The piece of the mind keeps telling me my life is not completed without a degree. (Well for someone, life is not complete without a wife, in my case I thinks that sense of insecure prevent me to make any serious commitment).
I am not gay, but I'm cheap, don't have the looks, and certainly with the amount of work don't really have the time. If you're really concerned about my social life (or rather my lack of one), you can always Email me and offer me dating tips and ideas where I can meet that "special someone". I will probably end up (ten years from now) going on TV: "Who Wants to Marry A Multi-Penny-aire?" and get some unfortunate girl to marry me...
Here is my 2-year plan, go to university study geology, my favorite subject since childhood. Inspired by the letters between some newly graduated geology students back in 80's, when I sneaked in to my mom's office and found these letters in someone's drawer. Forget about student loan, My last one was became default once I escaped from school. Will sell my loft when it's completed in July if it's on time. Use that money to buy a coffee shop or something like that, I'll move back to my parent's house to save some bucks. Ask my parents look after the shop while I'm in the school, (not really work there I'll hire someone.), think that little revenue generated by my little venture would enough to support my school life. Beside, now I don't drink, don't do drugs, I already quite smoke since yesterday (wow, that set my new record, got a feeling that I'll make it this time). How's that sound?更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net