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Re: [LUG] Linux @ University of Plymouth

 

I completely understand on the point of not having learnt everything. I've been self teaching since I first played with BASIC when I was about 5. I'm pretty convinced that I'll spend the rest of my life learning and will only get anywhere if I dedicate my entire life to a narrow section of computing.

I'm still not quite sure what interests me. I chose Computing Science to give me a wide range of options, rather than something narrower like security. All my time not spent socialising has been spent programming, administrating (I've been breaking Linux servers since I was 13) and thinking. I'm looking forward to university mainly for the social aspect, and for what I can learn that I can't teach myself.

That's the great problem with computing for me, you never really seem to get anywhere, binary bastards are always a couple of steps ahead of you. As soon as you learn how to solve one problem, five more come to taunt you.

Also, on the point about becoming an accountant, it's funny you should mention it as I just read this article on a HAZMAT diver who keeps sewers clean. Saying how he was an accountant and left the job to pursue this one as diving in total darkness under 24 feet of raw sewage makes him so much happier.

On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 8:53 PM, John Horne <john.horne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Tue, 2008-08-05 at 18:28 +0100, Dave Foxcroft wrote:
> Ross Bearman wrote:
>
> The course material can be lacking sometimes but then you are expected
> to be 'self learners'  at that level anyway and actually do the
> research
>
Which is why students 'read' a subject at University :-)

> 2. Actually study and not spend too much time in the bar!!
>
I find it ironic that the Uni has knocked down a whole load of
buildings, and some open space, to create the Rolle Building. However,
what has been left is the James Street Vaults pub right next to it :-)

> ...Lastly -- dont expect to be an expert when you finish...
>
Because you won't be. There is more to a 'computing' job than you will
learn at Uni. Some of the people we have had pass through here may well
have done well academically, but they had absolutely no idea of basic
system administration (for example). Secondly, they were usually a bit
too impatient to do 'new things', given that administration usually
involves a certain amount of 'the same thing' either day-to-day or at
least week-to-week.



John.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
John Horne, University of Plymouth, UK  Tel: +44 (0)1752 587287
E-mail: John.Horne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx       Fax: +44 (0)1752 587001

--



--
Regards, Ross Bearman
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