It’s hard to believe that the end of the semester is here. It’s even harder to believe that it’s been two years since I first started at WCTC. That’s a long time, but not a long time. Either way it’s quite an accomplishment. Let’s take a brief look at what this semester had in store for myself:
The Objective:
Complete the following courses: Accounting, Business Stats, Linux II, Business Co-Op

The Outcome:
Accounting: Oh man, this class was the pillar of procrastination. The format of the class goes as follows: You complete the homework, then complete a study guide, then complete a review test. Once you have completed all of these things (and have them checked and signed off on a sheet of paper), you may then proceed to take the exam. Only the exam and attendance count towards your grade. Everything else is irrelevant.
I started out in the class doing nothing. It wasn’t until later that I did the homework at times and managed to keep up in the homework department for the most part. Then the week before school comes along and I realize that “Hey, you really should get all that homework checked and take those tests.” So last week Monday (and the rest of the week) I went in every day early and damn-near killed myself laboring over Accounting homework and studying. 150+ pages of homework, six intense tests, and 7 school days later I walk out of the Accounting lab at 2:47 PM declaring the end of my reign at WCTC. I think I should write a book on how to learn Accounting in an accelerated format. I already successfully shocked my professor and lab assistants as apparently it’s damn near impossible to catch up in that class once you fall behind. Bad advice, or accidental genius? We may never know…
Business Stats: Oh, I’d much rather not speak of this class ever again. Compile in a professor who’s just a [insert derogatory statements here] and an attendance policy that considers “excused” and “non-excused” absenses as the same. In the end you get a student who gets dropped over half-way in the course (with at least a B+ average in the course at the time) because he had 3 excuses absenses and 1 unexcused. This surprise drop within the last month of school successfully prohibited me from attending the graduation ceremony and also prohibited me from “officially” graduating from WCTC. It does not matter, however, as I will not take that class with that teacher again. I shall find a comparable class at my next school and transfer it back.
Linux II: I have only good things to say of this class. It was fun, easy, and the professor was cool. I was in a class of geniuses, which made the class very interesting as we were all on the same level. I had plenty of opportunites to “play around” with the professor’s computer (like, say, ssh’ing into it while it’s on the projector and making use of X11Forwarding. Muwahahaha). I enjoyed this class thoroughly, and have to say that it was the only class this semester that I actually looked forward to going to every time. Booyah.
Business Co-Op: This class was two-sided. There was the in-class crap, and there was the work experience awesomeness. Let me just say that Marketing teachers should never teach IT guys–it just doesn’t work right. While the in-class stuff was rather miserable and repetative, the work experience was most excellent. Learning SQL, C#, ISS, ISA, and how Robert got his small business a’rolling was really fun and really interesting and I thank him for putting up with me in the background. I learned a lot, and had a lot of fun doing so.

In the end, focusing on just academics, this was a rather interesting year. While I can’t say I like the fact that Jon managed to get dropped from his only class and still graduate while I couldn’t, I guess I won’t complain. There was still that great sense of accomplishment at 2:47 PM, and that deep breath of relief stating that “Hey, I’m really done here at WCTC. Wow.”

At any rate, congratulations to RJ and Jon for graduating. Just think.. In a couple weeks you’ll own a sheet of paper with your name on it saying that you did some stuff at a school somewhere. Sweet!

~Jaker