After my first 2 years on this program I will have accumulated 124 credits (give or take), whereas I have heard that say the 4-year Computer Science program has you walk away with that amount of credits. We typically have between 6-8 courses each term (or semester). Of course we have homework and assignments to match too! Granted, we do a lot more hands-on work which is great! I am enjoying it, I have had my shares of struggle, but the end is near. I am looking forward to joining the work force again.

This final term for my 2-year program consists of the following:

• Data Communications (my option) – COMP 4981, COMP 4985
• This covers TCP/IP, UDP protocols in both Windows and Linux environments. We utilize the C language.
• Computer Graphics – COMP 4560
• Theory on computer graphics, both 2D and 3D. Math and Programming
• Internet Software Development – COMP 4711
• Utilizing PHP, XML, and the MVC Framework CodeIgnitor
• Operating Systems – COMP 4735
• Theory (with some programming) on how OSes are implemented and such
• Computers and the Law – BLAW 3600
• Mainly Canadian Law and how it affects the Computer Industry
• Industry Project
• This doesn’t start till May, but goes for 6 weeks – We take on a program from an external company

So there is my current course list. I left out our PE (Physical Education) as it only occurs once a week for 50mins, which really isn’t very much but I guess it is supposed to get us out of our computer chairs and be more social?

Do I plan on continuing my education after I graduate? Sure, I would like to see how I can juggle a course here and there part-time. I can take the following 7 years to complete the last 2 years for my Bachelor degree. I have to look into how many courses I would have to take to complete it within the specified time.

Would I recommend the CST program to someone else? I would recommend it to one who is looking to go to school to learn programming. With this particular program, you can even start it with little to no computer experience.

Why did I take CST program? When I graduated from highschool (13-14 years ago) I wanted to enroll in the program then. Unfortunately, my highschool grades were not good enough to get into the program and I did not really know about being able to upgrade (silly eh?). When I was laid off a few years ago, the job postings I kept looking into all required that I had some sort of schooling, either a diploma or degree and related experience. I had related experience, but every one required some sort of schooling to back up the knowledge. I took an English competency exam and upgraded my Math and was accepted into the program.

Why take the program at BCIT? Their 2-year program allowed me to get a diploma and get back into the workforce sooner (my plan anyway). With the previous program I took at BCIT (Electrical and Industrial Electronics) I knew they were a hands-on institution, which is what I excel at. I love getting my hands dirty and playing with things and knowing I would get to actually do more programming than theory (we have had lots of theory) I knew it would be best for my learning style.

So there you have it. I’m in the final stretch of my diploma program and looking forward to the end. I’m used to being in school and living a student life (in a way) and I know it will be a transition to go back full-time work. I miss work quite a bit actually, and I hope to get a position somewhere where I can utilize not only what I have learned at BCIT for programming, but utilize other skills I have picked up during my adventure of life.

Recommended Computer Specifications for CST

One of the more popular questions is, “What type of computer do I need?” Well you really don’t need anything powerful to be able to keep up to the whirlwind of lab excerises, assignments and whatever else we have going on. What BCIT typically recommends is to pick a computer that has similar specifications to that of the lab computers. In this case, the lab computers have the following:

• Dell Optiplex 990 Desktops
• Intel i5-2400 @3.1GHz
• 8GB of DDR3 Memory
• Windows 7 (64bit Enterprise)
• Intel Onboard Graphics (the ones built into the i5 CPUs)

Now to some, that might seem like a lot. But we definitely do not utilize the power that these new (bought over the summer) desktops have. The previous specifications had just Intel Duo-Core CPUs. You definitely do not need the best-of-the-best computer/laptop to do anything in this 2-year program.

In Steps the Apple Macintosh Laptops

When you walk around campus you’ll notice a large amount of Apple Macbooks that people seem to have, yes even I myself have a Macbook Air. At first faculty recommends against getting a Mac, though the question is Why?

Microsoft is a big player here at BCIT. When you enrol as a Full-Time student in the COMP department (such as CST or CIT) you also get access to the MSDN (Microsoft Systems Developer Network) where you can access a plethora of software. Software such as

• MS Windows 7 Professional
• MS Windows Server 2010
• MS Exchange Server 2010
• MS VisualStudio 2010
• MS Office 2010 (Project, Visio and others are also included)
• and a lot more

One downside is that there are no Macintosh versions of the above software available, it is strictly Windows only. Granted, you don’t need MS Word to do you assignments, but some instructors will demonstrate useful things within Word to help your better organize your assignments. If you’re using something else, you’re on your own. I actually was able to purchase a legit copy of MS Word 2011 for the MacOS for only $11! Typically, student pricing is $100.

When you get into Win32 programming, obviously you cannot do it on your Mac as is, as the variety of libraries you require are under the Windows platform.  Also depending on which Option you choose for your 2nd year of CST/CIT, you might require a .NET language (C# for instance). Again, you would probably have to use MS VisualStudio and for obvious reasons, there is not Mac version.

BootCamp / Parallels & Virturialization

Now, I am not going to go into the steps to installing Windows onto a Mac-based machine. You will need access to a legitimate copy of Windows (such as the one you can get from the MSDN with your BCIT account). For me, it was a bit trickier to install as the Macbook Air (MBA) has not optical drive. Essentially, I created an ISO image of the Windows 7 installation disc, transferred if over to my MBA and then had BootCamp create a USB install for me utilizing a 8GB USB key and the ISO image I previously created. A small downside to having a MBA is that I have only a 128GB SSD which I partitioned 40GB for the Windows partition, might sound like enough but wait till you start installing MS products on it.

Awesome, now that I have had BootCamp successfully partition my drive for a MacOS and Windows configuration, you will need to look at getting some sort of visualization software. It isn’t need, but it will really make your life much easier at BCIT. Unless of course, you boot only into Windows while at school. I myself do not do that because I like using the terminal (it’s BSD right?) of the MacOS for doing my C and C++ programming outside of the Windows environment. I also take my notes using the terminal (aka Shell).

Parallels / VMWare and Others

Now, I have only used Parallels (Student pricing is $40 instead of $80), which is a Mac-based virtual-machine (VM) sort of application. It allows me to stay in MacOS but access Windows and my Windows applications easily and effortless. One thing I knew previously about VM is that any changes were not saved when you shut-down whatever you were running in that particular VM. Now, I don’t know if that is really the case with most VMs, but at least my experience is with Parallels, whatever I change while using it, stays changed on the Windows partition, so that in case I have to boot directly into Windows, I know  that nothing will be missing.

The main reason for running Windows in a Parallel session is I need access to MS VisualStudio for my Data Communications course (COMP 3980) as well as my Win32 Programming course (3770). There is also no MacOS version for MS Visio or Project which we have been using as well, so from time to time I have to access them without booting directly into the Windows environment.

Performance wise, I see no issues. My MBA has the Intel i5 core CPU and 4 GB of memory which I dedicate 1.5GB for the Windows Parallel session. There are no slow-downs or hiccups that I have noticed so far. In fact, fellow students are impressed at how well it handles when I move back and forth between the two operating environments. As I previously mentioned, since I gave the Windows partition 40GB, I have about 5GB left. That is after installing MS Windows 7 Professional, MS Project, MS Visio, MS VisualStudio. MS VisualStudio actually took up 7GB of diskspace, guess I choose to install everything I possibly could for it.

After Thoughts

I’ve been in my 2nd year now for about a month, which means I have been using my Macbook Air for just a little over 1 month and I am still getting used to it. Though when I do go into the Windows environment, I do find myself using various MacOS commands save as Cmd-S, Cmd-C etc, but thankfully, Parallels must have some magic and converts the keys to their Windows equivalents. Cmd-S in MacOS is Ctrl-S for Windows. I try and keep using the keyboard short-cuts environment specific, but doesn’t always happen.

Why did I buy a Macbook in the first place? I wanted something with ultra-portability. The Asus U36 I was looking at wasn’t released/in-stock in time and after adding what I wanted to it, it was the same price as this Macbook Air. With my commute to and from school is roughly 1-hour 40-minutes each way, I wanted something light enough for the backpack, but had some decent power in it for photo-editing when Robyn and I go on our little excursions (and our big 3-month trip next year). I still have my Asus 15.3″ i7 gaming laptop, which I am slowly moving things off of it. I would eventually like to sell it. It’s an awesome, stylish, yet powerful laptop! Great for those who want portability and good gaming experience.

Anyway, since I am fairly new to MacOS, I am always looking for tips, tricks and suggestions etc (this includes general usage stuff too). If you have any, let me know! If I find any that might make people’s lives easier at BCIT in a Windows dominated environment, I will be sure to share them too!

I am enjoying using the Mac and I am sure others can easily adapt to using a MacOS based machine in the CST/CIT program.

One thing about where we now live is that there is a covered portion to our deck and patio. That means I can take the (new) laptop outside with me and work in the ocean breeze.

The above photo is a 3-exposure HDR. The colours do make it look a bit gloomy, but the overcast sky seems to do that.

I am sitting here working away on a report I have to write for my Co-op term for BCIT. My 4-month Co-op term ends this coming Friday and it’s been a great 4 months too. I haven’t actually learned anything new, but the work has been good and the people are friendly and helpful. In September I go back to BCIT to start my 3rd term in the Computer Systems Technology diploma program. I did manage to get into the Data Communication option, which should prove to be a challenge, but the end result will be worth the hard work and long hours it looks like it will take to complete it.

I have even been thinking of continuing on to the BTech (Bachelors of Technology) degree program, but will do it at a part-time level. I have 7 years to complete the 2-years left for it and from what I have read and heard, there are some pretty great things to do and learn in the BTech program.

On a side note, I applied for a position as the CST Blogger for this upcoming school year, but I received an email saying that I wasn’t chosen for it. It would have been nice to blog my experience as a CST Student (I sort of already do that) and also add a little bit of extra income during my school year. Being a full-time student isn’t the easiest thing to do.

Well the weather has been pretty good lately here and the above photo is proof of that. The other neat thing about the beaches of White Rock (or is it Whiterock?) is that when the tide goes out, it goes out quite far! I also love how it’s real sand, not that industrial sand that the other downtown water locations have. You shouldn’t come home dirty from a beach! Anyway…

Reno’s Update

Some of you may have heard we have moved from the Westend of Vancouver out to the White Rock area. Even though we’ve physicallyed moved, our posessions are still packed in boxes and being held hostage in a room. The suite we’re moving into is still yet to be finished. Though the following is all that is left:

• Crown mouldings for Living room (Friday)
• 220V line relocated to utility closet that Washer/Dryer is being relocated to (today)
• Dishwasher to be plumbed in and installed (soon?)
• Waiting on custom butterfly sink for the kitchen (7-10 days)
• I have a few more outlets and switches to swap out (20 outlets, 3 switches) (today)
• Bathroom and Bedroom #2 door need to be put back in (today?)
• Tile the backsplash for the kitchen (sometime…)
• Stain the kitchen counter’s wood edge to match the floors (sometime…)
• Clean/Sweep/Mop/Vacuum the construction dirt/dust (hopefully soon!)

We hope to some things cleaned up sooner than later so we can start moving our boxes in and setting up the bedroom at least. After the reno’s are all done, I can put together a Before/During/After post. It is neat seeing the suite transform and take shape. We just wish it was a bit quicker.

As of today, the following has been completed/done:

• Carpet ripped up, new floors put in
• Kitchen cabinets gutted and replaced
• New kitchen counter top
• Microwave/Oven fan installed
• All new light fixtures
• All new paint
• New baseboards

It doesn’t seem like a lot, but the previous tenant’s paintjob was really, really dark and the walls needed a few extra coats of paint to block it out. The painting was slotted to be a 2 to 3 day job, it has turned out to be over a week long job. Oh well, at least the painting is done.

Once the interiors are all done and our stuff is moved in and setup, I get to tackle the front garden and backyard! I’m excited about that too!

So what did we get up to? It was a nice and relaxing time, which is what I wanted before going back to the grind.

Whistler/Blackcomb

Our second home of course! Robyn and I braved the potential crowds so we could go enjoy a nice sunny day up at Whistler/Blackcomb. When we arrived at Creekside the parking lot was busier than we’ve seen lately. I suppose people like to go skiing and snowboarding on Spring Break

When we uploaded from the Creekside Gondola, we were told that Big Red was not in operation. Once we got to Big Red the green run down to Garbanzo was crowded. More experienced people were zooming past the less experienced. When we got to the top of Garbanzo, we decided we would take the Peak-2-Peak across to Blackcomb. Glad we did, Blackcomb wasn’t nearly as busy as Whistler was.

After lunch at Rendezvous we decided to ride down to Skier’s Plaza in the Village, take the Gondola back up and then ride back down to Creekside. As per usual, it was an awesome day!

Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver

Robyn and also managed to get out for a little walk at Lighthouse Park in  West Vancouver, were we got to watch a bald eagle up close. I think he was eating a seagull.

Aussie Friends Visit

Friends from Australia were in town visiting. We went for a little walk to check out the Herons in Stanley Park and the Laughing statues in English Bay.

They have started their around the world trip so they won’t be back to Australia for a year. Their travels will take them from Canada down to somewhere in South America, then I think they are popping over to Europe and beyond. Looking forward to their trip as they will be documenting their drive down. I expect lots of surfing photos and videos.

Aquarium

Our friends from Victoria came in to town for a family Wedding. We went over to the Vancouver Aquarium yesterday and had a great time. It was the first time their daughter (our god daughter) has been to an aquarium.

Back to the grind

Now it’s back to school. I’m hoping to get into a Co-op job, but time is running out. I’ve been applying like crazy but haven’t heard back from the Co-op department here.

Even though we just had midterms, our final exams are late next month.

October is technically not over, but it has come and gone pretty quick here as we come up to Halloween. It’s also been a pretty busy month with the last couples weeks having Midterms take place here at BCIT.

Robyn and I did get a chance to escape over to the Island (Vancouver Island) to visit our friends for their daughter’s (our God Daughter’s) first birthday. Even with the BC Ferries being pretty expensive, we went on as foot passengers and parked our car at the lot outside of the terminals. We both recommend (if you’re walking on) to park your vehicle at the lot before the terminal as it’s only $10 per day with a free shuttle service to and from the terminal. Can’t beat that!

When we arrived in Swartz Bay, our friends picked us up and we headed over to the Mitchell Farm pumpkin patch for some good ol’ fun among the gourds. We all had a lot of fun walking through the pumpkins trying to find that perfect one. I, of course, brought along my camera and took a bunch of photos of our God daughter as it was her first time in a pumpkin patch. I call the above photo “Pumpkin Queen and her Minions”.  I think it’s a pretty fitting title.

The plan afterwards was to head back to our friend’s place for the family birthday party. One thing that is a must for me is to stop by the Willow’s Galley for some awesome Fish and Chips. You might not find this to be anything interesting, but if you know me, you know that I love this place. It’s a childhood memory of mine as we used to live 2 blocks down from it. I remember having my first twist ice cream cone there too! Yup, childhood memories are always good right? I seem to remember only the good ones anyway. The funny thing about this particular place is that it seems to keep no regular schedule. Every time I visited Oak Bay after we moved to the mainland, I would head over to get some Fish and Chips only to see their infamous “Gone Fishing” sign. It wasn’t until a visit last year, that they were actually open when we were in town! It only took what… 24 years for me to get some food from this place and it was as good as I remembered it!

The  autumn colours are out at BCIT. Though it seems the leaves are falling quite fast. Hopefully, I can schedule some time to get out with my camera and walk around Stanley Park before the leaves are all gone.

Transit is a big part of my day it seems. I take a bus from the West End to the Burrard Street Station, I then catch either SkyTrain out of Vancouver and head to Pattison Station (near Metrotown). I then jump on the 125 BCIT but to get to school. On the way home, it changes based on the time I get out of classes. Sometimes I take the 125 other days I jump on the 25. Rarely do I take the 130 to Metrotown as that’s the busiest bus on the route.  Translink (the Vancouver Transit Authority) does an alright job, though I’ve stood at the bus stop and have had multiple buses pass me (and others).

Classes at BCIT are good. During lectures (above photo) lots of people use their laptops. The unfortunate part of that is majority of them are playing video games and not paying attention. I’ve had to move myself up rows as I can easily get distracted by checking out the various screens around me. On a side note, we’re into Midterm week. We’ve had our BUSA 2720 Midterm and I performed quite well. Thursday we have our COMP 1510 (Programming Methods with Java) and then on Friday is our COMP 1536 (Intro to Web Development).

I went to a job fair up at Cypress Mountain during the weekend. It’s sad to see the mountain without snow but with a rumour of La Nina being the worst one since 1955, we’re expecting a HUGE dump of snow. Cypress has some done some new things for the mountain, but one surprise to hear is that they will NOT have their 22″ super pipe. Whistler/Blackcomb will be home to the only local 22″ monster uper pipe here in BC (that I know of). If I have time, I would love to take a terrain park lesson or two this season.

A photo from our recently trip to Hornby Island of one of the Harbour Air float planes taking off after picking someone up from the Ford’s Cove Marina.

Someone must have some extra income to charter a float plane to a marina that isn’t typically on their flying route.

I’m sitting here in the ehPod of BCIT waiting for my next lecture to start a bit bored out of my mind. I went briefly through some of the photos I have on my laptop and came across the one above. If you’re ever driving by Furry Creek and have a spare moment or two, check our Oliver’s Landing. It’s a small little community tucked away against the shoreline at Furry Creek. It was eerie quiet there, but a definitely beautiful and relaxing place to live if one had the opportunity to live there. Granted, the houses start at about the $1,000,000 mark, but if you were to retire there, each house does have a pretty impressive view of the water and surrounding mountains of the Howe Sound.

Being here at school is not a fun thing when you’re under the weather. I’m fighting some sort of cold and not getting enough sleep the night before (nor the week before) doesn’t help very much. Tuesdays are  pretty long days here on campus. An hour commute to school, being at school for 9 or so hours, fighting cold, and then having an hour commute home on a rainy did, just isn’t a fun thing to do. Two of our labs were cancelled today too so we worked on our assignments.

Here’s hoping I get over this cold thing sooner than later!

Still being fairly busy with school, I haven’t managed to get all my photos together from the wedding that Robyn and I went to at the Rockwater Resort on the Sunshine Coast in the beginning of September. It can take a while to organize the photos, export them from Lightroom, import (upload) them over to Flickr and then write about the wedding and the venue itself.

Instead, I’ll just share the above photo with you taken from within the large tent they set up on the property that looks out over the water. It was a pretty awesome background to have for a wedding and the weather cooperated enough that we did not get rained on though.

On the school front

Another week at BCIT has gone by. Assignments handed in, new assignments assigned, quizzes taken, midterms announced, just a  lot of busy school type things happening. Though I still think they need to drop one of our 2-hour labs (computer essentials) and replace it with an additional 2-hour lab for our Math. Next term we move from our Applied Mathematics which is a pre-requisite for Discrete Mathematics and  Computer Organization/Architecture courses, so obviously Math is an important part (one that I’ve always struggled with).  Some of my fellow set-mates are starting to find the course material getting harder and more complicated. It will continue to get harder over the next 3 terms (2 years in total), but in the end it will be worth it.