Just been accepted into university - Thank you all
Pre note: I will be talking about some life experience I've had, feel free to skip the first paragraph. I am not here for judgement, feel free to judge but try to keep opinions to thyself. I know mistakes were made, you don't have to tell me how much I upset my parents. To this day I still know, and I hope where ever they may be now they will somehow hear how I turned my life around, and make them proud for the first time.
Today I went to a university open day to enquire about courses and what not.
Having no real formal education other than high school I doubted my place amongst the other people who were much younger than me who went to college and got the paper that said they can do what they say can do. Not only this, but my somewhat rugged appearance and a certain area from the UK I am from I doubted I'd have any higher education at all. In my early poverish life I used to be part of gang culture, violence, stealing etc. It may seem strange to say, but this was the norm for where I was raised. There was no opportunities for young people, there was no money. Just energetic young men trying to find a place in the world. It came to a point where even if you lived in a different street you were an enemy. Without going into much detail things changed. I dedicated my time to what I thought I did best. I always had a secret passion for computers which I never spoke about around "The boys".
Looking back there is much regret I have. I was an idiot, a young and foolish idiot.
However, to the more upbeat news!
I went the open day today. I was nervous as hell which isn't a good mix for me, makes me jumpy and it makes me put my war face on which isn't a nice view. There were lots of well spoken people, suits etc. I turned up in a tracksuit and hoody, I already thought the odds were against me. Hearing people saying how they got A's at college and how smart they were. Made me put myself down in the ratings. After walking around for 40 minutes, grabbing a cup of coffee from Starbucks, just watching and listening to all the potential students. I was almost ready to go home. I didn't feel right, didn't feel like me. Didn't even feel like I deserved to be there.
By the off chance I bumped into a man. He asked me if I needed help getting somewhere or fiding something etc. I told him I was okay just looking around and what not. Turns out he was the lecturer who would have been teaching the computer science course. He had a PHd in Comp Sci, the closest I've been to a living, breathing God.
He asked me what course I was interested in, I told him computer science, so he took me to his stand/stall thing where visitors go to learn more about the course in question. I was literally about to go home. We had a conversation about computers I asked him what he liked and what interests him etc, the usual. He is a PHP programmer and is interested in developing software for the Arduino, something about web based home automation. He asked me what part of computers interested me so I told him, programming, hardware, software, anything that appears to be magic. He seemed intrigued and questioned me further about what I've done, so I told him about the languages I have learned or had experience with, the base Operating System code I wrote which I bootstrapped with assembly, pulling the kernel file from disk using FAT, writing a C++ program to stitch my binaries together to make it appear as a floppy disk image the VM could load.
To my surprise he was amazed. He called over another man who had a PHd in Computer Science. First American I've spoken to IRL, btw. We had a good little natter about this stuff and how interesting it is, the layer between hardware and higher level software. We discussed things a little further when they give me this form and asked me to fill it out. This where I started realising what was happening. I told them I have no formal education past high school, no real world experience other than my hobby stuff. They didn't even care.
I was given an unconditional acceptance to the Computer Science Systems Programming course. In their words:
"We have had many people who qualify for the course come up and talk to us and some of them don't know the first thing about computers. We've only spoken for half an hour and I can already tell how passionate you are for you to learn this off your own back"
I start University at the end of this year. They personally took me to the finance aid department to sort out fee's. I'm speechless, I'm even shaking from combat high for some reason.
It's thanks to all of you. This website allowed me to practice without a formal education. I did my best to answer questions from other people at university to try to test myself and prove to myself I was capable.
I'd like to thank all of you. Any of you who answered my questions, any of you that supported my programming, any of you the posted a question I could answer.
Really, thank you.
I guess, I guess it's my turn to start posting for homework help.
It's strange, but it feels kinda nice.
If you got this far, thank you for reading. I had to tell somebody this fantastic news, and I hope it may cheer you up, because right now, I feel like I've been given a new life.
Today I went to a university open day to enquire about courses and what not.
Having no real formal education other than high school I doubted my place amongst the other people who were much younger than me who went to college and got the paper that said they can do what they say can do. Not only this, but my somewhat rugged appearance and a certain area from the UK I am from I doubted I'd have any higher education at all. In my early poverish life I used to be part of gang culture, violence, stealing etc. It may seem strange to say, but this was the norm for where I was raised. There was no opportunities for young people, there was no money. Just energetic young men trying to find a place in the world. It came to a point where even if you lived in a different street you were an enemy. Without going into much detail things changed. I dedicated my time to what I thought I did best. I always had a secret passion for computers which I never spoke about around "The boys".
Looking back there is much regret I have. I was an idiot, a young and foolish idiot.
However, to the more upbeat news!
I went the open day today. I was nervous as hell which isn't a good mix for me, makes me jumpy and it makes me put my war face on which isn't a nice view. There were lots of well spoken people, suits etc. I turned up in a tracksuit and hoody, I already thought the odds were against me. Hearing people saying how they got A's at college and how smart they were. Made me put myself down in the ratings. After walking around for 40 minutes, grabbing a cup of coffee from Starbucks, just watching and listening to all the potential students. I was almost ready to go home. I didn't feel right, didn't feel like me. Didn't even feel like I deserved to be there.
By the off chance I bumped into a man. He asked me if I needed help getting somewhere or fiding something etc. I told him I was okay just looking around and what not. Turns out he was the lecturer who would have been teaching the computer science course. He had a PHd in Comp Sci, the closest I've been to a living, breathing God.
He asked me what course I was interested in, I told him computer science, so he took me to his stand/stall thing where visitors go to learn more about the course in question. I was literally about to go home. We had a conversation about computers I asked him what he liked and what interests him etc, the usual. He is a PHP programmer and is interested in developing software for the Arduino, something about web based home automation. He asked me what part of computers interested me so I told him, programming, hardware, software, anything that appears to be magic. He seemed intrigued and questioned me further about what I've done, so I told him about the languages I have learned or had experience with, the base Operating System code I wrote which I bootstrapped with assembly, pulling the kernel file from disk using FAT, writing a C++ program to stitch my binaries together to make it appear as a floppy disk image the VM could load.
To my surprise he was amazed. He called over another man who had a PHd in Computer Science. First American I've spoken to IRL, btw. We had a good little natter about this stuff and how interesting it is, the layer between hardware and higher level software. We discussed things a little further when they give me this form and asked me to fill it out. This where I started realising what was happening. I told them I have no formal education past high school, no real world experience other than my hobby stuff. They didn't even care.
I was given an unconditional acceptance to the Computer Science Systems Programming course. In their words:
"We have had many people who qualify for the course come up and talk to us and some of them don't know the first thing about computers. We've only spoken for half an hour and I can already tell how passionate you are for you to learn this off your own back"
I start University at the end of this year. They personally took me to the finance aid department to sort out fee's. I'm speechless, I'm even shaking from combat high for some reason.
It's thanks to all of you. This website allowed me to practice without a formal education. I did my best to answer questions from other people at university to try to test myself and prove to myself I was capable.
I'd like to thank all of you. Any of you who answered my questions, any of you that supported my programming, any of you the posted a question I could answer.
Really, thank you.
I guess, I guess it's my turn to start posting for homework help.
It's strange, but it feels kinda nice.
If you got this far, thank you for reading. I had to tell somebody this fantastic news, and I hope it may cheer you up, because right now, I feel like I've been given a new life.
Pretty cool way to get accepted.
Just a question, though: why do you want to go to university? It sounds like you're perfectly capable of learning anything you need on your own. Is it for employment reasons?
Just a question, though: why do you want to go to university? It sounds like you're perfectly capable of learning anything you need on your own. Is it for employment reasons?
Hit the nail on the head. The only work I've done in the past is fast food, laborer, worked for a joint demolition/scrapyard firm separating metals from hardcore. Did some cash in hand work removing asbestos roofing on old derelict farm and industrial buildings. Can't say any of it was good for my health.
Also I'm hoping university will get me out of the rut I've been in the past couple of year. I rarely talk to outside people anymore, locked myself away from them. Having some new friends might help my mental health situation. I rarely get to talk computers in the real world, and to speak to some random French and American men who were really well versed in the topic having a conversation about it was refreshing. Good to get out and meet new people.
Also I'm hoping university will get me out of the rut I've been in the past couple of year. I rarely talk to outside people anymore, locked myself away from them. Having some new friends might help my mental health situation. I rarely get to talk computers in the real world, and to speak to some random French and American men who were really well versed in the topic having a conversation about it was refreshing. Good to get out and meet new people.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
@megatron
Sounds like you've made a life-choice that counts.
University opens up opportunities not closes them down. Don't lose sight of that when the going gets tough on the odd shitty assignment or two and you can't go wrong - it beats breathing asbestos anyway.
All the best.
Sounds like you've made a life-choice that counts.
University opens up opportunities not closes them down. Don't lose sight of that when the going gets tough on the odd shitty assignment or two and you can't go wrong - it beats breathing asbestos anyway.
All the best.
@kemort
Amen to that brother.
Shitty assignments or not I am more than happy to take it on. I have a fighting spirit. I've fought for dumber reasons in the past, I can fight through a shitty assignment or two(I hope :).
If I get stuck anyhow, I think I know the best people to ask! :)
Thank you very much for your support. Really appreciate it.
| Sounds like you've made a life-choice that counts. |
Amen to that brother.
Shitty assignments or not I am more than happy to take it on. I have a fighting spirit. I've fought for dumber reasons in the past, I can fight through a shitty assignment or two(I hope :).
If I get stuck anyhow, I think I know the best people to ask! :)
Thank you very much for your support. Really appreciate it.
Congratulations. I hope it works out well for you, and I hope the companies at the other end will recognize your passion as quickly as the professors did.
-Albatross
-Albatross
Congratulations and well done - not just for the acceptance, but for taking a chance, stepping outside your comfort zone and putting yourself in an unfamiliar environment. There's lots of people who never do that, so well done for doing it!
Hope the course goes well, and that it gives you what you're looking for :)
Hope the course goes well, and that it gives you what you're looking for :)
@Albatross - Hello stranger, been eons since I've been on the IRC how's everyone doing? And thank you, I can but hope :)
@Mikey - Thanks mate! Was a bit nervous but I guess it all worked out in the end with a bit a luck haha. All I'm looking for in life is knowledge, the more I know the better :)
@Mikey - Thanks mate! Was a bit nervous but I guess it all worked out in the end with a bit a luck haha. All I'm looking for in life is knowledge, the more I know the better :)
Congrats! Seriously!
Just a tip I found worked when learning in school is to have three personal projects you work on. Each different, and as you learn the lessons of the day, try to apply it any of the personal projects in addition to doing all the homework. I got more out each lessons that way.
Wish you the best!
Just a tip I found worked when learning in school is to have three personal projects you work on. Each different, and as you learn the lessons of the day, try to apply it any of the personal projects in addition to doing all the homework. I got more out each lessons that way.
Wish you the best!
@DTM - Thanks man! I have plenty of projects I am working on at the moment and can't wait to improve on all of them! Due to the course in Systems Programming the things will be somewhat biased to that field (I'm not doing Game development or Application dev etc). Also hoping to rally any programmers I meet to share ideas and start working together on something top notch. :)
But thanks amte, I appreciate it :)
But thanks amte, I appreciate it :)
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