Did you work hard in college?

JPA

So my exams are starting next week and I'm still as lazy as sin.
My question is aimed at those who have finished college.

How do you feel about how you did in college?

humbert

That's a good question, as sure as night follows day I'll look back on my time here are kick myself for not trying harder.

brianthebard

I have done this year, its final year after all. It doesn't help that the course was so easy that i turned up to less than half of the second year and still got a 2.2. Or maybe I'm just that good?

BoozyBabe

Got a 1:1 hons degree in IT.

I only did the minimum. Assignments were always handed in on time, but only worked on the night before.
Lab books written up in bulk just as they were needed for correction.
Extra research did not happen.
Study occured the day before the exams.
BUT:- I rarely missed a lecture, I paid attention while I was there & I guess I'm an effective crammer.
Maybe I'm naturally good at exams as I know many many swots in my class didn't do nearly as well.

Do extensive cramming & you should be fine.

All I can remember now about my 4 years in college is the 'Leaky Bucket' protocol. (Networking)

stanlystanly1

Failed all my first year exams but passed them all in summer. All 70%+
Failed 3 out of 6 exams in second year and plan to do the same cramming during the summer (2-3 days) and hopefull come out with the same score

Kojak

I did very little work in college, except for the 3 weeks before exams. Crammed like never before, and I walked away with a 2.1 engineering degree.

I should have worked harder during the year, but I was lucky that all that cramming worked out for me in the end.

lazy as hell, got a 2-1

cornbb

Lazy as sin for my bachelor's, got a pass degree. Worked my ass off for my masters (and still had a *lot* of fun) and got a 1st class hons. Both courses were pretty tough.

Mrs_Doyle

I did a 2 year diploma course, after leaving school, and I didn't to a scrap of work, and just about scraped by with a qualification.

After that, I went on to do another 2 year diploma course, and a degree, at B.C.F.E, and I have to say, I genuinely did work hard during my time there.
Ballier is a great college, with a fantastic, encouraging atmosphere.
I worked hard, and I got the grades I deserved.

skywalker

I worked hard through college & got what I wanted, had a good time while doing it though. College isnt the be all & end all, a few of my friends have done great for themselves without any college. It will never do ya any harm to have that piece of paper though.

If your in college ya should be aiming to get the best degree/dip/cert/whatever ya can get, while enjoying yourself at the same time.

Pherekydes

I got a double hons 1.1 in Maths Studies and Stats. I also got first in Stats. I worked bloody hard, but still felt I could have worked harder. I was disappointed with some of the individual module results. I always wanted to do a degree and that's why I worked for it, but family life got in the way some of the time. I also sacrificed somewhat, by not going out, or missing on family trips during the critical lead-up to exams. I also quit a decent (paying) job to go to college. All in all, I'm happy with my college time and miss college a lot.

Schism

I failed my first year in college because I did nothing. Went back this year on a different course, worked on it and alls fine now.

JPA

Slow coach wrote:

I got a double hons 1.1 in Maths Studies and Stats. I also got first in Stats. I worked bloody hard, but still felt I could have worked harder. I was disappointed with some of the individual module results. I always wanted to do a degree and that's why I worked for it, but family life got in the way some of the time. I also sacrificed somewhat, by not going out, or missing on family trips during the critical lead-up to exams. I also quit a decent (paying) job to go to college. All in all, I'm happy with my college time and miss college a lot.

You seem to be a perfectionist. I can only dream of getting a 1.1!

Sam Vimes

BoozyBabe wrote:

All I can remember now about my 4 years in college is the 'Leaky Bucket' protocol. (Networking)

i just learned about that yesterday for my test on friday

i'm working very hard as you can plainly see

biko

All I can remember is stupid stuff that I use to bore my friends.
Passed but did minimum work.

brianthebard

cornbb wrote:

Lazy as sin for my bachelor's, got a pass degree. Worked my ass off for my masters (and still had a *lot* of fun) and got a 1st class hons. Both courses were pretty tough.

You can get into a masters with a pass degree??? And here's me aiming for a first!

Pherekydes

JPA wrote:

You seem to be a perfectionist. I can only dream of getting a 1.1!

Thanks, but I'm really a lazy slob. But I did want it a lot!

Anti

I was stupidly lazy in college, all i did was drink and chase teh wimminz. Was a great time. I managed to pass all my exams with no studying. But i could have done alot better if i actually did any work.

WindSock

I dropped out of 3 courses then went off to asia to sit in waterfalls and play with monkeys. I'm back now and looking at doing another course to drop out of. I wont get a decent job till I'm 30, but at least I enjoyed my early 20's.

rick_fantastic

got the aul 2:2 in computer science without doing a hell of a lot of work. bit of cramming before the exams and whatnot....

doing masters now part time and didnt study for my exams at xmas and got a 3.69 gpa.

funktastic

good work Boreds, you're like the Paris Hilton of higher education.

cornbb

brianthebard wrote:

You can get into a masters with a pass degree??? And here's me aiming for a first!

Tis possible alright, apparently!

Ruu_Old

I got what I wanted but could have gone further. I was tired of being a poor student so I got out while I could.

WindSock

funktastic wrote:

good work Boreds, you're like the Paris Hilton of higher education.

Well I only got a B in stupid spoiled whore class. Your Ma was too hard to beat.

matrim

I didn't go to a lecture for 3rd or 4th year and didn't even know who half my lecturers in 4th year were. But still got a 2.1.

Pherekydes

boreds wrote:

I dropped out of 3 courses then went off to asia to sit in waterfalls and play with monkeys. I'm back now and looking at doing another course to drop out of. I wont get a decent job till I'm 30, but at least I enjoyed my early 20's.

Who's paying the fees? :eek:

WindSock

Slow coach wrote:

Who's paying the fees? :eek:

They weren't Uni courses, just the 1 year portfolio NCVA types that left me drumming my fingers for most of the time. About 100 pounds a pop at the time. I stuck the first out as long as I could, but I had just left school, my heart wasn't in it. I worked instead for most of it. 2nd course was again one year, stuck it out a while but a change in my personal life left me with a case of 'I cannot be arsedness. 3rd was a waste of time. No one ever turned up and when they did, we got a whole load of photocopied notes to read. I have yet to experience the joys of grown up college and I think I made the right decision to live a bit before deciding what I really want to study.

jrey1981

There's no "I was lazy and didn't get what I wanted" option!

I got a 2.2 but could've done better. I was a bit too lazy

January

I dropped out of a Journalism and Photography course 3 months before it finished. I hated it and couldn't stand the thought of having to study for exams. I plan on going back and doing something else next year...

JPA

jrey1981 wrote:

There's no "I was lazy and didn't get what I wanted" option!

I got a 2.2 but could've done better. I was a bit too lazy

I suppose lazy and regret it covers that!

Dord

College dropout here.
It was great and everything but I just couldn't get my head round some of the stuff I was doing, and some of it was wayyy too easy for me.

constitutionus

i voted for "lazy but got what i wanted" becasue its the closest to what happened. im one of those people that can breeze through exams so i didnt really work my arse off. even managed to pass a TAX exam without even knowing what the hell i was doing. so got my cert in data processing and information technology with honors and promptly ended up in the financial sector where i never use it except to access the games on the computer the IT staff think theyve removed.:)

the college rang back to see if i wanted to do a BSC in business computing (i think thats what they said, do know letters were involved ) but considering we were still technically in a recession back then i didnt want to give up the job. good thing too or my gaff wouldve cost me 200k more than it did.

while i'll never say an education is a waste of time the computing sector, like the electronics and even mechanical sector, is a fecking nightmare because as soon as you pass your test everything youve learned is redundant. christ i learned on the DOS system and got extra credit on a test because i mentioned that recordable compact discs became available just before my final exams. so i cant see it being any worth now

Alter-Ego

Dropped out.

Just lost interest in a sh1tty computing degree full of tossers.

This was last year. I finished in may but my last recorded class attendance was in febuary.
I'm going back in september to have a jolly good stab at a new course after a year out.

InFront

I think I'm doing alright, I don't miss lectures cos I'm a pretty slow reader, and it would take me way too long to catch up on the material I missed if I had to go through it myself later.
I also joined a study group with some friends whereby each person has responsibility of teaching one topic to the group each evening we meet, and take questions. You generally pick the topic you're weakest in, it's a very effective way of getting the information into your head (I think)

When I look back on college I'll still probably regret not studying more. Coming up to exams, I always look back on the material I've covered and wish I had more time to study it in more detail
I presume that after graduation I'll come across some really interesting material and wish I'd spent more effort learning all about it when I was in college and had a big library at my fingertips and all day long to use it.

brianthebard

Ruu wrote:

I got what I wanted but could have gone further. I was tired of being a poor student so I got out while I could.

Hmm, that's what I'm worried about, I was thinking of going for a History phd, but I don't know if I could stick another four or five years (at least) in college and then I don't even know that I'll get a job, ever, or how much I might like it, or not. *hyperventilates* why do I have to decide these things, while I'm doing final year????

little miss

I was far too busy enjoying the social side of college, but by some miracle got my 2:1. Kicked myself after getting my results though, as I was only 1% from getting a first. If I'd known I was going to do that well I would have worked much harder, and not gone on a two day drinking binge DURING my finals. Oops!

Naikon

constitutionus wrote:

while i'll never say an education is a waste of time the computing sector, like the electronics and even mechanical sector, is a fecking nightmare because as soon as you pass your test everything youve learned is redundant. christ i learned on the DOS system

I understand that If you want to get on well in the IT sector, you have to update your Knowledge regulary with new technology, but If you learn the fundamentals and concepts really well, would this not provide a solid base to build on with the Introduction of new technology?
I mean look at the standard Von Neumann computer and 30 odd year old Operating systems like BSD UNIX which are derived from true and tested concepts.

Not that I have any real experience in the sector as of yet to fully voice my views, but would learning stuff like DOS not be really helpful in server administration for example where command based interpreters used in a UNIX/Linux environment are very important and allow more freedom over GUI based administration?

The Tech might change at breakneck speed sometimes, but prospective technology never always surfaces to critical acclaim and thats why I reckon if you stay with current methods and adapt to new tech, would this not be some sort of bonus in the long run?

*This thread is teasing as I have yet to sit this bloody Leaving cert*:(

constitutionus

DOS still underlies most business systems, which is how i got those games back on my work PC, but windows scared the hell out of me when i first seen it because my job had no real computer applications till circa 2000. up to that it was prededicated machines that just did one function. so yeah you could get back on he horse easily enough but could you be arsed knowing you got to go back time and time again?

even now im still something of a neophyte to the whole net thing. once you let stuff pass you buy its very hard to get back in the flow of things

Naikon

constitutionus wrote:

and got extra credit on a test because i mentioned that recordable compact discs became available just before my final exams. so i cant see it being any worth now

This is the reverse situation that happened in my Business mock, as I got zero for mentioning USB flash drives:rolleyes:
IT/Computing or the lack thereof in Second level schools is appalling.
Our school still uses a Token ring Network alongside windows 95 machines:eek:

*excuse me going a little off topic*

constitutionus

man i got to look at the computers in my secondry school we went around getting sponsors for the fecking things and the first classes that came in after us got to use em.

my experience up to then was my old vic 20 and commodore 64

ixoy

Studied hard the first year, a little less in the 2nd, was getting bored in the 3rd but they didn't really contribute to the final mark. In 4th year then I knew I had a job lined up for me, so I let myself waver a bit and didn't push myself like I could've...
Ended up with a II.I in BA Comp. Sci and the job offer fell through - whoops

I understand that If you want to get on well in the IT sector, you have to update your Knowledge regulary with new technology, but If you learn the fundamentals and concepts really well, would this not provide a solid base to build on with the Introduction of new technology?

That's the logic, yeah. It'll really depend on what area you get into as well but to some degree or another, it'll spread over most sectors within IT.

For example, when I did Java in '97 it was Java 1.14 (I believe). We're now on Java 6, but many of the basic fundamentals are still the same - what's new are the additional features built up. These basics also would assist me if I was learning C#, or another similiar OOD.
Yes there's lots of additional features and gadgetry there - spring/hyberinate for example - but the underlying concepts are often old.

Other things change a lot less - SQL is still running off of a standard derived in '92. I, and others, still regularly use vi and other Unix tools developed when you weren't even a glint in the milkman's eye.

What's increased is the complexity of the systems. It's more difficult to know everything now so I reckon the future is increased specialisation in certain areas. In that case it's easier to keep up but more risky if you invest time and energy in a technology that ultimately flops.

Naikon

constitutionus wrote:

DOS still underlies most business systems, which is how i got those games back on my work PC, but windows scared the hell out of me when i first seen it because my job had no real computer applications till circa 2000. up to that it was prededicated machines that just did one function. so yeah you could get back on he horse easily enough but could you be arsed knowing you got to go back time and time again?

even now im still something of a neophyte to the whole net thing. once you let stuff pass you buy its very hard to get back in the flow of things

I see..., the fact that the whole GUI introducation was a big change it would be a pain to wait for application support etc.
This is the reason Microsoft should evaluate their policies in regards to new technology.
I am still convinced the Vista bandwagon is simply a big marketing ploy in its current release:mad:

Naikon

ixoy wrote:

Other things change a lot less - SQL is still running off of a standard derived in '92. I, and others, still regularly use vi and other Unix tools developed when you weren't even a glint in the milkman's eye.

LOL, thats a good analogy I must remember:D

Tar.Aldarion

Lazy in first year, didn't bother even going in really in second year(Was a bit of an alco), worked hard enough in third year for the exams. Fourth year to come.

little miss

little miss wrote:

I was far too busy enjoying the social side of college, but by some miracle got my 2:1. Kicked myself after getting my results though, as I was only 1% from getting a first. If I'd known I was going to do that well I would have worked much harder, and not gone on a two day drinking binge DURING my finals. Oops!

Why didnt you get your papers reviewed? I did and went up by 4%

scojones

I was lazy and got what I wanted - enough to be able to go on complete a masters should I wish to do so. I'll go back either next year or the year after when all my debts are cleared and I have seen a good bit of the world. 120 started in first year, 8 people got the degree after fifth year. Major drop out rate. In the first two years I didn't do a tap because I didn't have to and still ended up top of the class. The remaining three years required more work though.

Seb-K

1st class hons MSc - waste of time & money....

layke

The first course I did was a waste of time.

Miss Fluff

Got a Desmond (2.2) in Anthropology and Classics and was really quite thrilled considering I spent 4 years through university partying hard. Although I did well in my course work (always doing my assignments through the night before deadline day) I didn't actually do any study until the fortnight coming up to exams. So had a fully enriched uni experience while still getting Hons.

Ishmael

Had to Work hard in first year as i had never used a computer before and the course was fairly computer intensive. Was a bit lax in second year after but still managed to finish top of the class. Worked a bit harder in 3rd year as it counted towards my final marks and got top marks again.

Unfortunately i messed up in my final year. Did well in the first semester but had a few personal and family problems and ended up failing my fyp and as a result my final year. Going back next year to finish up.

Was on Course for a 1.1, Can only get a pass degree now tho.
Bit of a Kick in the Nuts but such is life

Binomate

I'm lazy as hell, and I'm probably going to fail this year. Ha ha!