College Intern
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Topic(s): me
2004-07-30 00:00:51 PDT
At work we've got an intern this summer from Cal Poly. He and I were talking about what we learned in college.
College was pretty much useless for me. I think NetApp could have hired me straight out of college. I could have done just as well. Plus I'd be five years younger and a near millionaire if not a millionaire, catching the last five (and peak) years of the dot-com stock explosion.
There are two things that college did to me, but I'm not sure those things wouldn't have happened to me regardless.
One is, of course, that I matured while I was in college for five years. But probably I would have matured in five years while doing something inane as eating potato chips and watching Buffy on the WB.
Two is, college opened doors for me. I don't know that NetApp would've hired me without a autographed piece of paper from The University of Texas.
The things I remember most about college (atleast in the classroom) are all the stupid things I had to learn because some antiquated professors from the 1960's thought they were important.I didn't learn much. By the time I was in college, I knew how to program really well. I didn't need to learn. Computer code flowed from my fingers to the keyboard like a poet's words to paper.
- All that analog junk that I've never used once, and have long since forgotten.
- The Technical Writing class that taught me how to write technical papers with proper English - when in practice 80% of my co-workers' native languages are not English.
- Professors rambling on without pause for fifteen minutes, then stopping for three seconds to ask "clear?" to a classroom full of students too lost to answer "no!"
I don't think college so much teaches you how to do a profession, so much as it gives you a few more years to figure out what sort of profession you enjoy.
I'm lucky in that I found out what it is I enjoy doing when I was about sixteen years old, and that there are people today that pay good money for me to do it.
Pulled eFingers: |
Mom —Hello Eric! I am also grateful to the net app folks for giving you a job, which has gotten you into a Porsche and an office full of nice folks...I miss you allot and cannot wait to see you in Washngton. What kind of goodies do you want me to bring with me for you to munch on? Love from Mom |
Stacey —Yep, college was that for me too. I think I went through 3 different majors. But grad school did teach me a whole lot, I must admit. |
Louise —Yup basically maturity to stay on track with something and relocating is a good thing. My experience is similar. However, I do apply some of what I learned in school at work, more the concept stuff. . .which suprizes me. |
Exercise Your eFinger: |
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