[CS-FSLUG] Seeking opinions

[Nathan T.]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to discuss some recent events with willing list members.

This being my last year in high school I've seen representatives from
post-secondary institutions showing up to give presentations. I was
considering U of A's Augustana campus in Camrose Alberta just because
it was a smaller city than the other's were located in (I've only
really seen it from Google earth); however, recent events seem to be
leading me more towards the DeVry Technical Institute (which according
to the internet is called a University south of the Canadian border
apparently).

Out of the three groups to have come by my school, the DeVry
representatives definitely reached out the most, they stuck around
during lunch, answered my questions, and invited me to a presentation
they were holding in the evening in which they were able to tell me a
lot. As it happens I'm going to be receiving some study books from
them soon so I can write placement exams. This all happened so quickly
I think things must have fallen into place very much on their own, and
just as icing on the cake, someone from the church we went to on
Easter who is familiar to the family has offered to set me up with
some connections in Calgary Alberta where the nearest DeVry is
located. I do have many concerns though, these include but are not
limited to:
- The cost of living; If I'm not mistaken Alberta is having an
economic boom, and Calgary is huge, so wages may be high, but the cost
of living may still be too high for me.
- Being alone; I'll have services available at school, but what I need
are a few close friends I can trust. I don't have much in the way of
skill when it comes to making them in school, in two and half years in
Prince Albert I had several acquaintances, but only one friend I would
see outside of those four walls.
- Getting lost; OK, so it won't impress anyone living on Montreal,
Ontario, Ottawa or any big cities in the states, but the place really
is big for my standards. Even with a map I'd be worried about getting
lost. I grew up in small towns for the most part, one fair sized city,
and now I'm in Yellowknife which is somewhere in the middle. I've
never done more than pass through a town close to the size of Calgary
and that was in a car or truck being driven by someone else.

I'd like to know what other list members think, this isn't yet set in
stone and I'm open to other schools. I really don't want to say too
much (if it's not already too late) because if I show any particular
bias I'm concerned that will sway people's opinions so it matches up
with my bias, I don't want everyone to agree with me because it seems
like that's what I want to hear.

I will say this, I'm currently undecided on whether to take courses
around Computer Information Systems (mostly business class
programming), or Computer Engineering Technology (less programming,
more electronics, hopefully some material on writing device drivers).
The DeVry Representative has hinted that they may be getting courses
on game programming, I have two books on that already, one using Qt
and the other using Allegro, it is an interest of mine but not one I
think would be a good source of income. What I fear the most is
getting in just to find out that CET is done with the Visual Basic
language.