September 2013: Anything different for School, work or life?

[Low Light Mike]

Just wondering what kind of changes or "more of the same" September 2013 will bring for you.

ie. who is returning to the same school?

- who is starting at a new school?

- who is starting at a new career?

- who is same old / same old ?

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For me, September is a slow month for my job, and for me that's a great thing. The end of August was the end of my busy season of work, and September will be filled with vacation and banked-OT days off.

- This will impact my ferry forum participation by postings about trips and some far-off ship & train sightings (far-off is a relative term, haha).

[Political Incorrectness]

I will be starting Week #2 at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT continuing the Civil Engineering grind. 3-4 more semesters left before graduating. I do not like the work but I do like the people I've been with and have gotten to know. Given I am already in the background on this forum, it should not impact my participation. I am usually off on Skyscraper City and other forums due to my love of infrastructure.

[Ferryman]

Sept 2, 2013 9:16:40 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Just wondering what kind of changes or "more of the same" September 2013 will bring for you.

ie. who is returning to the same school?

- who is starting at a new school?

- who is starting at a new career?

- who is same old / same old ?

---------------------------

For me, September is a slow month for my job, and for me that's a great thing. The end of August was the end of my busy season of work, and September will be filled with vacation and banked-OT days off.

- This will impact my ferry forum participation by postings about trips and some far-off ship & train sightings (far-off is a relative term, haha).

I'll also put my hand up as one who's returning to school for September 2013.

I haven't taken much in the way of courses between now and mid 2009, which was when I started taking marine courses to qualify for a job as a Deckhand.  Since I've been working as a Deckhand/Bridge Watchman for the past 3 and a half years, I decided it was time to make an assessment on where I was going with my career. Because I was more or less stranded for the foreseeable future working on a Ferry that sails in Sheltered Waters, and wasn't able to log any Seatime that's required to qualify for "the next ticket". The next ticket is called Watchkeeping Mate, which requires at least 1095 of 8 hr days on a vessel sailing in at least Near Coastal waters, ie routes that go more than one mile offshore.

With that in mind, I happened to completely stumble upon the opportunity to go back to school for a 4 years by attending the 4 year Nautical Sciences Cadet Program, held at BCIT Marine Campus in North Vancouver. It's quite a tough process to make it through, since hundreds of people apply, several dozen get interviewed, and only 16 get accepted annually. This was something that took me a total of 7 years from high school graduation, three different applications, two of which were times where I was interviewed, and finally was accepted. On top of that, I was awarded a decent grant of money from my employer, to put towards tuition costs.  So, words cannot describe my smiling from ear to ear at the moment.

The Nautical Sciences Cadet Program consists of four different in class six month semesters, and three different six month Sea Phase Co-Ops. A panel of specific shipping companies from worldwide pretty much handpick who they'd like to accept as a Cadet for up to 6 months to gain working knowledge of the job, and for grooming for potential future employment upon Graduation. Upon Graduation of the program, one should come out with a Chief Mate's Unrestricted Certificate, allowing them to work as high up as Chief Officer on just about any vessel in the world. With any luck, it should only be another year or two worth of seatime and exams before being eligible for a Master Mariners ticket.

With going to school for the next little while, this has had me move yet again back to the Mainland from the Gulf Islands. It honestly feels good to be living back in civilization, for now at least.

That's my story for now at least!

[Balfour]

Traditionally, September tends to be a busy month for me, even though I've been finished school for five years. My work tends to be busier during this month too. On the weekend following Labour Day, I volunteer with the Coho Society as a bartender in the beer garden on Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver. For those of you who have never heard of the Coho Society, it is an organization dedicated to preserving salmon habitat for future generations.

I continue to enjoy my career in the Civil Engineering industry as draftsman, designer, topographic surveyor, and construction inspector. While I spend a lot of time in an office, this is a job that brings me the opportunity to get out on site to see how our roads and infrastructure are built while giving guidance to the people who are on site building it all.

Ski season is only three months away. I have signed on to continue my passion for teaching people of all ages and abilities how to ski. As always I'll be flying down powder covered hills at highway speeds, enjoying the adrenaline rush of it all. This will be my tenth season teaching here in North Van.

[compdude787]

I graduated from high school last year, (class of 2013) and I'm going to be attending community college at North Seattle Community College starting September 23rd. I'm going to be enjoying an extended summer and saying "I don't have to go to school till the end of this month, neener-neener."

I plan to go to North Seattle for two years and then go  to the University of Washington (UW) and enroll in their aerospace engineering to have a career at Boeing...or study civil engineering and design roads and bridges. I'm not sure yet, but I definitely know that I'll end up designing stuff.