It’s the beginning of the fall term at BCIT and time to choose courses. This term I really wanted to concentrate on Java. I’ve got a lot of previous Java experience but it’s getting a bit rusty and the tools and APIs have moved on since I last used it in anger.

BCIT offer a very interesting looking course called Java Web Applications (COMP 3631) that covers some great technology – primarily servlets and JavaServer Pages. Stuff I’m really keen to learn about and great marketable skills. However it requires Advanced Java as a prerequisite. Now I’ve done all that stuff… I’ve even taken an Advanced Java course in the past. But I’m kinda rusty on it.

BCIT do offer an Advanced Java course (COMP 3621). Maybe I should take that one instead. It would be a good course to get me back up to speed… but it’s basically revision – I wouldn’t really be learning anything new.

That was a tough decision. In the end I decided to take the Java Web Services class on Tuesday evenings – what Java I’m missing I can pick up as I go along. Class was great, lecturer is great, course content looks fantastic. Then on Wednesday I’m musing… you know, if I’m SERIOUS about this then I should give my Java all the help I can and be sure to fill in any gaps – and I should take the Advanced Java course as well. And so I signed up for that one as well and I’ve been going along to that on Thursdays.

Same tutor for both classes which is good. As well as a couple of assignments for each course, he also sets lab work each week for each class so I’m spending time outside the classroom working with the course material – which is great, but eats into my free time.

That’s actually only ONE of THREE major time sinks over the last week or two… more to come later.

I did COMP2691 (Advanced Windows Application Development) and, unlike the courses I’d taken previously, found myself quite stretched by it – the lecturer had a reputation for cramming in a lot of material and it was seriously fast paced.

Anyway, it was a very interesting course… and I got full marks! Yep – 100% !

Not strictly true to say that I didn’t drop a mark – the lecturer gave everybody a 10% mark boost in the mid-term (which took my 93% up to 100%) and I suspect he must have done something similar in the final. But still – I’m very proud of that.