My Journey as a CST Student at BCIT - A Personal Reflection

Hi there! This is my first entry documenting my journey as a Computer Systems Technology (CST) student at BCIT. I've had many experiences before arriving here, but my goal for this blog is twofold: to provide a space for personal reflection and to potentially offer insights to other students considering or currently enrolled in the CST program. I'm just a student sharing my perspective, not an official representative of the institution.

Why CST?

One key distinction between BCIT's Computer Systems Technology program versus all the university Computer Science programs is its focus on applied skills. You'll likely do more coding in your first three months at BCIT than most senior university students do in their entire program. This doesn't mean those programs are inferior, just that BCIT prioritizes hands-on experience. This two-year program serves as a fast-track to a computer science education, equipping graduates with practical skills.

That said, this program isn't for everyone. If you prefer a more traditional path and don't mind a 4-6 year commitment, A university might be better suited for you. They offer degrees, which, in hindsight, I wish I had pursued. In the current tech landscape, a diploma may not be as impressive. Luckily, BCIT offers a Bachelors of Applied Computer Science (BaSc) with those who have been in the CST program getting preference for entrance. Reagrdless of degree or not, I'm happy to be at BCIT working towards this diploma, which is still highly considered post-grad. Many employers in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland value, and even prefer, BCIT grads for our hands-on approach.

My decision to attend BCIT was influenced by my unique circumstances:

I was already working full-time as a software developer. I was a bootcamp graduate who was largely self-taught. I lacked formal post-secondary education, having only attended Beedie School of Business for almost two years. I wanted a quick and efficient way to obtain a recognized credential; a 4-6 year degree didn't seem worthwhile to me at the time. These were my personal considerations and they are not applicable to everyone.

How It's Going at CST

Currently, I'm in the middle of my co-op term, working as a Junior IT Systems Administrator at a medium-sized non-profit. Working in IT was not my expectation prior to CST to be straight forward. However, it has turned out to be an incredibly eye-opening experience that has significantly shifted my career aspirations. It has opened up paths for me in devops and other areas of tech I never considered till now.

Despite my past struggles with traditional schooling (note I have never really been outstanding in school) I'm thriving in CST. I've never been a natural high-achiever for my grades, often doing the bare minimum to pass. CST, however, has pushed me to my limits. I've had to become proactive, make solid school friends, and dedicate myself to studying—sometimes from 9 am to 10 pm almost every weekday. It has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life.

It's important to note that this isn't everyone's CST experience. Success in this program, especially if you're aiming for co-op and genuine learning, demands discipline. This principle applies to any endeavor, not just CST.

I've formed many valuable connections during my time in the program, both with fellow students and faculty members. Coming from a bootcamp/self-taught background, I've had to acquire most of my industry skills independently. However, this didn't make CST any easier. While my prior experience made web development courses relatively straightforward, the program challenged me in other areas, such as discrete mathematics and computer architecture. Although these subjects might not be directly applicable to every job, I recognized they were gaps in my foundational knowledge as a software developer.

This reflection reminds me of a past conversation with my intermediate at my previous job:

I was tasked with developing a feature that involved extensive conditional logic. Due to the nuanced requirements, using a switch case wasn't feasible. During a code review, my intermediate suggested using logic tables. At the time, I was unfamiliar with both logic tables and Boolean math, so the explanation went completely over my head. Looking back, I see this as a clear indication of my lack of foundational knowledge. Just understanding or knowing about concepts like discrete math and Boolean algebra although won't help with the feature directly, can be useful frameworks to think about how to handle complex conditional logic in applications especially ones that have a lot of business requirements.

While the code I produced at the end worked for this feature I was writing, I realized that something that I was taught in first term for CST could have been nice to have while I was working in that internship. This realization reinforces my appreciation for being in school now. I'm confident that this knowledge will be invaluable when I enter into my next roles. If I were to take on a similar junior role again, I know I would not only excel but also have the confidence to explore new opportunities using my new knowledge.

Final Thoughts

I hope this blog post provides some insights into my journey and the value of formal education. BCIT is a great school and while I will say CST is an awesome program, it is not perfect, however, I do recommend the program if you are looking for an education where you will have hands-on skills.

Please feel free to connect with me through my LinkedIn and lets have a chat. Please share with me any other topics you are interested in seeing written. To show support for this blog, please consider starring the Github Repo.

Have a great day,

Edro Gonzales