Education

This post was originally published on golifelog.com.

Inspired by @jasonleow’s comment, I thought I write about my school days. Everything started in 2001, elementary school. Here in Austria, that’s 4 years. Followed by secondary school (which is nowadays called differently) of another 4 year or (I think) 8 years of “Gymnasium” (strangely translates to grammar school, I guess there is no real translation). Since I wasn’t good enough in mathematics, secondary school it was.

After secondary school, you are presented with several options. One year of “polytechnic school” where you’re going into “die Lehre” (again, strange translation with “the teaching”). Basically you start to work after the poly and through around 3 or 4 years you gain a profession (ex. mechanic).
Or, you could take up some kind of higher education school, so you can get eligible for university (“HTL” [“Höhere Technische Lehranstalt” -> Higher technical college], “HAK” [“Handelsakademie” -> commecial/business academy], and others). Or you can do the in between path and take a technical college. All of those schools have different topics and carreer paths. HTL/HAK and similar run for five years which conclude with a final examination by committee, after passing you’re allowed to go to university. The technical college takes around three and a half years.

I took the technical college about IT. So in those three and a half years I learned about basic operating system stuff (how schedulers work and stuff, low level functions, …); a little bit about programming; some CAD drawing; how to use lathes and CNC machines, basic welding; and electronics. Starting from Arduino and Microcontrollers up to SPS (PLC, programmable logic controller) and how to wire a house.

Most of the stuff was only superficial, but you got the basics in many areas. Although I hated the wiring stuff back then, nowadays, I’m thankful I learned the basics of it. I can open up an outlet without turning the power off, and know which wires to not touch to not drop dead. So that’s why I know my way around photovoltaic stuff too, also the internet is full of information to suck up on.