A GIS Postgraduate’s Journal – November 4, 2012
November 4, 2012
Officially two months into school now and the road is starting to seem long. I know my last journal entry stated that I couldn’t wait to learn something beyond how to install a program, and I’m pretty sure my professors heard it loud and clear. Ever since, school has been full of midterms and assignments, with little room left to stop and breathe in the fall air.
I really can’t complain, however, because I am definitely starting to see the practicality behind all the hours of brain torture. For instance, it has been fairly evident that programming and database management are two highly sought after skills in the geomatics industry. Prior to searching the job world, I had assumed that GIS was GIS and that was that. Boy was I wrong when all I kept seeing was DB this and HTML that. Programming has become one of those classes that you need to address daily. If you don’t, it is far too easy to forget how to script even the simplest of codes.
This brings me to my next learning of the month – dependency on computer knowledge. In programming, if your syntax is incorrect, the code won’t run. In AutoCAD, if your endpoints aren’t snapped the fills won’t work. In ArcGIS, well…it’ll just shut down. While studying, it is mind-boggling to think of all of the little prompts and errors that the software we use automatically sends us.
Asides from studying for back-to-back tests, I’d have to say that my most grueling assignment to date has been in AutoCAD. Instead of ‘Assignment 1’ – it should’ve just been titled ‘You will need to have ten beers to de-stress after this’. I’m one for being picky, and this is the all-time picky persons worst fear. How far should I zoom in to set that walls position? Yes I want this building corner to be 90 degrees, but why does the building look like it has been blown up, losing half of my perfect corner. Still waiting on my mark back for that assignment, and still stressing over that tricky demolished building. Sigh.
Journal Entries:
November 5, 2012
