Here are the answers some people gave me to the questionnaire I sent out recently. If you would like to answer the questionnaire and do not have a copy of it either print out this page or copy down the questions and e-mail/mail them to me. I am interested to hear from all interested parties.
1) How much do you miss the "gang", if at all, and what do you miss the most?
Jennifer: Yes, I do miss the gang. Just mindless chatter is what I miss the most considering I work by myself here at NBTel.
Willie: Yeah I miss the gang you bunch of geeks. I miss the convos in the Comp lounge. Oh yeah I almost forgot, I miss bugging Cameron and Burchill.
Gary: I'd like to see everyone again, I'm starting to feel like the Maytag Repairman. I also miss the hourly smoke breaks.
Katherine: I miss sitting in the lounge with all the FOOD!! And all those late nights trying to get everything done for the next morning (NOT).
Melissa: I feel like I have lost my family, to be honest. I miss the support people gave each other, and I miss the laughs.
2) Would you much rather be at school or work right now? Explain Why or why not?
Jennifer: Strangely, I would rather be at school right now because I miss the socialization and learning new languages/software.
Willie: Work! I can start to get a life now, although it isn't quite as smooth as I thought it would.
Gary: I'd rather be at school since I usually knew what was going on there and how to do my assignments.
Katherine: I can't believe you have to ask that.
Melissa: Since it's 8:30 Wednesday night and I'm here alone, I'd rather be at school!
3) How do you like your work term so far. What do you like about it. What do you dislike.
Jennifer: Overall my work term is good because I have been given a lot of responsibility. I liked the first three weeks of my work term because the Wilsons are extremely professional and caring and because I was learning a new software package. Now I am very frustrated because I still do not have everything that I need to do my work, i.e. my own computer, and access to the original system for which I am designing the replacement system.
Willie: Work term has gone great so far. I didn't have anything blow up yet(knock on wood).
Gary: I learned a lot during my workterm so far. Nuff said...for both questions.
Katherine: I like having my work end at 4:30 on Friday and having it not start again until Monday morning. I dislike not getting paid.
Melissa: I love my coach, he's just a doll. I love what I am working on, and I love the challenge, but I'm exhausted. I hate the fact that I think all my hard work is going to get scrapped.
4) Say in a small list, can you name what are the major differences between SCHOOL and WORK!
Jennifer: SCHOOL VS WORK
lots of people solitude
minor network problems major network problems
treated as student treated as experienced systems/analyst
programmer
Willie: 1-The work load has drastically decreased, except for that damn technical
report which I haven't started yet.
2-I watch what I say more at work than I did at school, although the F-word did
slip out once.
Gary: a) Usually someone at school knew how to do whatever was assigned.
b) Vast amounts of reading at work.
c) Computer is even worse than the ones at school.
Katherine: Work = free time, relaxation, money
School = no free time, stress, no money
Melissa: I am more used to the people at school, but the printer works here!!!
5) Name the one major thing that you dislike most about work?
Jennifer: I dislike having to wait for anything to go through the "right channels" before anything is accomplished.
Willie: Not knowing whether I have a job yet or not. Find out next week. That's whether with an "h".
Gary: Having no one around that can give me some help, though this might change in a week or two.
Katherine: You asked this in question 3.
Melissa: I'm overwhelmed.
6) I know that now that I am "working" somewhere, I don't do any "work" on the weekend unlike school. Does this hold true for you too or do you tend to do a lot of "work" on the weekend too.
Jennifer: I have done no work on the weekends for my work term. If I had received the laptop, I will be able to do work after hours (of my own free will.)
Willie: Yeah I've only went in for 3 hours one Saterday.
Gary: Yeah right.
Katherine: I am in the 5th week and this is the first weekend that I will be doing work.
Melissa: It's Melissa. Does that answer that?
7) Which is more difficult, School or Work? Answer this two ways. In the sense of total hours spent doing something and in the sense of difficulty and the availbility of help for what you have been assigned.
Jennifer: School definitely required about 50% more hours than work. Certain aspects of school were more difficult than work but generally, my work term is not difficult. There is virtually no help for my project.
Willie: I put more time in at school then I do at work. As far as help goes I've got when I needed it.
Gary: Work is more difficult in terms of help, school in terms of hours.
Katherine: School - 12-14 hours a day spent doing difficult work with limited availability of help
Work - 8 hours a day spent doing work that is not too hard with lots of help.
Melissa: Not as much support, lack of manuals, and no one to ask makes it difficult. Only one assignment at a time makes it much easier though!
8) And, finally, a multiple choice:
What do they have you doing (check all that apply):
a) programming (ie writing code)
b) systems analysis (ie designing a system)
c) repair & help desk(ie fixing pc's, helping other people with problems)
d) other (name it)
Jennifer: I am doing systems analysis and programming because my specs said I am to "analyze, design, and develop the tariff system."
Willie: *a) programming (Visual Basic Code & SQL)
*b) systems analysis (designing a resume management system)
c) repair & help desk(ie fixing pc's, helping other people with problems)
*d) other (CBTs on DB2, damn there long suckers!!!!)
Gary: a) Programming in Visual C++.
b) Trying to figure out how this service provider should be designed.
Katherine: X a) programming (ie writing code)
b) systems analysis (ie designing a system)
c) repair & help desk(ie fixing pc's, helping other people with problems)
X d) other (name it) - documentation
Meilssa: a, b, c, part-time clerk, etc.
9) Do you want to work where you are at right now? Do you want to work somewhere far away from Saint John and if so where?
Jennifer: I want to stay in Saint John for work until I am financially stable. At that point I may consider relocating but I plan to remain with B.M.Wilson Associates Ltd.
Willie: Yeah I would like to work where I'm at(SHL Systemshouse), but like I said I don't know if I'm going to get an offer. I guess I'll go anywhere including Saint John for a job.
Gary: I don't think so, but I will if asked and nothing else is available.
2nd question: Not really.
Katherine: Yes I want to work where I am right now.
Melissa: I would love to stay right at this desk and finish this project, but it's not going to happen. I'll be staying in the Maritimes.
Other QUESTIONS!!!
Willie: I believe I should get 100% for these answers. I am So Smart, SMRT!
Gary: Have you gotten drunk lately? Not nearly as much as I should.
Melissa: Is Mike a nut? YES!!! <grin>