Best products from r/BCIT

Hey man. Good on you for choosing the CIT Program, I'm in the Arch Technology program but here's what I can offer you in terms of advice for laptop purchases.

• Go for 16GB of RAM. Trust me, 8GB is the bare minimum these days and it never hurts to have extra RAM, especially if you're going to be running lots of apps or using Chrome(fuck).
  
• As for requiring Windows 10 or Mac OS, check with your program for that. Here in Arch they required us to have Windows to use programs like AutoCAD, which are generally tailored to the operating system.
  
  I have the Dell XPS 13 right now (XPS-9370) and have used it for nearly a full year. I can tell you that there's no issues with coil whine but Dell's customer service is admittedly frustrating (good thing is they're helpful when you finally get around to them).
  
  If you're looking at the Macbook, I'd recommend the Macbook Pro. In terms of weight, both Macbook Air and Macbook Pro have very little weight difference and I'm assuming you'll be running some relatively processor heavy programs, in which case the Macbook Pro would be your best bet.
  
  If you have money to splurge on a good computer, by all means go for it, but seriously avoid cheaper alternatives. They look good in face value now but they'll fuck you over in the long run. Investing a bit more in a good product lowers the possibility that you'll have to buy a new one in the future.
  
  Personally, I have a couple of tips:
  
  
• Get an External Hard Drive. Because you said earlier that splurging isn't too much of a problem, I'd assume that upgrading your storage won't be too much of an issue, but if it is, consider getting a hard drive. They're fantastic for keeping your information with you without having to overspend on upgrading your laptop's storage. I'm using this one right now.
  
• Get a wireless mouse. The trackpads on the Macbook and XPS are nice, but goddamn they're annoying when I want to get work done. A small wireless mouse like this one will make worlds of a difference when you're doing work.
  
• Invest in a laptop case. Seems like a pretty standard thing but I've seen a lot of people invest ~$2000-2500 on a computer and carry it around without a case. Treat that shit like your baby, cause it's expensive, and carrying it around in a bag with textbooks will wear it down. Using the Macbook Pro 13 as an example, consider something like this.
  
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  That's all I have. If you have any other things or just general recommendations you need, don't be afraid to dm me!

Not sure about CIT, but I just finished the CST degree with an Asus: https://www.amazon.ca/G550JK-DB71-CA-Notebook-Screen-Nvidia-GTX850M/dp/B00KXFSZSG. This was fine, nothing I did required more computing until 3rd year. But I did need linux terminal so mac is where I looked next.

switching to a used Mac Pro 2014 in my 3rd year: (256GB SSD, 2.2GHz i7, 16GB DDR3), and its more than enough. I can do all my work at once on it. If only I could work that fast.

Edit: You def want the battery to get you at least half the day just in case, it's a lot better than looking for plugs every class. The mac will get you that, others will too, but I know that Asus wont...

If you're in the downtown campus you'll do Python for COMP 1510. The Burnaby campus will be doing Java for COMP 1510.

You should spend time going over HTML, CSS, and Javascript. You'll need Java for certain. You should use w3schools.com to get a good grasp over basic concepts.

One other thing that may help is getting some design books from amazon or as a pdf online to get down coding conventions and ways to think about coding

You'll find that you'll need to test your code in the coding classes and writing code to be testable is a critical skill in school and when you work in the industry.

• Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design by Robert C. Martin

It really depends on your background. I am taking 1409 but I have done some programming before. One thing I may suggest is to have a look at the textbooks used for both courses and going thru their table of contents and perhaps taking a look at a few pages and see how familiar you are with the concepts and such. These are the textbooks:
1002: New Perspectives on Computer Concepts 2014
1409: Objects First with Java
Just a note that the 1409 textbook is also used for the next course 1451.

As said, I applied to BCIT Millwright Foundation the day I got my transcript and I had to wait a year (Starting Sept 2nd). I'd apply to the program early (mid year grade 12) so that your info and account are created. Then the moment you get your transcript race down to BCIT to complete your application.

Then you have a year to kill. I'd recommend doing all 15 projects in this Arduino kit: http://www.amazon.ca/Arduino-Starter-Official-170-page-Projects/dp/B009UKZV0A . Then start making projects out side of the kit.