Exams looming, ditto unemployment!
Well, this is it…the home stretch. This Friday marks the beginning of the end of my tenure here at NAIT; on Friday, I begin writing my finals. Now, many of you are actually in the process of writing your finals, and are undoubtedly thinking, “Why Friday? Friday’s the last day of classes!” And you’re right, for MOST programmes, you’re right. Less fortunate are those enrolled in 17 week programs, such as Petroleum Engineering Technology students! It’s really ok though, this week will be used to review, study, and hopefully get some job hunting done!
Speaking of jobs, I’ve actually got a good lead on a job working for Suncor up at Firebag (that’s like 45 mins north of McMurray); now, I know what you’re all thinking! Oh no! Camp job, Fort McMurray no less! But….there’s a silver lining or two to this job…first, it’s an 8 on 6 off rotation…that means you have almost 1/2 the month off. If you take 8 days holiday, you wind up with 20 off. Not bad. Second, it’s a fly-in fly-out position, meaning I can keep my place here in the city, and come home to enjoy my days off. Sounds pretty sweet…I’ll be interviewing for this job a week from Thursday. That just happens to coincide nicely with my last final being written on Tuesday…with any luck, I will have a job lined up well before I convocate. The other job I am interviewing for is still very much a possibility as well, but all of this uncertainty is really starting to weigh heavily on me. Luckily, exams and the playoffs have been a pleasant distraction.
Another Oilers free playoff…finally they get it right and can MacT! That organization is such a mess, I really can’t see them putting together a solid team for at least a few years. On paper, Calgary seemed to be a powerhouse this year, but are struggling mightily against an upstart Blackhawks squad…they better win at home tonight, nobody comes back from a 3-0 deficit. Detroit (my team yay) has been dominating Columbus, as expected….now, don’t you guys start by calling me a bandwagon jumper! I’ve cheered for Detroit since 1991, when Fedorov and Lidstrom were in their rookie seasons (man, that just makes me feel old). I’ve been through some pretty big ups and downs as a fan, (most notably the 2004 1st round exit to Calgary, and the 2006 1st round exit to Edmonton…man those still sting) I’ve had several arguments with die hard Oilers fans, but I think Detroit truly has a dynasty team. They’ve won 4 cups in the last 11 years, with different players…they’ve always been among the league’s best teams over the last decade, and have done more than any team in the same timeframe with their scouting and drafting.
Anyhow, best of luck to everyone on their exams! Remember, all the hard work you’ve put in over the last year (or two, maybe even three or four!!!) is about to PAY OFF! 