What do Cantrians do in the real world?

[returner]

Lol Echoman you work for the devil! (sure you've heard that plenty of times).. you made me chuckle with your joke re the topic title.

[Ryaga]

I'm a 16 year old highschool student. I work at a blueberry farm, packing the blueberries into boxes(or will soon since summer is rolling around.)

in my spare time I work with software. I know 3 dialects of BASIC really only good enough to be productive in 2, I also dabble in C++, I say dabble because I really make very little use of it's language features an hav only worked with it for a few months. I enjoy chillin with my friends on the weekend. I listen to pop-punk music and am generally a pretty chill guy.

[KAOS]

my story is a bit complicated.^^
i studied mechanical engineering but finally had to quit without a degree due to a chronic illness. it took some time until i somewhat recovered (i'm still not in "perfect health", but it's getting better continuously ) and i could participate in a "professional rehabilitation programme" (wonderful words which don't show the massive amount of complicated bureaucracy involved ). that means, after some inquiring what i want and what i am able to do, i could start with an "umschulung", a shortened apprenticeship for adults, as a mechatronics technician.
the normal mechatronics technician apprenticeship for adolescents takes 3.5 years and they learn partly working in a company, partly having theoretical lessons at school. at the end there's an exam at the IHK.
now in the umschulung we only have 2 years to learn the same things and we don't work in a company but spend our time having theoretical AND practical lessons at a special institute. at the end of this year we will make 3-month internships to get more practical experience. next year in summer we will take the common IHK-exam.

but.. what IS a mechatronics technician?
mechatronics technicians build electro-mechnical devices, e.g. in the medical sector. they can also work on automation systems - imagine a factory, where gummy bears are produced. or cars. or beer. or whatever you like. there are big halls with lots of machines in it - these machines need maintenance (and mechatronics technicians will take care for it) and sometimes new machines have to be installed. mechatronics technicians will assemble them, attach a motor if needed, build up the electrical connections and write software programms to controll these machines.
so i have to learn lots about: engineering drawings, mechanical processing, electrotechnology, pneumatics, hydraulics, connecting electronic devices, soldering circuits, programmable logic controllers, electric motors

and what else do i spend my time with? i like reading books, meeting with friends, do some fitness training, sometimes i visit a nearby go club and my newest hobby is geocaching (two of my friends have gps-devices \o/ ). oh, and i have to mention hanging around on the internet - playing games and chatting on the irc. *g* and every second sunday i moderate a internet-radio show on icewars-radio (no, it's not a big deal, icewars is a small independent browsergame and only 20 to 40 people are listening join irc.gamesurg.net #icewars-radio to find out more. warning: we talk german the whole time^^)

[CantrFreak]

I was going to post a vague summary of Obama's life on here but was too lazy to do the research. :b

[CN]

I was going to post a vague summary of Obama's life on here but was too lazy to do the research. :b

bum.
do your learnin's!

long time no see.

[the_antisocial_hermit]

I acquire books.

[returner]

I acquire books.

Do you have lots of books?

[Doug R.]

I acquire books.

Are you an acquisitions editor, librarian, or book hoarder?

[the_antisocial_hermit]

I acquire books.

Are you an acquisitions editor, librarian, or book hoarder?

Two of the three!

[Doug R.]

Hmm, I say the last two...

[Snake_byte]

I just got a job in the Kitchen. A pizza parlor. Yay!
So now my charries might be a little quieter than usual.

[joo]

sometimes i visit a nearby go club

I now have business with you, and consequently, you now have business with me. Come into irc.tobug.net #hnnggg so we can settle this business, or I'll PM you incessantly and/or spread malicious rumours about you.

Edit: Uhh, I'm not sure why I wrote that...nevermind.

[reve]

i studied mechanical engineering but finally had to quit without a degree

I've finished mechanical engineering not so far from Berlin, actually! Yay!

these machines need maintenance (and mechatronics technicians will take care for it) and sometimes new machines have to be installed. mechatronics technicians will assemble them, attach a motor if needed, build up the electrical connections and write software programms to controll these machines.

And I specialised in designing of such machines. I was unlucky to finish my education right before so called 'world crisis'. I worked as a technologist for some time, I planned production there. Now I am working for my parents partly as an accountant, partly as an IT guy. But I'm still looking for any job connected with my degree. The worst thing is that I don't know german language (I live 25 km from polish/german border). I know it's not the place for such things, but maybe someone knows of a place where engineers (not only designers, but also technicians, like KAOS) are needed? I am open to any job opportunity in whole Europe. Any helpfull PMs will be rewarded!

[Jos Elkink]

Cool to see the wide variation here ... Clearly Cantr does not appeal to just one kind of person ...

I'm a lecturer (i.e. assistant professor) in political science, teaching primarily research design and statistics for graduate students in political science and in some other social sciences, and also next year one course on democratization. Cantr certainly used to be a halftime job while I was doing my PhD, but now real work is taking over too big a chunk out of my time ...

And good to see someone here plays go ... I'm using the username jelkink on http://www.dragongoserver.net if anyone wants to play

[joo]

And good to see someone here plays go ... I'm using the username jelkink on http://www.dragongoserver.net if anyone wants to play

Do you have an account on KGS?