Higher Learning Circa 1973

You never stop learning. Or so they say. Not one to go against what “they” say I often find myself enrolled in one course or the other. Having finished my CIP (that makes me a Certified geek) I thought, well I might as well finish my FCIP – at least then I can be called a “Fellow”. Not quite Duchess, Princess or Your Majesty, but baby steps.

Anyway, wanting to go to a reputable school (since work was footing the bill) my mind turned to U of T. What I feel is one of Canada’s ‘better’ schools. I am currently finishing my last two courses and one of them is Communications. When I went to purchase the course book, I thought surely the listing must be wrong.

I looked at the Flock of Seagulls hairdo on the person on the cover and thought it seemed a bit dated. Maybe that was part of the course. You know, don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t judge a sentence by the words. Of course, that must be it. But as I flipped (and have subsequently read) through the book I found ALL the pictures like something out of a time capsule.

Big box computers, leggings, crimped hair, leather ties and those rubber Madonna bracelets adorned each page. Even the graphics were very Atari.

But what struck me the most was the actual content. Keep in mind that my work page $720 for the course and $100 for the book. When they talked about internal conflict, it stated that one source is ‘the want or need to fill two desires’. For example (and this is the funny part) ‘when you can’t decide if you should buy that new Hi-Fi now OR save for a VCR’. SAVE for a VCR? Do they even make them anymore? Are they so expensive now because they are antiques? Man, and I just threw mine out.

Oh no. Wait, the book was published in 1973! Note to U of T…..it is 2008. You may want to update that book. Just maybe…… I hope my professor doesn't read this before he marks my exam.