The Computers at Early 2000s

In 2003, I took the college entrance exam and then spent the summer in Beijing. In September, I enrolled at the International College at Beijing (ICB) of China Agricultural University. However, I was admitted through a self-funded program since my entrance exam score wasn’t high enough to secure a spot at the university. The ICB was a Sino-foreign joint program, with the first year of study in China and the second and third year abroad.

The academic year 2003-2004 marked the first phase of my rapid growth in computer knowledge. I was dedicated to my studies during this period, and the college even arranged a special foreign instructor for me and another student. I bought a second-hand old computer and installed Windows 95/98 on it. While my classmates were busy playing games, my old computer was only suitable for studying and programming. My dorm bed was piled with computer books, most of which I had scavenged from second-hand bookstores or street vendors. I probably didn’t wash my bedding for the entire semester—it was quite a mess.

The college had a dedicated computer lab, and at that time, we were learning Java. Applet programming was still popular, and I remember C# had just been introduced. I found the computer courses relatively simple, so the foreign instructor gave me a special project, promising an A+ for the final assessment if I could complete it. I did manage to finish the project, and true to his word, he gave me the A+.