How I didn’t become a system programmer

It was in the last century, in 89 (I don’t seem to confuse it) year. I suddenly realized that, well, I don’t want to continue my studies at my university at all. Not interested.
The times were unusual then, something new appeared all the time. So I began to look for this brand new. Programming even then seemed interesting, especially since there was experience in writing in Fortran for calculating diagrams according to strength of materials, and indeed, computers have always attracted.
I don’t remember where, but I read that a new department of system programming is being opened in Baumanka, where two groups of 25 people will be recruited. One for system programming, the other for applied programming. Great, I thought. Exactly what is needed.
But there was also a “fly in the ointment” – the competition promised to be furious. But I had a “trump card” – military service, which immediately added a whole ball, and taking into account the five-year certificate, the chances of successful admission were high.
Regular exams: mathematics, physics, composition. However, I was only afraid of the composition, my handwriting is very “peculiar”
He prepared diligently, although school knowledge was forgotten. And now the time has come. I wrote mathematics not to say that it was easy, but without any difficulties, and now the next exam is physics. The tickets contained electromagnetism and a task for forces, quite familiar subjects. I’m going to take it, and I’m glad – the teacher seems only slightly older than me, I think that this will help. I was young then, naive.
I answer that everything seems to be fine and then I understand that I am clearly being “knocked down”. First, the teacher notes the shortcomings in the problem, although they definitely do not affect the solution, and then begins to pour additional questions. Knocks.
And he puts a triple, which immediately crosses out the chances of admission. Out of resentment, I turn on the arrogance to the maximum and right on you ask the teacher: – Why are you so?
– I don’t need “soldiers” in the group, – he honestly answers, – it’s always difficult with them.
Probably, if I had my knowledge right after school, I would have tried to achieve a retake of the commission, but at that moment I didn’t feel such confidence, and to tell the truth, I felt some gratitude for an honest answer about the reasons.
Of course, I did not go to the essay.
It is difficult to say how it would have turned out if I had acted then and I would have become the author of the Russian operating system 🙂 But the fact that everything would have been different is for sure.
It’s even interesting if there are those who studied at that faculty in ancient times? And what did they end up with?