Suddenly being deeply immersed in an academic world of science and technology after spending many decades in a cultural background replete with strong emotional experiences in French Canadian mores, religious beliefs, history, goals, aspirations and hopes served as the launch point for my early career in physics at several national laboratories, both here and in Germany. Much of this adventure started during my years as a struggling student at the Lowell Technological Institute, LTI, which today is called U-Mass-Lowell.
The first semester of my first year was for me a real eye opener. Upon entering the hallowed halls of LTI, I fully realized that my knowledge of the world around me appeared quite empty of substance, either academic or pragmatic. Up to that time and in my socioeconomic milieu of grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts plus cousins here and there, I had already reached a respectable level of professional sophistication to manage quite well in these United States of America.
But, in my entry semester, the good folks at the Lowell Technological Institute, LTI, easily managed to disabuse me of this gross family-held misconception. However, the other family members never saw the wear and tear that I was experiencing at this important period of growth and maturation. The following transcript easily identifies the ego transformation, which I was unwittingly undergoing.
“Read and weep” might be the unofficial title below associated with my bruised psyche at the end of my first semester at LTI.
| Course # | Title | unknown | Grade | Grade Points |
| CH 101 | General Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | B | 12 |
| EN 113 | Engineering Graphics | 1 | D | 1 |
| CS 111 | English Composition & Reading | 3 | C | 6 |
| Ma 107 | Introduction to Mathematical Analysis | 4 | B | 12 |
| PH 103 | Physics | 3 | B | 9 |
| AS 101 | Air Science | 2 | B | 6 |
| Physical Education | A |
Blah, blah, blah, etc.
LTI Transcript 1957 - 1958 spring semester
| Course # | Full Title | Credit | Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CH 102 | General Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | B | 12 |
| EN 114 | Engineering Graphics | 1 | D | 1 |
| CS 112 | English Composition & Reading | 3 | B | 9 |
| MA 108 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry | 5 | B | 15 |
| PH 104 | Physics | 4 | B | 12 |
| AS 102 | Basic AFROTC | 2 | B | 6 |
| Physical Education | ~ | B | ~ | |
| Semester Rating: 55/19 = 2.894 Cumulative Rating: 101/36 = 2.805 |
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