Advice on picking degree

B

briang

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 5, 2004
Messages
122
I am planning on starting college (community college) this fall, and getting my associates degree in IT. I am 22, and sick of my current life status...so I am finally going for what I've wanted to do since I was a young kid, but never got around to doing it (for whatever reason).

I have to decide between these two degrees, both have pretty much the same general education stuff, the difference is in the actual IT stuff:

IT degree:

Microcomputer Application Software
Intro. to Information Technology
Microcomputer Hardware
Operating Systems
Database Applications
Networking Essentials
Accounting I
Intro. to the Internet (or) Web Site Design and Scripting (or) Web Authoring and Graphic Tools
Visual Basic Programming
First Level Programming Course**
Systems Analysis
Advanced IT elective***
IT Cooperative Work Experience (or) Business elective

And this is the IT degree, Network Administration Concentration

Microcomputer Application Software
Intro. to Information Technology
Microcomputer Hardware
Database Applications
Operating Systems
Networking Essentials
Accounting I
Visual Basic Programming
Windows NT Workstation (or) Windows 2000 Professional Administration
Systems Analysis
Windows NT Server Administration (or) Windows 2000 Server Administration
Network Management for Windows
IT Cooperative Work Experience (or) Business elective


My goal is to someday become an network admin, engineer, something along the line of that. I dont have plans to become a programmer or a software developer...but you never know. I have tried learning programming a few times, and I always never got past the basics, mostly because of boredom, or some other reason.

Do you think the Network Administraton degree would limit me in anyway? I understand experience gets the job, not degrees, but I have no professional experience to speak of, so I feel I need all the help I can get. (and I do plan on getting come certs eventually).
 
I'm somewhat in the same boat as you, although I have a *little* experience in support for this related to this nature. However, I was talking to one of my friends who has an associates degree in IT database stuff, and he is currently working for his BA in computer science. He had this to say about the two "fields" of IT.

He personally, is a programmer, he has been doing it for quite a few years, but its long and tedious work. However, when you have a complete product, even if its something super simple, it is absolutely wonderful. To know that you've *created* something, and something someone, somewhere will find useful. Despite that though, he says often times, programming taks so long, that by the time you are almost finished, or even just got started, funds are cut and you have to completely trash whatever youve been working on the past few months - as if it were nothing.

Now with Network administration, he says the reward is a lot faster, you can go into a place set up a network and have it all set up in a few days/weeks depending on the size. Also its a lot more hands-on then a lot of programming jobs. With networking, yooull probably also be dealing with security issues as well. Only thing is, that I hear a lot of networking people that don't work for a big company, are mainly contractors, and although one can make a lot of money that way, its not as secure of a job.

There you ahve it, tahts my impression of the whole situation, anyone care to expand on what I've said? or refute it? Because after I get my BA in Classics I think I'm gonna go into Networking...talk about a waste of 4 years ;P
 
well im going back to school for my BA in business management i have the computer background and certs so im not going back to school to learn that stuff over so with the computer background and business management under my belt hopefully ill be a more rounded person
 
For any computer related discipline, the ability to program at a basic level is a definite asset. For example, when deploying a large network, typically scripts are written for redundant tasks and common set ups as opposed to manually configuring all the different machines. Script writing falls under programming.
 
I'm graduating with my BS in CompSci in August, so I've been out interviewing for a while and just landed a damn good job. I can tell you that most engineering type positions are going to want you to have a BS in Computer Science or Engineering. Some places will accept an "equivalent amount of work experience", which I think is something like 6 to 8 years. It may be slightly less if you have an Associates.

I'd look at the Associates as a stepping stone. A lot of Universities will count many credits you took toward your Associates toward a BS degree. That's what I'd go for.

Unless you know someone, this is unfortunately how much of the job market appears to be working right now. They want you to have a BS, at least a 3.0 GPA, and preferably a cert in either Microsoft or Cisco with some experience to back it up.
 
Get a few certs like CCNA and work up to CCNP. Forget the rest of the classes. A 2 year degree will be out classed by certs at this point.... I'm not talking about A+ certs, I mean certs that require a little more effort to get.

I myself do have a 2 year degree in Networking.... I am working now, but I was picked to stay longer because of work ability. The rest of the temps were sent home for good. I have no certs... some of them did. Most of us didn't. One of the guys that got sent home had a Net+. So... my point being... knowing how to work and knowing materials in the book... two different worlds.

The hiring guy came in to visit today (we're contracted). He said certs don't mean as much as they used to (I knew this already), and he'd rather hire the guy who's been hands on all the time, than a guy who has certs. Though, he never said anything about a guy with both experience AND certs... and yes... a CCNP will land you a decent job. Even a CCNA depending where you search.

What I would do, get certified and find some work through career services in the school. Unless you really really plan on going to a 4 year school, a 2 year degree doesn't compare to bigger certs these days...

I've read on some forums that said basically that a 4 year degree is losing its value and more people are heading towards their masters or what not. Although this is highly debatable, and I did not say this myself. But.... I will tell you now... you'd save more time getting a CCNA to CCNP and be out of school sooner than spending time in all those classes, some, you probably won't even use the knowledge outside of the class.

If programming bores you, and if you didn't get far anyways, I would seriously just dump both programs, and just take a class for the certs, and find a job in the field asap. Fuck that coop bs. This is my quick and hasty input for you, but there's two advantages: 1) By taking only cert courses, you are saving time and money by not having to take other courses (tuition costs) 2) You'd probably have your cert sooner than 2 years. 3) Work, while you are taking class, because you'd have more time by not taking those other courses.

My school was just a 2 year school. Nothing I take pride in. The lab equipment was sub par. They had MS virutal PC loaded on the PC's, so we could do server to client labs, but everything was configured like shit. I don't know about your school's situation. Hey, it could be good. But like I said, this is my input, maybe sit in a class for a day and talk to the students and see whats up. Oh yeah... one more thing... its not what you know... its who you know... so talk.

If only I knew this shit 3 years ago :(
 
I originally started out majoring in Computer Science, but like many people I realized that it was way too time consuming for me. Nothing can possibly take more time than having to write and debug programs each week in your labs.

I decided to switch to Computer Information Systems, because (imo) it seems like the Comp Sci majors will be working for the CIS majors who went for more of the mix between computers, business administration, and networking.

As for the work experience, go around and try to atleast land a job volunteering in a computer related field. That is what wound up helping me the most--unfortunately the main thing Ive found in getting a job is that it's who you know, not exactly what you know.

I volunteered when I was 16 and worked in a computer repair shop one summer. A year ago (I am now 22) I saw an ad in the paper for a network admin position wanting 5 years of experience. Even though I didn't really have any experience, nor a degree yet, I went ahead and applied. I wound up getting the job because the guy that hired me used to work for the guy I volunteered for.

The job I landed is nothing spectacular, just managing the network, and other computer related tasks for a company with about 200 employees. Thanks to this job though, I also picked up a second job doing service calls for computer repair.

So it seems to me that if youre starting out, just try to get some connections--volunteer and work for free if that's what it takes. It worked for me, I figure I'm now on a pretty good path being 22 and getting close to finishing up my BS in CIS and already having 1.5 years of job experience.

As for the certs, get them but don't only rely on them when you try to get a job. School does matter, and having a BS is very important imo. Although it is time consuming, it shows potential employers that you are serious and mature enough to accomplish what you want.

So I'd say, go to your community college and take whatever courses can transfer over to a real university. While you're doing that try and either get a computer related job or volunteer. Once you start getting experienced enough, you can just work on certs when you get the chance. I'm gonna take my A+ and Net+ this summer, and plan on going for MSCE next summer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top