college concerns

We have two primary CS degrees, one is straight CS with a ton of math and engineering physics classes added on, and one is a CS Applied degree with a bit less of that and a minor of your choice. I've recently decided to go the second route with a multi dicipline business minor, to make myself a bit more rounded.

I just started going to a regional university and jumped into CS. You'll figure out within 2 or 3 semesters whether CS is right for you, probably.

Just realize that CS is not going to be easy. You'll see the coursework of your liberal arts friends and probably get a little angry at how easy it all is. Just remember what your paychecks will look like compared to theirs in the future.

Staff at a college is THE most important thing. My profs are all AMAZING and makes it more than worth going to a second rate school. All but one or two have doctorates, and I have NEVER had a teacher's assistant teach a class. Also important is being part of the CS "community" at your school, as that will be your support network and you will likely be glad you have one.
 
so all you RIT folks,

do you know prof al biles?

his genjam project looks pretty cool, although still needing a little refinement.
 
Would it be much easier to start in CS and then transfer to something like IST, or vice versa?
 
nameless_centurian said:
so all you RIT folks,

do you know prof al biles?

his genjam project looks pretty cool, although still needing a little refinement.
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I know of Dr. Biles but I don't personally know him.

if anyone wants to look at the lab's i had to do this quarter you can check them out at www.cs.rit.edu/~cs2/schedule.php
 
The-One said:

Does that mean ITT-Tech sucks ?
What's wrong with ITT-Tech ?
And can I ask what are normal class hours for IT schools ?
Hours per week?

Thanks
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Tech schools like ITT Tech are shit.

SANS is good and famous.
 
itsmikey said:
Tech schools like ITT Tech are shit.

SANS is good and famous.
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i've never attended ITT Tech, but the fact that i've had 3 friends graduate from there and get well-paying jobs within a year of graduation speaks against your broad generalization.

because Kent State is not CMU, does that mean Kent State is a horrible school? by no means!
 
uB3rn00b3r said:
Would it be much easier to start in CS and then transfer to something like IST, or vice versa?
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Much easier than what alternative?
 
uB3rn00b3r said:
Would it be much easier to start in CS and then transfer to something like IST, or vice versa?
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if you're concern is "what will be easier" maybe you shouldn't even go to college.... sorry if i sound like a dick
 
RancidWAnnaRIot said:
if you're concern is "what will be easier" maybe you shouldn't even go to college.... sorry if i sound like a dick
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I believe he is trying to figure out which degree is easier to get accepted under, and then transfer to the harder one after he has been accepted. (Very common practice for getting into a reach school)
 
Xenarchy said:
I believe he is trying to figure out which degree is easier to get accepted under, and then transfer to the harder one after he has been accepted. (Very common practice for getting into a reach school)
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HOTEL MANAGEMENT
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Yes, Really
 
I'm graduating with degrees in CS and math in the spring. CS is a more difficult degree than something like IST at most schools. You would be better off starting in CS and then moving to IST if you want more business and less intensive programming. People moving from CS to IT at my school is very common, I don't think I've ever seen someone move from IT to CS.

A CS undergrad degree with a MBA would be = big money, much more than IST I would think.
 
If you don't know the difference between CS and IT, then just pick a different major. You are already to weak for the Job market and will probably be denied.

Like my roommate who wants to be a doctor and doesn't know a thing about medicine, I'm a computer engineering student and I know 200x more about medicine than him. I help him with his BIo ,chem and other bio medical classes. Kinda strange he didnt know what constipation was, didn't know what it meant to vomit, shit didn't even know what the flu was.

Technical majors require some decent knowledge coming in and to get threw you really need to know your shit and pick up extra stuff along the way. You are a member of Hard ocp and that means you must like computers, I guess. But you need to think of it in a way that says. What will make me beat the next guy, like me. Ya know I have multiple certs(much more than listed below), many years of experience and am a developing member on Free BSD, as well as a Computer/Electrical Engineering major. I also have around 6 projects on source forge that I am working on. Computing is quite vicious, just know what you are getting into and be prepared to work.


If you want to do IT work then you really need to work, because companies only want the best. I do suggest a degree in CS as well as a MBA.
 
just my 2 cents

i went to penn state, its not a bad school but i transferred to Pitt to save money by living at home, started in CS, had trouble with calc and could not get a good calc professor to save my life, switched to IS, didn't care much for the curriculum because, as a matter of opinion, i feel that while SOME theory is ok, after a while i stop caring and would rather see practical application, finally left tech all together and went to a double major in history and english literature.

Now i go to ITT with the intention of game design. Game design is why i wanted to go into CS in the first place, it's really the only job i would want to do other than music or animation. i don't see peoples beef with ITT, though i guess it depends on the school and the chosen major, something like their network program as opposed to a telecom at a uni, yeah i hear you (though i really want to know why a school can't just do both practical app and theory well instead of one or the other), but with my ITT experience of Multimedia and now game design, its more a matter of what my portfolio looks like as opposed to the sheet of paper i have

and i can chime in to what an earlier poster said, i knew 2 friends who went to ITT and are doing great right out of school.

but to go to OP, PSU is a fine campus if you have the money, and screw the college experience, i hate parties, rude people, bad financial aid dept's, excessive drinkers, and cramped dormrooms that involve living with other people. some people like that stuff, but since i usually had my nose in a book or in a game...that part wasn't so hot

good luck with college, i may actually be back at psu next year for grad school :)
 
Xenarchy said:
I believe he is trying to figure out which degree is easier to get accepted under, and then transfer to the harder one after he has been accepted. (Very common practice for getting into a reach school)
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that doesn't make sense to me...

My university doesn't accept based on degree you say you'r gonna major in.. that's jsut retarded...

you normally just et accepted into the University period.. then you pick a major after yo're in... :confused:
 
RancidWAnnaRIot said:
that doesn't make sense to me...

My university doesn't accept based on degree you say you'r gonna major in.. that's jsut retarded...

you normally just et accepted into the University period.. then you pick a major after yo're in... :confused:
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Lots of schools make you apply to a certain "school", for instance the school of engineering, behavioral science, etc. I had to do this and I go to a public state school. It isn't retarded, different departments have different requirements and standards that need to be met in order to be a part of them.
 
thabub said:
Lots of schools make you apply to a certain "school", for instance the school of engineering, behavioral science, etc. I had to do this and I go to a public state school. It isn't retarded, different departments have different requirements and standards that need to be met in order to be a part of them.
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I find that dumb because then peopel wil ljust apply to soe easy department.. and transfer ovre to something harder.. i dont know.. that just sounds retarded to me...

i guess it's a loophole peopel can take advantage of...

my university.. you apply to the university.. you don't apply to a department untill you take the basic classes the department requires.. so if it's engineering.. you have to take your physics.. chem.. calc.. and pass all of them with a C+ or better. then you're allowed to major in engineering...

I guess it doesn't matter
 
RancidWAnnaRIot said:
I find that dumb because then peopel wil ljust apply to soe easy department.. and transfer ovre to something harder.. i dont know.. that just sounds retarded to me...

i guess it's a loophole peopel can take advantage of...

my university.. you apply to the university.. you don't apply to a department untill you take the basic classes the department requires.. so if it's engineering.. you have to take your physics.. chem.. calc.. and pass all of them with a C+ or better. then you're allowed to major in engineering...

I guess it doesn't matter
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I see what you are saying, doesn't really matter but my school doesn't have as big of a loophole with people transferring because when you change majors you have to basically apply to the school you want to go into, and each one has specific requirements for accepting internal people, usually just GPA based. We do a similar thing here with people having to take all the basic classes first. For example, you have to start off as a general engineering major, then once you complete all of your general engineering/calc/physics/english/etc, you can change to whatever discipline of engineering you choose. Same thing with business majors, you have to do a pre business curriculum before you can choose what specific major you want to do. This is at Clemson btw.
 
thabub said:
I see what you are saying, doesn't really matter but my school doesn't have as big of a loophole with people transferring because when you change majors you have to basically apply to the school you want to go into, and each one has specific requirements for accepting internal people, usually just GPA based. We do a similar thing here with people having to take all the basic classes first. For example, you have to start off as a general engineering major, then once you complete all of your general engineering/calc/physics/english/etc, you can change to whatever discipline of engineering you choose. Same thing with business majors, you have to do a pre business curriculum before you can choose what specific major you want to do. This is at Clemson btw.
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Well the thing is this. Lets say your high school didn't challenge you so you were an under achiever and slacked off. You suddenly can't get into the college you want to get into because you were a slacker.

You get into that school on a less demanding degree, take core courses, pull As and get to know all the people in the school you want to apply to. Suddenly a year later you can switch w/o any issues because all of the faculty know you AND your grades show that you can do the work.

It isn't a loophole it is more of a "second chance" of sorts. :)

College is like real life. Its about who knows you. The more people that know who you are the better they will accept your actions. Provided of course you have a good reputation.
 
Xenarchy said:
Well the thing is this. Lets say your high school didn't challenge you so you were an under achiever and slacked off. You suddenly can't get into the college you want to get into because you were a slacker.

You get into that school on a less demanding degree, take core courses, pull As and get to know all the people in the school you want to apply to. Suddenly a year later you can switch w/o any issues because all of the faculty know you AND your grades show that you can do the work.

It isn't a loophole it is more of a "second chance" of sorts. :)

College is like real life. Its about who knows you. The more people that know who you are the better they will accept your actions. Provided of course you have a good reputation.
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Not exactly how it works, you can't just get into the college without having the right credentials. There is no slacker major that has relaxed standards of admission. When you apply to the school you pick a major and are accepted into that major's department. Some departments have higher standards than others. The school has baselines(high school GPA, SAT, etc) just like any other big university, but some majors are more demanding requirements wise and have limited vacancy. Rancid hit the nail on the head with the community college thing.
 
thabub said:
Not exactly how it works, you can't just get into the college without having the right credentials. There is no slacker major that has relaxed standards of admission. When you apply to the school you pick a major and are accepted into that major's department. Some departments have higher standards than others. The school has baselines(high school GPA, SAT, etc) just like any other big university, but some majors are more demanding requirements wise and have limited vacancy. Rancid hit the nail on the head with the community college thing.
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Well not for a Tier 1 school like Cal Tech, MIT, etc..

But for Middle ground schools like RPI, RIT, and Clarkson the method I outlined does work.

I should clarify. By slacker I mean High C student. Obviously if you gave up all together in high school, perhaps education isn't quite your thing.
 
Ok, I go to ITT Tech. I'm on my 7th 11-week semester (out of 8) for my AS in ITCNS (Computer Networking). I have a 3.4 GPA, so I don't think I fall into the "shitty student" category. :p
To add, I have attended 2 different campuses (Miami, FL and Lake Mary/Orlando, FL)

I am not going to say it's a good school, because SURELY it is not. I'm not going to say it's shitty either. I've had some ridiculous stuff happen at the school... but then I have learned quite a bit as well. I do however, not recommend it based on what I've went through so far.

Here are my basic hates of ITT Technical Institue:

1. Some teachers at ITT teach more than 1 type of class (One teacher teaches 3+ DIFFERENT classes, not 3 of the same class, 3 different subjects.) That being said, that sounds bad by itself if you ask me.

2. Some teachers have no experience what so ever in how to teach the subject they were givin to teach. I had one teacher who was teaching my "
Introduction to Computer Programming" and "Intermediate Programming" who had no idea how to even use Visual Basic. The teacher taught me absolutely nothing, I learned everything myself.

3. The times for classes. For the past few semesters, I've gotten Friday night classes which I could not change. Last semester really blew, I had Friday night 6pm-10pm, then Saturday morning class @ 8am. I have a 30 minute drive to school one-way, so this really sucks. I actually got an email from an old classmate up north (at the Orlando campus) who is so fed up with the class times. He said he asked the Dean who decides the class times. The dean pointed him to an administrator. When he went to that administrator, they directed him back to the Dean. They obviously are full of shit and/or don't know what they are doing.

4. Financial aid. For me.. such a pain in the ass. Make sure you don't just go signing papers away without learning what you're signing for! I had trouble with my loan because I moved to the Miami campus and they had to transfer my paperwork to the new campus. It took them a whole semester (11 weeks) to fix my paperwork. Meanwhile, I could not get my books for the 3 classes I had that semester because of this. I had to borrow books, blahblahblah. By the time they got done with the paperwork, the semester was over (11 weeks). So I go to the book lady this semester to get my new set of books. I ask her, "Hey, I never got the books from last semester because my paperwork was messed up but now it's fixed." ... you would think I would get my books? No, declined instantly. She says they take "inventory" after each semester and she can't give me last semesters books. WELL WTF! WOULDN'T YOU BE +1 for each book in your inventory because I never recieved MY books?! I still haven't recieved the books I AM PAYING FOR!!! Total bullshit!

5. Not as much "hands-on" hardware experience as they seemed to boast. I figured we would at least build a computer, so people who have no experience could learn. But no, we never once went over the inside of a computer. We did read a lot about it in a book, though.
rolleyes.gif
I like "hands-on" stuff because I feel it's the best way to learn new things... by doing them!

They have racks pretty much in every room. Not once have I been taught anything about them. The only time I've seen them in use is when a teachers points out it is a rack.... that's it. :|

One good thing I did expect to learn, was how to make LAN cables (Basic, and cross-over).

They should make a few labs where you setup a basic network from scratch... at LEAST!

6. Some teachers give the same grades to EVERY PERSON. I've had 2 different teachers at both campuses give EVERYONE the same grade. For example, I FOR SURE should of got an A in one of my last semester classes. Everyone I talked to got a B+ (sorry the odds are way out there, this could not happen!) on their report. This really pissed me off as I am trying to get a 3.0 minimum when I graduate.

7. Not a whole lot of chics, but that's besides the point. The sausage to taco ratio is probably 1:10, if you care. If you are going to college to get laid and party A LOT, this is not the school for that. There's a few hot girls at my campus, but again, I am in Miami. :D


----------

I have made a lot of friends, and learned quite a bit though. The classes are usually fun and not too serious, which is awesome I think. Once in a while, you will probably get a really boring teacher, but 11 weeks go by fast.

While I do not highly recommend going to ITT Technical, I think you should do a ton of research before choosing a place to get a degree. When you go to check out the school, the rep feeds you tons of bullshit when you walk around, do not listen to these douchebags.

Hope this helps anyone... good luck.




 
I go to UCF, I'm such a major whore...

I started out in Electrical Engineering, then dropped to electrical engineering technology, then to information technology, and next week i'm switching into information systems technology.

Reasoning:
EE was too much math, calc 3? chem 2. physics 3? fuck that.
EET was too much math aswell, calc 2? No way jose.
IT is too much applications/software, i HATE programming.
Hopefully IST will be a nice hardware-ish based major, we will see.

I have a 2.55GPA (woot), but i also am on the rugby team, and am in a fraternity- so that doesnt help my gpa :D
 
I will try to realistic here as I am just starting to look for internships. I have had 4 interviews with no offers at the moment. I attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in MIS and I am currently a junior. I have had around 6 credit hours (2 classes) of core MIS classes (1 intro and 1 VB.NET) and 2 classes of CS (C basic, intro). Here is my observations:

1. A university program like UNL, Penn State what ever strikes a resemblence to an interviewer if he has hired many employees from that institute or is alumni. Bottom line: you are not going to get hired for attending Penn State over ITT.

2. Alot of university say that they have an IT degree, but really you are majoring in business. At my university you receive a degree in management but you take MIS classes, so there is no such MIS degree, just the classes are cross listed in a seperate MIS department.

3. Some CS programs are different. What I mean is some combine their program with engineering, some are seperate. If they are combined plan on taking engineering classes required by the college.

4. The math is all the same to me. Hard as hell Calc. 1-3 etc. I could not stand the math and logic. I went insane, partly because I suck at math (it is true) so I went MIS.

5. Do not expect to get a job in IT or MIS coming out of college that DOES NOT focus on some sort of database/object oriented language design. For this very reason it is hard to compete with CS majors that have more course work.

6. If you are thinking about going MIS/IT looking into the programming and database design course work. If you can gain experience it is easy to quanitify and compete for jobs in the IT field.

7. Last but not least, go into college and feel like you can do anything. These are probably the best years of your life because of no worries. Also do not go into college with the mindset of getting laid much. Maybe it happens where you guys live but here at our university sex studies estimate that 60 percent of college students have reported not having sex in the last year.

Personally I am going to graduate next spring, work in HR or maybe if I am lucky IT right away, but I feel I may have to take a lower salary to do it, so I am probably going to work towards some certifications with my time at community colleges or there is a possibiliy I could go back in double major.
 
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