|
|
|
| I found the following at http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot...7.shtml?tid=146 and thought it might be of interest.
"I'm a Senior in High School right now and I'm graduating soon (hopefully!) and I was wondering what the hell I should do? My teachers are all telling me I should go to college, but they don't know much about computers so they automatically assume that I wan't to be a programmer or an engineer. I want to be neither, in fact, I want to become a System Administrator. Is college really the best option?
The responses from Slashdot readers are fascinating. | |
| secondskin 2002-05-16, 6:42 pm |
| That is one of the best threads I have ever read.
Cheers | |
|
|
| kappagamma698 2002-05-17, 12:04 am |
| Great question I think all of us dealt with that one for a while. Myself I went to college for a BS degree in CIS and CS and only wnet for 2 years and then went and got a job. I am only starting out myself so I can not tell you if in the long run I would be better off with the degree. But think about this if you have 4yrs of experience in the field would you rather have that person over your network or someone fresh out of college that has been behind books for 4yrs and maybe had one or two summers of internship reseting passwords and getting coffee. Well I think the best was is to do both, that is what I am going to do. The company I work for pays for college classes so I am going to work and go back to school parttime and get the experience and the education and I think that is the best combo but that is just MHO.  | |
|
| If I got the chance to do it over 100 times - I would always pick college for one reason...It's FUN!!!
You have the rest of your life to work but you are young once and that is the best time for the college environment. And if you can live on campus - do it, cuz that's where the best parties are. | |
|
| College is for long term personal knowledge and higher education goals.
U will learn and meet more people. Your last chance to correct your error before u hire the real world.
If u know the right people, college is a good connection for future | |
| exar07 2002-05-18, 2:23 pm |
| I strongly say "go to college while you are young!". Many IT people like myself are missing out on BIG $$$ jobs because I dont have a Degree. I am trying to go to college but it is hard-Married with kids.
Another big reason is that you will always have WORK, but you will not always have time for COLLEGE.
I have a younger friend that ask me that same question and I told him to go to college and find a part-time computer job.
He now has 1 yr left in college and 3 yrs of experience!!!!
EXPERIENCE + college = BIG DOLLARS! | |
| darthw 2002-05-19, 12:00 pm |
| Go to college. It can only help. If one is young, fresh out of highschool, this will be the best opportunity to start it and finish it. At the very least college will give you some foundational knowlege and skills, and an additional feather in your cap.
To some employers certs may matter more, to others college may matter more, and to some experience may be the be all end all. I think it is best to leverage oneself with all three when possible.
I don't know that college has gotten me "the big bucks", however without a doubt the experience has put me "ahead of the curve" in many situations. | |
| chodan 2002-05-19, 4:13 pm |
| I don`t have time for college and am glad I decided not to go that route at this stage in my life.
I am getting the type of experience that is unavailable in college, with live lan/wan IT environments.
I am even in line for an IT management position down the road.
As for "soft skills" I was a barber for 17 years, there is no better training for soft skills than that hehe.
I have been thouroughly un-impressed by the CIS college grads I`ve met.
The seem to know MS Office well but very little else, and when it comes to turning out networking proffesionals, well I`ve yet to see one with a 4 year degree that could stack up to a motivated non degreed person with 18 months of real world expierience.
As exar07 said "go to college while you are young" that is good advice, but if you are over 30 get some certs instead and get your foot in the door and get some expierience
Other wise you`ll be 4 years behind the curve.
Unless of course you feel you can learn it no other way than by going to college. | |
|
| half the IT industry responded to that thread on slashdot | |
| RagingDemon 2002-05-21, 9:47 pm |
| I am currently going to a tech college. I'll have a diploma in IT(Network Engineering)..That's what it's called.
Anyway I was thinking of getting a full time help desk job and going to uni part time. What do you guys think of that?
Basically I'll get credit at the Uni I go to for having aquired the diploma at tech college.(one years worth of credit out of a three year degree)
Degrees here in Australia(in IT) are generally 3 years for full time students and 6 years for part time.
So, basically I think I could get a help desk job at the end of this year with a diploma in IT but should I do that and do University part time, or should I just go to Uni Full time and finish the degree in 2 years as opposed to doing 4 years part time at Uni plus full time work???
What would you do if you were in my shoes????? | |
| sfled 2002-05-21, 11:04 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by RagingDemon
I am currently going to a tech college. I'll have a diploma in IT(Network Engineering)..That's what it's called.
should I just go to Uni Full time and finish the degree in 2 years as opposed to doing 4 years part time at Uni plus full time work???
What would you do if you were in my shoes?????
If you can afford it get the degree quickly. If the economy is slow there (as it is here), then school is a good place to be now. When it heats up again you'll have your papers plus whatever experience you'll get from the varied internships and projects you'll be working on.
I went back to school in my thirties, got the "worthless" piece of paper, and three months after graduation was making nearly twice as much as before. With pretty much the same experience.
Good luck. | |
| darthw 2002-05-22, 12:19 am |
| I've heard the same crap about "worthless college", usually from fellow techs, all non-degreed. Then when I began earning certifications I got to hear how worthless seeking certification is from the same techs who finished A+ 5 years before and stopped. Interestingly enough, without exception, of the first twelve techs with whom I worked when I began in IT four years ago, all but one are still in the same "entry-level" position (the one at least stayed motivated to continue certifying). However, after I gained a couple years experience, in addition to degrees and certifications, doors to much higher pay and advanced opportunities opened for me. I have seen an increase in pay of over 30% in the last two years due to my education. As I take advantage of the advanced experience I'm getting in my current job, I expect to have more opportunities in the coming years. | |
|
| Not need to be full time college student, but you will be surprise what you learn in college that can easy apply to your job. While you have to take a different way to learn while you were young and un-educated with the adv degree.
If u just over 30 something, you are still in the young generation. I saw a old man in the middle seventy still going to college their first B.S. He fought with the WWII and then.... u know the rest of the story. Now, think about it.
Never stop learning. U never know that you might be a Ph.D before you RIP. | |
| chodan 2002-05-24, 7:16 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by darthw
I've heard the same crap about "worthless college", usually from fellow techs, all non-degreed. Then when I began earning certifications I got to hear how worthless seeking certification is from the same techs who finished A+ 5 years before and stopped. Interestingly enough, without exception, of the first twelve techs with whom I worked when I began in IT four years ago, all but one are still in the same "entry-level" position (the one at least stayed motivated to continue certifying). However, after I gained a couple years experience, in addition to degrees and certifications, doors to much higher pay and advanced opportunities opened for me. I have seen an increase in pay of over 30% in the last two years due to my education. As I take advantage of the advanced experience I'm getting in my current job, I expect to have more opportunities in the coming years.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
If we stay motivated, work hard and study hard good things will happen in our careers.
You get out of this deal what you put into it. | |
| ChrisDfer 2002-05-25, 11:24 am |
| Hmmm, I am doing a little of everything. I work full time and goto college full time and then on the weekends and in my little in between breaks I have during the week I studying for certifications(have network+ test next week) I am hoping to get some sort of IT work experince but the job market is not the best so I dont know what the chances of that are. So I am hoping in about 14months when I graduate I will have some work experince in IT, some certifications and a college degree. And if I am lucky hopfully the job market will pick up by then and I begin serving coffee to all the best system admins and network engineers in the IT industry. | |
| darthw 2002-05-26, 8:58 pm |
| ChrisDfer,
I like mine with two packs of Sweet-n-Low, and a lot of cream! And if you have a chance grab me one of those fancy cinnamon rolls off of the pastry bar on the way back to my table.
Actually, I think things are slowly picking up. I am seeing more and more opps in the paper and through word of mouth. Not seeing a lot on the Internet job sites necessarily though. In fourteen months I think there will be definite improvement. |
|
|
|