What about discrete math? Automata theory? Advance algorithm? Quantum computing? I don't know about you, but the big O notation is pretty abstract to every non-CS majors I tried to explain to.
My one piece of advice for you is go open source. Learn the Unix / Linux systems front and back. I think the future of business is going towards it and it will only help then out once you learn everything about it. Just pick up a book, a cheap computer, download the ISOS and go to town. Most likely, if you go windows, you will have to start out with help desk calls, then move on from there. Like everyone said, the IT business is not like others. It is constantly growing and evolving, so you have to keep constantly learning and evolving with it. It is not for everyone, but if you work at it and truly enjoy it, then you will be successful, as long as you keep learning.
EE at UH only does Numerical analysis, and eng math which is ODE's and PDE's Numerical analysis is not what I would strictly call high level abstract math. Most of the algorithm are taught in applied classes so there really isn;t much theory.
EE and CS is completely different. EE is mostly applied physics, where CS is more theoretical math. 4 years of CS classes means you will get computational complexity theory, number theory, graph theory, and computer language theory beat down your throat.
For CE at UH I still see only discrete math, Eng Math, and Stats required. Number theory is not in the field of Abstract math. And like I said before most of this stuff (on an undergraduate level) will just be brushed over generally in the application of it.
That's probably true in UH. But I know for the CS courses in UT system, everything after the sophomore year will have nothing to do with real world applications. All of the upper level CS class are pretty much pure math. I haven't did anything practical in school for a while now
Nope. I haven't coded for a school project in more than a year. That's a major misconception people make. I have seen some brilliant coders who are pretty sh!tty CS student (myself included to some degree) and vise versa. It's a shame because most companies would hire CS student over SE or MIS because they think CS majors are better at coding. But that's not always the case. For people who wants to do coding at school, Software Engineering is a better major.
Its not a misconception its what I have seen with my own eyes. MY friend has 5 courses left before getting a CS BS and the courses all have huge coding projects.
I can't even begin to thank all of you are are offering helpful advice, I've read it all. I've been checking out my community colleges aas degrees, would that be a good way to go?? these are the ones they offer that sound intriguing, I know it's frowned upon and laughed at from one's who get theirs through a university. I can only play the cards dealt to me. 1. AAS Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunication - MCSA 2. AAS - Oracle Database Administration Specialization 3. AAS Computer And Information Sciences - PC Support Specialization 4 .AAS Computer And Information Sciences - UNIX Specialization If I got one of these is it really possible to progress and get a job when I finish? If I could, which would be best recommended?
Go for something in the healthcare industry like a radiology technician, X-ray techs, medical technician or similar. Often times you don't even need a undergraduate degree to get into the training program. The technician training program is about 2 years, and you will make about 60K. It is very stable job, and high in demand. http://www.techniciansalaries.com/profession/
Buy some cheap PC's and set up a home network and start playing and learning. You can download oracle, linux, and windows server 90 day eval all for free. You can also buy some used IT books to get a better idea of what field you want to go in. You really don't have to decide any time soon.
I guess different school do it different ways. But most of school I know have something similar to UT. That includes top CS schools like Standford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and Barkley.
I still suggest you take the Oracle route. Database is hot right now, and it's going to be hot for years to come. A good Oracle certificate pretty much guarantee you a high paying job. But it's not going to be easy, or else everyone would have it by now. But since you said you are highly motivated, and have a good work ethic, then you should be able to tackle it. If database isn't your thing, then maybe look into networks. You will then have to take the Cisco certification exams, which is equally hard if not harder. And the bad thing about network is that you have to have a good network lab to be able to practices it. And I don't know if community college will have those type of equipments for you to play around with (we are talking about routers that cost couple hundred thousands dollars). Both of those certification will require you to have some fundamental knowledge about computers. For database you need to know about data structures, basic algorithm that the database uses, and some basic level of programming knowledge. For network you have to know how different network layers work, different protocols, and again some basic programming language. I don't know if community college's course will cover those or not, but if they don't then you will have to learn them on your own in order to pass the certification exams. The reason I stress certifications is because after you graduate, you will have to compete against people like me whom went to 4 years of university for a CS degree. The only chance you will have is the certificates, they will put you above everyone else. Before you makes your decision, go to Dice.com and take a look at different types of jobs that involves those 2 area. It might help you with your decision. Again, it's not going to be easy. But nothing in life that's worth having comes easily. So work hard, and you will have your success. Good luck!
I would go with either #1 or #3 if you're 'good with computers'. MCSA is a pretty good certification- it requires four MS tests. I have it and always get asked about it, so there's some interest there. Jumping into databases may not be the best track for you. You could do #4 as well, but it's more specialized and requires lots of command line memorization, not to mention that you aren't going to find an-entry level UNIX job, which is mostly server stuff, and will end up working mostly with Windows until you have more experience. Also, I wanted to add that you should stay away from the 'technical' schools like ITT Tech. They offer a real education, but you pay a ton of money for the same credits you can get at JuCo. On my first IT job I worked with some of these guys, and most of them didn't know some basic IT stuff like what a WAN was. Most of them didn't even stay in IT after that job.
MCSA and Unix both are good field with plenty of jobs. But I just think Oracle and Cisco just have more upside and lots of pay potential. A certificate in either of those areas will get you a relatively high paying job right out of school. I guess it really comes down to what he enjoys doing and how hard he's willing to work for it. And BTW, there are plenty of entry level Unix jobs out there. Like you said, many companies are moving towards the open source route because it's more flexible than the solutions Microsoft can provide. So the job demand is high right now, and it's not hard to find an entry level Unix job. But most of those jobs require you to have some kind of C++ or Perl programming experiences. I just finished my own job search, so I have some research done if anyone needs them. I will be doing .NET for my first job. Planning to move toward Oracle and project management after couple years.
Don't overlook degrees like Computer Information Systems (CIS) either - they are more business based and I did a lot more programming that was close to the real world than some CS majors. (This was at DeVry) I'm 10 years in and doing .NET. I'm currently hunting down my next gig as a Senior Developer and the market is pretty good - I'm going through a couple interviews a week and turning down a couple more.
go with either #1 or #3 (#3 looks pretty general and might be easier to start with). Either of those will be a good starting point to get you in somewhere. Then get a job where you are still learning and grow/specialize from there. stay away from a dead end stagnant job even if it is a little more money
