Studying IT

[RockiLocky]

Hey guys,

 

so I want to study IT in 2years after I finished my military next year. I wanted to ask if any in this community did study IT and where. Also I would like to know which sub section you studied, because it goes from 3DGame development to just coding. Another thing what was your experience and how did you like it

 

 

Hope you guys can help me out abit for my choices. Right now I am looking forward to go to sweden and attend the university in Stockholm, because it sounds cool and I could learn a new language.

 

Nice Greets,

Rocki

[KÎD.NZXT]

Well, I am actually in IT right now, and for the most part, the first thing you want to achieve is the Comptia A+ certificate, it covers general knowledge and troubleshooting for both software and hardware. If you really pay attention and study about 30 minutes a day or so, or even watch professor messer on youtube or his website. You will gain much knowledge and fly right by with ease, it can be boring at times, but if you take a class for it, it really is fun at times with the hands on parts. I personally want to become a systems admin for Linux, so basically a Linux Administrator, that will deal with networking and a mix of hardware and software related situations. It won't be hardcore software developing, but easier things such as commands like msconfig and short phrases, all this stuff is pretty practicable. But to become a Linux Administrator, I need acouple other certificates and these training programs for the certificates, most of the time, don't even last a full two semesters. BTW I am doing this class, hardware and software aka the comptia thing, in my current grade, which is 9th. I'm not sure if you are satisfied with my answer, but this has been my progress so far.

[Samfisher]

Hey guys,

 

so I want to study IT in 2years after I finished my military next year. I wanted to ask if any in this community did study IT and where. Also I would like to know which sub section you studied, because it goes from 3DGame development to just coding. Another thing what was your experience and how did you like it

 

 

Hope you guys can help me out abit for my choices. Right now I am looking forward to go to sweden and attend the university in Stockholm, because it sounds cool and I could learn a new language.

 

Nice Greets,

Rocki

It depends how deep you want to go, and any specific paths you want to follow.  Systems?  Networking? Programming? *nix? Windows?  Skip the game dev courses, most aren't well rounded enough to be employable when you graduate.  Really depends on your interests before we can give any recommendation

[RockiLocky]

It depends how deep you want to go, and any specific paths you want to follow.  Systems?  Networking? Programming? *nix? Windows?  Skip the game dev courses, most aren't well rounded enough to be employable when you graduate.  Really depends on your interests before we can give any recommendation

 

Well what I want to become is mainly a programmer and a dream would be game devoloper in the direction of programming and scripting not animations and artwork because thats the stuff I suck at

[RockiLocky]

Well, I am actually in IT right now, and for the most part, the first thing you want to achieve is the Comptia A+ certificate, it covers general knowledge and troubleshooting for both software and hardware. If you really pay attention and study about 30 minutes a day or so, or even watch professor messer on youtube or his website. You will gain much knowledge and fly right by with ease, it can be boring at times, but if you take a class for it, it really is fun at times with the hands on parts. I personally want to become a systems admin for Linux, so basically a Linux Administrator, that will deal with networking and a mix of hardware and software related situations. It won't be hardcore software developing, but easier things such as commands like msconfig and short phrases, all this stuff is pretty practicable. But to become a Linux Administrator, I need acouple other certificates and these training programs for the certificates, most of the time, don't even last a full two semesters. BTW I am doing this class, hardware and software aka the comptia thing, in my current grade, which is 9th. I'm not sure if you are satisfied with my answer, but this has been my progress so far.

 

Thank you for the detailed approach on your side. So my question is did you go to university. If yes which one and how were your experience with the university itself?

 

Would be nice if you can help me out here abit

[RockiLocky]

Anybody else got some experience in this direction or do you know somebody?

 

@Nuluvius maybe anything to add or say?

[KirbyTech]

Depends on what you want to do in it. I am getting all of my certs for a oracle dba in the coming few months I have been studying for the past 6 months or so for them all. I will be doing 2 years of collage but that is not to learn anything but more for networking and to meet more people my age as for many reasons I have stopped talking to all in my age range for the past 3 years. 

[Sic0tiC]

Hey dude I'm 2/3 years through an IT degree here in little New Zealand. My degree is extremely general, we have covered pretty much every single area of IT, none of it really in depth though. I like it because going into the degree I had no idea what I wanted to specialize in.

Job opportunities are legit, I've had two really decent IT companies approach me already trying to get me to work for them, and I still have a year of study to go Awesome field to be in.

[Pattielipp]

I have been working in IT for about 8 years now. I work in enterprise grade environments administering multi million and billion dollar data centers. My current job title is Network/Systems security engineer and I currently manage the network and systems on a development contract. I deal with developers on a daily basis.

My background is different from most others and what I have to say will be drastically different than others as well. I do not have a college degree and I had no formal education. I am self taught from years of playing and troubleshooting. There is a mindset that is needed to be successful in the IT world, one that most people don't have. Critical thinking and rational thought are the two largest factors and needed qualities to truly succeed. The next are the ability to adapt, cope and learn on the spot. I started playing with things in elementary school, pulling remote control cars apart and making Frankenstein creations out of them. That in and of its self taught me more than any school could have taught me. Throughout middle school and high school I did similar, only with laptops and desktops. Keeping old machines alive with different components and Linux distributions. I also taught my self how to root/modify my phones and even went as far as releasing my own ROM's. Similarlt, i took advantage of the various hacks for the playstation 3 and PSP systems. I taught it all to myself out of curiosity.

When I entered the IT field, it was because I was offered a position based off of my abilities to troubleshoot and think outside of the box along with my knowledge of windows, Linux and the hardware involved.

When I started working, I was met with things I had previously been ignorent about or hadn't even been aware of.

At that point, the position I had taken required two certifications, a Microsoft cert and a security based cert(Comptia Sec+). I purchased books for both certifications and began reading. Between reading and hands on experience I was able to take the Security+ test and passed it with almost a perfect score. The Microsoft test was a different story and I ended up leaving this job before actually passing the test. That position I managed backups using an application called Netbackup. We also backed up about 30TB(yes you read that correct.. terabytes) of information on a daily basis. My next position was what you would probably be introduced to. I build out desktop PC's and laptops and then managed the upkeep for the local government. This was a temporary position until I switched to an IT help desk handling calls from all over the world. After a few promotions and about 1.5years I ended up the lead of an accounts team managing the accounts of about 10,000 people through Active Directory(most accounts were for SharePoint or other domain based accounts on this particular enterprise network).

After that I took my current position which I've been with for two years. I do the most now that I ever have done. I manage backups, VMWare images, the network configurations(Cisco switches), security scanners(nessus), and many servers and laptops..

To put it all into perspective, I have taught myself over time. The best course of action is to get a basic understanding and education and then teach your self. I say this because in the IT world, things are always changing. If you went to school and earned a degree yesterday, tomorrow it'll already be outdated and someone with the experience and newest certification will be chosen over you.

[Pattielipp]

To better directly answer your question, start teaching your self different languages. I do not know any programmer than only knows a single language. C, C+, C++, C#, java, Ruby, python, html, SQL, basic, .net.... It goes on and on. I'd say just start playing and teaching your self. I dabble in Android development with java and xml using Android studio. I also work with a proprietary language called Simpl windows which is used to program Crestron devices. I have taught my self all of it.

Just go out and pick up a book on a language or two and start playing. Figure out which is easiest for you, and what you enjoy the most.

I enjoy dealing with hardware and tangable items so I prefer a Systems administration/network admin position. With those, its a similar entrance, start small and grow your knowledge over time.

[techguru]

sounds like you want computer software development

not computer it...computer IT is fixing and maintaining computers..and I advise against getting any kinda degree for that...theres no money in it....too many other people doing it

[Pattielipp]

sounds like you want computer software development

not computer it...computer IT is fixing and maintaining computers..and I advise against getting any kinda degree for that...theres no money in it....too many other people doing it

Incorrect... You are grouping the fixing computers into that of something found at best buy or office depot, let alone some mom and pop store. Doing this in an enterprise environment is completely different and there is VERY good money in it. A Systems administrator can easily make $75-$100k per year in the United states... Ask me how I know.

[Pattielipp]

Double post

[techguru]

Incorrect... You are grouping the fixing computers int that of something found at best buy or office depot, let alone some mom and pop store. Doing this in an enterprise environment is completely different and there is VERY good money in it. A Systems administrator can easily make $75-$100k per year in the United states.

thats a different field as well...and no most computer IT guys would barely make minium wage in most places..cause theres so many people doing it

[Pattielipp]

thats a different field as well...and no most computer IT guys would barely make minium wage in most places..cause theres so many people doing it

Again, you are grouping.. IT is Information technology. This is comprised of thousands of fields, many do not relate. Any truly technical position will make VERY good money. A "computer repair technician" is what you are probably thinking of. They are the person at the corner store fixing software issues in windows computers. There is no education required for this type of position, because it is rudimentary. However, a Junior systems administrator, which is still a very broad title, would have a base starting salary of about $40k in any major city in the US(again, ask me how I know).. You have this mentality that a job in IT is basic and that the field is flooded when it is not. Basic positions are flooded because everyone and their mother can install Windows and the drivers needed to make the computer function. Everyone can read set instructions for installing a video card or run a virus scanner to fix a computer. What they can't do is install a managed layer 2 or layer 3 switch, configuring subnets and VLANS, install Windows server on a $10k server and run DCPromo after installing the roles and features to make it a DHCP/DNS server, or setup daily and weekly backups to tape after configuring a tape library, or manage a SAN utilizing disc arrays and hardware backed raid arrays.... It goes on and on, so, no, the bulk majority of IT guys that are doing more than the "technician repair man" jobs, which are flooded because they take no skill, will be making substantially more than minimum wages.

Yours truly, a network/Systems security engineer making way more than minimum wage and doing way more than any random person is capable of doing.

[Marinatall_Ironside]

With IT I was also thinking about taking that via Lynda.com so I can become my own technician whenever I have a problem with my own computers. I could diagnose them on my own so when I start working at a game development company and I do have issues with my workstation at their office, I can potentially save them time and money because I would know how to fix my workstation computer on my own 'cause by then I would have enough IT background to be capable of doing that. I don't know, what do you guys think?

[techguru]

Again, you are grouping.. IT is Information technology. This is comprised of thousands of fields, many do not relate. Any truly technical position will make VERY good money. A "computer repair technician" is what you are probably thinking of. They are the person at the corner store fixing software issues in windows computers. There is no education required for this type of position, because it is rudimentary. However, a Junior systems administrator, which is still a very broad title, would have a base starting salary of about $40k in any major city in the US(again, ask me how I know).. You have this mentality that a job in IT is basic and that the field is flooded when it is not. Basic positions are flooded because everyone and their mother can install Windows and the drivers needed to make the computer function. Everyone can read set instructions for installing a video card or run a virus scanner to fix a computer. What they can't do is install a managed layer 2 or layer 3 switch, configuring subnets and VLANS, install Windows server on a $10k server and run DCPromo after installing the roles and features to make it a DHCP/DNS server, or setup daily and weekly backups to tape after configuring a tape library, or manage a SAN utilizing disc arrays and hardware backed raid arrays.... It goes on and on, so, no, the bulk majority of IT guys that are doing more than the "technician repair man" jobs, which are flooded because they take no skill, will be making substantially more than minimum wages.

Yours truly, a network/Systems security engineer making way more than minimum wage and doing way more than any random person is capable of doing.

I know computer IT means alot

but as most people use the term..is what im talking about

as for your thing

thats more systems network administrator..you will make more in that...but even here in canada...and most of the rest of the wold...its still not a very well paying job

I applied for a job like what you are talking about just 2 years ago at HP..and the job only payed about 16-17$ an hour

[Nuluvius]

@Nuluvius maybe anything to add or say?

 

You summoned me and I arrived  :lol:

 

Hey guys,

 

so I want to study IT in 2years after I finished my military next year. I wanted to ask if any in this community did study IT and where. Also I would like to know which sub section you studied, because it goes from 3DGame development to just coding.

 

My route into the Software industry was a rather unorthodox one. I came to education relatively late in life, this meant that I had to gain entry to the undergraduate degree system by way of an Access to higher education course targeted (in my case) for computing (specifically Access to Computing). At the time of their introduction the Access courses or specialized Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) were designed as a way to get adults back into education; they were offered at an extremely cheap fee to adults specifically and upon successful completion of one constituted the equivalent of several A levels therefore forming the base prerequisite for degree level entry.

 

Upon the completion of my Access course I then enrolled on a BSc Modular Computing Degree which, after the first year, I then chose to specialize to a BSc Software Engineering Degree. On the approach to the end of my second year I had the default option of taking an industrial placement but instead chose to forfeit it given my age and the fact that it would have extended the degree by an extra year, from three up to four years. Instead I went out and got myself a real job working in the industry part time while I completed the degree.

 

I had the option of many pathways such as AI, Software Engineering, Computer Science, General Computing and Game Development. My choice of Software Engineering was primarily based on where research had shown me to be the most lucrative sector of the industry in relation to my own specific circumstances; the forefront consideration of which being my age. In other words I chose the fastest path to the most money.

 

I would say that this decision making process may (and should) be very different for someone who is young given that they have time on their side. For instance, trying the things that seem the most fun and interesting first while there is still time for mistakes will likely yield a wealth of fantastic experience - make the most of it.

 

...what was your experience and how did you like it

 

I learned a great deal (obviously)... not just about technical skills but of equal importance, about myself. For example; I was formally diagnosed as being Dyslexic and Dyscalculic, I learned that I don't accept failure also what it felt like to be truly discriminated against as well as what it felt like to be respected; I turned a nemesis into a life long friend (one of the only friends I have ever had) and later lost them again... Indeed it was an interesting journey on the whole if not one that I am glad that I won't have to repeat again in this life.

 

Right now I am looking forward to go to sweden and attend the university in Stockholm, because it sounds cool and I could learn a new language.

 

At this point I would advise you to try your hardest to get into a Red Brick university because they are widely seen as far more impressive than the alternatives. They are often asked for on job advertisements for notable companies and lacking industry experience (which you will be initially), having a degree from a Red Brick will go a long way towards leveling the playing field so to speak.

 

Well what I want to become is mainly a programmer and a dream would be game devoloper in the direction of programming and scripting not animations and artwork because thats the stuff I suck at

 

It's good that you have a rough feel for the direction that you want to go in at this stage, many do not. You may find (as I did) that this will further solidify once you are progressing on your degree.

 

I won't presume to tell you which to choose, that's not my place nor why I am here. However what I can do is tell you as much as I know about each:

 

Game Development

Beyond my spare time I have done very little in a professional capacity here. From speaking with established game developers I understand that it is a very difficult arena to get oneself into, harder still to progress a career in once established. The pay varies widely and the work is often heavily mathematical and focused at lower level hardware interactions such as shader programming, frameworks such as OpenGL, OpenCL, WebGL, CUDA, DX11, DX12 and in languages such as C and C++ predominantly.

 

Moreover it's not uncommon to switch context a great deal and to see projects get scrapped on quick whims.

 

I'm only touching on it because, although I can dabble, I'm not a game developer and it's not my industry sector 

 

Software Engineering/Development

Now this is my industry sector and I can help a great deal here   Some of this may even be transitory between the two in any event...

 

Entry

I have been in the industry now for approximately 8 years. As I mentioned I started while at university, therefore I would say that at the time entry into the field was relatively easy. I'm not sure about what it's like these days however I have observed that the market currently seems rather saturated; everyone and their dog seems to now be into software... Therefore one might be led to speculate that the competition will be rife and times to avoid will be graduation periods. Remember that while you are on your degree those people around you are your direct competition! Treat them as such! Offer assistance where you feel you want to but be mindful about providing any information that you feel gives you an edge.

 

Job Security & Prospects

As for these... well once you have built a fair amount of experience they are both nothing short of excellent. One can easily and rapidly move between companies and types of employment i.e. contracting and permanent without much difficulty. Recruiters are practically falling over themselves to secure your custom (and their profit). As an example, right now I am currently working two jobs and I am being chased by head hunters/recruiters all the time.

 

Benefits

Again I would say excellent. Most companies treat their Software Engineers/Developers with great respect. You can enjoy flexible working i.e. choosing your own hours and where you work from - home or office. You can also look forward to private family medical cover, pension, generous holidays and a ton of other perks - because you are simply awesome and totally worth it to the business (in most cases).

 

In General

Terms such as 'coder' and 'programmer' are in my opinion bad. They are routinely used by outsiders and veterans alike to refer to some vastly different aspects of the field... in short they are ambiguous and ugly and should disappear, in my opinion.

 

Here's my take on roles within the Software industry starting at the lowest end of the spectrum or 'food chain' as you put it and working upwards:

 

Programmer

A grunt who follows orders to the letter. Think of this person as a mechanical component on a factory line. He/she takes in raw material in the form of instructions and outputs assembled components in the form of classes and even full features at the other end... They don't get paid for, much less posses the capacity for thought of design or consideration towards the bigger picture of the software development process. They (should) know how to write well structured, clean and efficient code but that is as far as it goes.

 

Software Developer

Same as the Programmer but they get involved in the planning, design and architectural decision making process. Often involved in discussions with product/project management and usually is a pivotal team member who will often coordinate and/or mentor less experienced developers. This person also usually has one or two areas of very specialist domain knowledge.

 

Computer Scientist

R&D guys; they get to play with all of the very cool toys and gadgets. They usually have very specialist and deep domain knowledge often including advanced mathematics/physics. They tend not to get involved in production work as they are usually kept focused on the most bleeding edge research; the products of which are then sent to the developers/engineers for production integration. Job security can be a little worrisome as work often comes about in bursts/spikes (the bigger the company, the better this is though).

 

Software Engineer

Includes all of the Software Developer's responsibilities and is often also responsible for being heavily involved in the bigger picture or wider scope of the software development process; the whole wider orchestration of the design and project. Often they are more involved in wider reaching and more pivotal decisions. These individuals usually have a wider array of skills and domain knowledge - multidisciplinary/generalists are good descriptions. It's a title that can be also be applied to developers who work closely with mechanical/robotic devices/equipment as this also requires a greater depth or breadth of field and understanding.

 

On Software Engineer vs Software Developer Titles

Something that I've experienced a lot over the years from place to place is the age old title dispute of Software Engineer vs Software Developer. This is irritating (to me) because at times one can be seen to be transitory between them. On the whole there's a great deal of debate saying that it doesn't really matter. I've even worked in places where it's seen as completely irrelevant. These places were however predominantly desktop development based or higher level software focused. In stark contrast to where I work for the time being, who argue that there is a distinct difference. They see a Software Developer as a developer who predominantly writes software for the higher levels. While the Software Engineer, they say, focuses on the lower levels/back-end. Indeed over the years my job title has changed quite a number of times between the two!

 

Junior, Mid, Senior and Principal titles

In that exact order. We start our careers usually as one of the main four roles that I have listed and will maintain one of these prefixes as we progress through career life (mid is (usually) inferred if no prefix is given with a role). They are quite self explanatory and should serve as a good indication of the pay grade modifier for that role.

 

In closing then, as I said it's important that you follow your gut instinct. You will know what you feel the most passionate about and what is right for you and I think that's the most important thing that one needs in order to rise high and be great. Learn to listen to and trust your feelings...

[LAwLz]

I keep hearing people say they will study "IT" at uni but I have never been able to get a clear answer what courses you actually take. From what I can tell, "IT" is a waste of time and money because it just teaches you basic stuff without going really deep into anything. Again, based on the unclear answers I have gotten it's 2 years spent educating you to become a Geek Squad employee, which is the computer equivalence of working at McDonald's.

 

Take like a 3 year computer science program or networking program instead. They seem infinitely more useful.

[Pattielipp]

I keep hearing people say they will study "IT" at uni but I have never been able to get a clear answer what courses you actually take. From what I can tell, "IT" is a waste of time and money because it just teaches you basic stuff without going really deep into anything. Again, based on the unclear answers I have gotten it's 2 years spent educating you to become a Geek Squad employee, which is the computer equivalence of working at McDonald's.

 

Take like a 3 year computer science program or networking program instead. They seem infinitely more useful.

to become someone that is educated enough to work at Geek Squad, you do not need any education. I know many people who have worked there with minimal experience or education. Most universities will offer specialized programs. The US and Canada, let alone Sweden(or any other european nation) will differ, however, Some of the programs offered in a local community college to me are broken down into multiple categories in the IT world. The first is Computer Science which encompasses programming. The second is Computer Information Systems which covers aspects required to be a Systems Administrator. The Third and final is Computer Engineering which is the fundamentals of micro controllers and the electrons associated within them and their design. 

You can't really ask the broad question of what program you should take without looking at what the actual university has to offer. This could be what really makes the decision of where you go.  Most programs will start out the same way with the basic courses as prerequisites that touch lightly on many subjects and ideas so that you can figure out what you want to truly do.

In the long run, any degree in an Information Technology field will be useful, and at least in the US, any IT degree could land you a Junior level job if you interview well and show you have the knowledge to do the work. 

 

A common trend I have begun to notice in government work is they would rather hire someone they can train from the ground up and has the potential and drive to exceed instead of someone with the abilities but are stuck in their ways or lack the critical thinking skills needed to succeed.

[RockiLocky]

@Sic0tiC @Pattielipp @techguru @LAwLz @JurunceNK

 

Thank you guys for all your input also for your little discussions they helped me to get a wider look at everything abit ;D

[RockiLocky]

-snip

 

Man you do not know how gratefull I am. You just made my life alit easier through your post. I have  a better understanding of the industry in some way and also got a look into the jobs more specificly you were adressing.

 

Another point I found for myself while reading is as follow:

 

I was thinking about all the jobs and experiences you wrote and came to the conclusion that I would like to be a developer who will be there at the start of the concept and also at the end of the product. I want to play a part a really big part in the programming, constructin and planning of the programm, because I want to have a impact. I also found out that I do not want to do anything specific meaning just programming some little apps. I want to learn about anything with subject being programming, because that is always something I wanted to learn since I gave up my dream job. This is kinda my new dream job.

 

If you do not mind I would like to ask you 2-3more questions that came up while reading your post.

 

 

What is Red Brick exactly(I never heard anything about it, is it some kind of university)?

Edit: I just found out it is an university   do you know how hard it is to get into it. I am from Austria so my native speaking language is german, but I love english so I wanna make a degree in english 

 

What do you exactly do meaning on which kind of projects do you work?(You do not need to go specific might be you cant tell anyonre. I just wanna get a gist of what kind of job I might be doing)?

 

And at last but not at least. Do you think I would need a degree in Physics and Mathematics, because you wrote about alot of mathematics and physics stuff going on, on the higher levels?

 

 

Still man you really are awesome. I do not know alot of people who would do this for some strangers on the internet.

 

Nice Greets,

Rocki

[LAwLz]

to become someone that is educated enough to work at Geek Squad, you do not need any education. I know many people who have worked there with minimal experience or education.

That was kind of the point, and why I called it useless.

Again, I have never gotten a straight answer which courses you take when you get a 2 year "IT" education so I have very limited knowledge about it. But judging by the answers I have gotten, it's pretty much useless. Seems to teach you about as much as you will learn in high school if you pick some computer related classes.

[RockiLocky]

Double Post

[lilfear]

I am in the middle now. Just got my AS in it networking and telecommunications, with data forensics as the electives. I love it. I went to State College in Florida