Any computer-related majors here?

[Ice Cream Truck]

If so, do yall have any advice that you would give an undergraduate? It would be great to get some insight. I'm currently a sophomore computer engineer and I am just starting to really start deciding on my major goal what I'll need to be doing in order to achieve it.

I've already taken C++ (can't say I'm even on the intermediate level, didn't put in much effort) and Java classes. Those are the only 2 programming classes I am required to take. So what I'm doing is putting in alot of work into learning Java and want to get my certification or something that would be a plus on my resume to prove I actually know a bit about the language (also looking to learn a couple of other languages eventually). I'm thinking I would have a good advantage if I know alot about the hardware and software related issues. Sound like a good idea? Is it even worth it?

[Hooe]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I'm a Computer Science major at UVa and I'm in the same boat as you are. I've had classes in Java and C++, some hardware classes, I have some experience with SQL, Scheme, HTML, and Python, and I'm self-teaching myself C# (sort of) via XNA Game Studio Express (Microsoft's program that allows development of programs onto the XBOX360).

All that said I'm still not sure what I want to do and/or how to get there; the sheer breadth of options with a computer degree these days is somewhat intimidating.

My somewhat-uneducated advice is that anything you can put on a resume that says you are qualified to do something is good to pursue.

[fishepa]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I have a degree in Management Information Systems from Auburn. I absolutely hated programming so I took the required courses and stayed far from that. I got a couple of certifications my senior year (CCNA and MCP) but honesly it didn't help me find a job.

[frostbyte06]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I have a B.S. & M.S. in Comp Sci, as was mentioned earlier it's so many options you might want to narrow down (at least for now) there's basically 3 categories in computing: hardware, software, and theory. Make sure you get some type of exposure to databases, they are involved in EVERYTHING, if you really want to get detailed just send me a PM....

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

CS here. Depends on what you want to go into. What exactly is entailed by Computer Engineering?

[mgoblue]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I have a degree in Management Information Systems from Auburn. I absolutely hated programming so I took the required courses and stayed far from that. I got a couple of certifications my senior year (CCNA and MCP) but honesly it didn't help me find a job.

I have a Bachelors of Science in Computer Engineering, focusing more on software than hardware (circuits aren't my thing). I have no certifications and I haven't had a problem finding jobs I'm qualified for. It really depends on where you want to go and what you want to do. Network guys do really benefit from Cisco type stuff. Civil, Mechanical, those type of engineers sometimes need the PE (Professional Engineer) certification for their jobs.

In general, unless it's something that really helps your career I haven't seen certs matter. I'm in no rush to get Microsoft certified, etc. But if I was a DBA I'd want Oracle certs...I do web development (in MS C# and VB with MSSQL in the past, now in PHP with Oracle DB's) and there's not much that would really make me that much more marketable. More companies want experience, from what I've found.

[mgoblue]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

CS here. Depends on what you want to go into. What exactly is entailed by Computer Engineering?

They changed things at Michigan by the end of my degree, but for me Computer Science was in the Liberal Arts school, and therefore had to take a language, more humanities, social sciences, etc. Computer engineering (what I did) had a crapload more math (way way way more calc and theoretical), more circuits and electrical engineering classes, just more of the "engineering" aspect. If you wanted to do anything remotely related to hardware you'd have to go CE.

I personally went CE because I wanted the Bachelor of Science rather than a Bachelor of Arts (I wanted to graduate from the Engineering school). That being said, i had CS friends and they took mostly the same classes I did, so it wasn't a huge deal. I just personally think a Engineering degree looks a bit better. Now I think it's all in the Engineering school and they've made the CSE degree better, and made the CE more technical. I'd probably go CSE now, in the Engineering school but more software based.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I got my undergrad almost 10 years ago in Computer Information Systems. That entailed C++, COBOL, and Visual Basic. We also did database work first in D-Base and then Microsoft Access. I really want to learn Oracle. I'm going to learn as much as I can in that while going to Xavier for my MBA. I've been a bit out-of-the-loop with current languages that are big. Other than Access, I spent the first 4 years of my professional career doing mainframe programming in COBOL and Assembler, that latter of which sucked donkey balls. mgoblue has some good information though.

[Ice Cream Truck]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

What exactly would be qualified as "experience"? Are we referring to internships? I'm thinking that having a cert would make it easier to actually get an internship.

I would definitely love to get real experience. But I'm not sure what to look for besides summer internships.

[mjb2124]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

Regarding certs...it really depends on where you live. In Pittsburgh the job market is so bad that employers want both experience and certs. I'd hate to be starting out in this city right now because most of the jobs want 5-7 years experience minimum.

One of the funnier things I've seen around here recently are companies asking for 5-7 years experience, an MCSE and a CCNA. Pay - $40,000/yr. Anyone with those qualifications is going to demand much more than 40K per year. Needless to say, those job postings seem to stay up for very long periods of time!

IMO, I'd learn as much as you can about databases. Learn Oracle and SQL in and out. Everyone is looking for DB's and a good DB isn't easy to find. Not to mention that a good DB is paid very well.

[fishepa]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

Yeah, DB is good if you can do that sort of thing. I tried it for a bit and absolutely hated it as well. All the table stuff was not for me.

[studbucket]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

Here's my background and take, you are a slightly different major, but I believe the philosophy still applies:

I just finished my 4th year at the University of Iowa and received my B.S. in Computer Science; but as a 5-year program I have 1 year left to get my MCS. I'm currently an intern at Microsoft, I've had another internship at Principal Financial Group, a research assistantship for the last 1.5 years, and I've been ACM President for the last 2.

I'm pretty happy with where I am, and feel pretty successful, but I can't say it's because of the classes I've taken. Sure, taking that XML class sure helped, as did my graphics and networks courses, but lots of guys were in those classes with me or took similar ones. I've also talked to several kids from other schools (Iowa State, Michigan, Illinois) who clearly looked down on me because my program isn't as big (good?) as theirs was. So, if I took the same classes as the kids from Iowa, but wasn't at a program as renowned as Illinois, how did I succeed? I made myself succeed.

A computer science degree is not about what classes you take or if your GPA is a 3.8. It's all about what you make it out to be. It's good to have a decent background in Java, or C, or openGL, or postgreSQL, but once you know one language, you can learn them all, it's pretty easy. What gives you a better education is being active in your department and getting to know the people that can make your educational experience better. The key word there isn't 'education', it's 'experience'. I swing by and talk to professors, get to know them on a first name basis, understand what their classes are about, and take things that sound fun. I travel 4 hours to go a weekend conference at the University of Illinois, and I try to stay involved with student groups.

So even though lots of GPAs are higher than mine, even though people can program circles around me in C++ or python, even though I haven't taken a security course yet, I still got the internship at Microsoft because of my ACM experience, one cool class project, and because I happened to go to a conference at the University of Illinois.

I'm sorry for being so long winded. If you only remember one thing from what I wrote, remember this: It's not about all the technologies you learned or where you went to school, your degree is about what you did and what you made of your college experience.

[Herky]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

I'm nearing the end of my 1st semester in the Information Technology program at Scott Community College. In the process of taking Foundations Of IT, Intro To Programming Logic, and Visual Basic Net I, along with 2 required classes for the college. I have a BA in English from Northern Iowa already so most of my gen ed classes transferred.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

It's kind of creepy when you have friends that overhear professors talking to other professors about you, and it's overly positive.

Well... creepy, and awesome.

[aukevin]

Re: Any computer-related majors here?

What exactly would be qualified as "experience"? Are we referring to internships? I'm thinking that having a cert would make it easier to actually get an internship.

I would definitely love to get real experience. But I'm not sure what to look for besides summer internships.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Auburn and got lots of experience through the co-op program. Even though the job I took after graduating wasn't at the same place I co-op'd, it did give me two years of experience right off the bat which increased my pay I took a job after graduation that was 90% programming because that's what I enjoy more and the place I co-op'd didn't offer that much even though I had a job waiting for me there.

So I say try to definitely get into an internship or co-op program. Co-ops get pretty good money and you set yourself up good for when you get out of school. The only thing with co-op programs is that you are in school about a year and a half to two years longer because you alternate school and work semesters. But you get paid when you work, so that's not too bad