Hi there:
Dear people of the forum I contemplating which degree to go for. Here are my choicesInformation Systems Computer Science Those two are four year degrees. These next ones are two year degrees. Network Administration & Cyber Security - AAS and any of these in this realm Various other degrees from Carl Sandburg
I am 26 years old. I want to to work for a hospital or school system, or possibly work for a website remotely. Any input would be great. My wife just wants me to do this right. She wants kids, but as long as I am in school this is not really possible. Thanks ahead of time 
I did not see classes listed for any of the degrees, but regardless I would simply offer the following:
Consider degrees which also align with, or even encompass, certifications. For example, many schools not only offer Cisco classes, but may be Cisco Network Academies, which would lead you to CCNA / CCNP certification, as well as getting your degree.
Using that same philosophy: Kill two birds with one stone whenever possible. Take some networking classes? Then get you CCNA / Network+ too. Take some Linux class? Then get your Linux+ at the same time.
If you like Linux - then Red Hat / Suse certification is hard to beat, and it does get noticed from my experience.
I believe a good strategy is to get both certifications, as well as your degree. Some employers will tend of favor one over the other - you can’t go wrong by getting both, especially when (in many cases) it is tied into the curriculum, or parallels it.
But - even more than that: If you want a CS or CIS related job, the best thing (IMHO) is to KNOW your subject matter. There is no substitute for knowing the technology you work with - inside and out. While it is all fine to take some networking or CS classes, they are no substitute for a working knowledge and hands on experience with networking, tcp/ip, DNS servers, etc. The best thing is to be really good with the tools of the trade. I’ve always believed the job goes to the person who can do it - and do it well.
Good luck with your education!
Cheers,
Lews Therin
Have you thought about interviewing perspective employers to see what they are looking for from grads? What do they think of various schools and their grads? What programs/courses do they recommend? Things like that. I saw to courses that might work. One being the course you already selected, the other being Computer Science Computer Science - Academics - Western Illinois University
Now course work and degrees are not enough. I found this out the hardway. Make sure you also knock out the various certifications. A+, MCSE, CCNA, Linux professional (or whatever Linux cert you want), and so on.
Thank you the information provided will be of use to me. I did not post direct links to the programs classes. I did talk with some IT guys that are local and the told me that almost all of them have a two year degree. So I think I will switch to that route and pick up extra certifications.
So,
Now here is the next question what kind of certifications should I get? here is the list I came up for so far.
A+
Cisco Certified Network Associate
Security+
Microsoft Certified IT Professional
Microsoft Certified Professional Developer
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist
Project Management Professional
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer / Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Linux+
Now with a goal of wanting to work for an IT department, and eventually taking over an infrastructure of my own someday. What certifications should I gear towards?
A+, CCNA, MCSE, Linux+ (wont hurt). I hear Security+ isn’t required or needed with CCNA since CCNA covers it.
My suggestions would be
A+
(Some people are of the opinion A+ “has no value”, but I tend to disagree. Hands on experience trouble shooting a wide variety of systems is, I think, extremely helpful. If you do A+ at a college, this may (or may not) include hands on labs - you will need to find out.)
CCNA
Linux+ / Red Hat Certified Engineer
These two are Golden Certs really
(RHCE is not easy to get, the test is pretty difficult. There is a lower level Red Hat System Admin cert too. But having either of this is, in my opinion, a huge resume builder.)
Security+
(The material in Security+ is actually not really covered much at in in CCNA or RH certs - CCNP does get into more security. You can really go wrong getting Security+ or an equivalent.)
Good luck!
I am 26 years old, My wife just wants me to do this right. She wants kids, but as long as I am in school this is not really possible.
What do you do for living ???
man, maybe your wife is right i mean you’re OLD for college,
i think you should take life a little easy just keep doing what you have been doing for the last 26 years,
i mean life is short man.
any way best of luck…
On 10/16/2011 11:16 PM, mostafaxxx wrote:
> man, maybe your wife is right i mean you’re OLD for college,
imo, 26 is perfect for college…so is 46 or 76…
–
DD
openSUSE®, the “German Automobiles” of operating systems
DenverD wrote:
> On 10/16/2011 11:16 PM, mostafaxxx wrote:
>
>> man, maybe your wife is right i mean
you’re OLD for college,
>
> imo, 26 is perfect for college…so is 46
or 76…
>
76?
No Signature this time…
On 10/17/2011 06:27 PM, riderplus wrote:
> 76?
there are college professors older than that, so why not students too?
–
DD
openSUSE®, the “German Automobiles” of operating systems
DenverD wrote:
> On 10/17/2011 06:27 PM, riderplus wrote:
>> 76?
>
> there are college professors older than
that, so why not students too?
>
You’re right, DD. I’m just playing around
with this Knode thing.
No Signature this time…
riderplus wrote:
> DenverD wrote:
>
>> On 10/17/2011 06:27 PM, riderplus wrote:
>>> 76?
>>
>> there are college professors older than
> that, so why not students too?
>>
>
> You’re right, DD. I’m just playing around
> with this Knode thing.
Next time I’ll post on the dedicated thread, sorry.
No Signature this time…
If you’re sure you want to work in a hospital, there may be more targeted degree programs you can consider, such as this Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management available at Stevens-Henager College:
http://www.stevenshenager.edu/healthcare/bachelors/health-information-management
Of course, a computer science or information systems degree would be much wider in scope and can be used in a variety of industries as opposed to the one I suggested. But my recommendation is based on your interest in the healthcare sector. The college also offers a Master’s program in Healthcare Informatics that you could consider enrolling for if you want to further your knowledge in the area. The link below has more details about this program:
http://www.stevenshenager.edu/information-technology/masters/healthcare-informatics