ok a bit of a serios article about computer qualifications

[old.frankie]

hi there again, now i live down in devon where they know fook all about computers, anyways, i want to go into the computer industry, and my ultimate goal is to goto uni and do something on computers, tecnical hardware, programming, webpage programming, ETC.
so thats it, im now doing a level physics ( fail ) a level chemestry ( probly fail too ) geography ( piss ) all those at a lev, im also doing a thing where u do the tasks at home, its called key skills I.T level 3 or key stage, god knows,it ranges up to level 5, anyways just wondering what to do at uni if i were to get a place at one ( apart from piss up's every night ), and what should i do if i were looking to do something involving computers.

 

[old.Fish]

Well, the great thing about most unis is that you can get in with totally irrelevant qualifications, as long as you're pretty good at playing catch-up... most science courses need maths and just about anything else...

As for website design, apparently a good portfolio is better than any paper qualifications...

(for the record, I'm about to start computer science at edinburgh uni, so I'm probably not the best person to be speaking about this, especially english qualifications, but anyway...)

 

[old.frankie]

cheers, well forget anything about maths in advanced form, caus i got a gcse D.
well thanks, any more suggestions ?

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[mookie]

if you lived near a good college (st.helens) www.sthelens.mernet.org.uk like me, you'd be spoiled for chice...
i start my HNC games+multimedia next week

they do networking, software creation, and loads of other good stuff

AND theres a chance you could get payed for doing it

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[old.Fish]

IIRC, st.andrews do computer game programming as a bsc...

Anyway, it's not yet ucas-form time, so your best bet is to get an impressive personal statement... Work-experience and stuff looks good on it... Last year (and for another 3 weeks actually...) I got myself a job doing tech-support for an engineering firm, and spent one of my free periods a week at school teaching the primary-school kids computer skills... If your school has something like that, sign up!

Come to think of it, my maths isn't brilliant, I just got a D at SYS...

 

[old.Fish]

And in case you're wondering, my personal statement wasn't particularly impressive either...

 

[old.frankie]

whats sys,
thanks again for your comments.

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[old.Mincer]

(Certificate of) Sixth Year Studies

Basically it is what we do in Scotland in order to bring our "Higher" qualifications up to roughly the level of an A-level

so Higher + SYS (both 1 year) = (approx) A-Level (2 year)

 

[old.frankie]

oh right, scotland, land of the unknown, cheers.
anyways, are there any computer coarses that have names, like xmxs computer coarse.
i dunno any ?

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[old.Bothersome]

forget about college for the IT industry!! I'm telling you that you can make the same/more by just spending £4000 and 6 months and getting your MCSE!!! Now that's the way to go. And you don't waste 4/6 years of your life not getting paid!!

 

[Mr B]

Go to Uni if you don't want to spend the rest of your life coding/tinkering with PC's

Do an MCSE if you are gonna be happy tinkering with techy stuff for the rest of your life.

Me I did Systems Analysis and I'm on a graduate fast-track programme with my company, and although at the start the pay was poor, it's graded a LOT higher than the pure techies now (5 years down the track).

Plus I get my own secretary and stuff....

 

[old.Fish]

Come to think of it, coputer science, or CS+AI?

I can't make my mind up...

 

[old.frankie]

ok now i know all these abbriveiantions of these coarses, what do they actually entail, and where do they take place ?

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[old.Monyet]

i do computer science and it's a total joke

i've no idea where it's going to lead me to cos it's all a load of theory and bugger all practicality. i reckon all the stuff i've learnt will never be needed after i finish my course - i mean, Z Specification!! now how many ppl out there know what it is who actually uses it???

so, DON'T do computer science unless you're gonner do AI - cos most of it is pretty much useless

 

[old.=DI=Penry]

It's well worth doin' the college thing !

OK, so when you finish after 3/4 years, you have a bit of paper, and end up temping for a few years, all your mates who went straight into work have decent jobs/cars, and you owe the student loans people the value of a small house.
BUT you've just had years of lounging around, getting aquainted with richard & judy, getting pissed up at student prices, and if you choose the right hall of residence - HAVING A PERMANENT LAN CONNECTION TO JANET FOR LESS THAN £100 A YEAR.

Hum! all i can see are the good points !!

 

[old.Hateangel]

Hi all, I'm a Contract Analyst Programmer, with a degree. I think that an MSCE qual is ok, but none of my co-workers have them, except for PC support (Which is what this qual is aimed at.) For a serious job in IT, you REALLY need a degree. I cannot think of more than a handful of people I have worked with who doesn't have one. Yeah, I know it doesn't appear relevent now, but its just a hoop you gotta jump through. Experience counts heaps more, but until you get the experience, the degree gets you on a grad training course, which gives you the experience. (Most serious Companies will require you to have experience AND a degree).

good luck,

H8

 

[old.[GA] Shovel]

Has big evening about A-Levels and choosing them the other night - considering computre studies A-level to get me going on the old programming skills but discovered that - due to not all 6th forms offering the Computer Studies course that most Unis will not look for CS - but for Maths instead. whether they will negotiate with you or what I don't know.

I Think I'll go for both just in case.

Dunno if that buggers you Frankie m8 but....

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