I need help from all you technical gurus.

[Visha78]

Hi all,

I want to go back to school... It has only been a few years ago that I realized I should have taken a computer related course (I graduated physiotherapy and i realized i cant stand hospitals. It depresses me.) I noticed I have a natural ability to learn computer and web stuffs easily and everything i know about computers and the net and other techie stuffs, I learned them all by myself. That's probably because I'm drawn to the power of technology. I can sit in front of a computer and surf and do anything else for hours and hours at end. I love learning new computer stuffs. So I decided I want to go back to school and study what i should have taken in the first place.

A computer or IT or web dev course . So i need your help to make me decide which course I should be taking as there are a looooot of computer related courses (or majors in some countries) out there and I don't know which one to take...

I would appreciate any suggestion...

 

[Tyler1989]

So your a surfer and you now want to know how the web ticks correct? Since you said you were a surfer on the web for the most part why don't you take up some HTML and web design courses I think they are pretty easy but the info you learn will be very important.

 

[Inaris]

for staters, learn math. Math is the root of computers. Learn programming as well. take all the programming you can. Learn C# and .net as they are getting big. They also allow you to branch really easy. Java is another. From there, you can expand. Web technologies is an interesting field, but there isn't too much money in it anymore. It's getting over crowded. All of the industry is, but that is another topic. Anyway, if you want to do web stuff for fun, it's not to hard to learn. But if you want to do it for a career, look to start off somewhere else. Databases are a great field as there is a huge growth in that section of the industry. Also web data collection is big one. Although kind of unliked.. anyone say spyware?
Also, MSI development is starting to take off. people are looking for individuals to create secure installers that can't be broken. Not something I like, but I do it. and there is a growing demand. Also learn Perl, PHP and XML. They are essential in web development now and will be carried far into the future.

Good luck.

 

[Tyler1989]

True but he said he didn't take computer classes before don't you think C+, .net, Java and all that is going to be too difficult if you never took a computer class before at least thats my opinion.

 

[Ste]

java shouldn't be i took 1 semster of it and understood it perfectly but it was to boring for me so no more java.

 

[Tyler1989]

Hey thanks for telling me this year I have

Java (term)
Programming in C+ (semester)
Programming in Basic (semester)
A+ Hardware (independant Study/till I finish after school)


On top of that I'm going for A+ Hardware and OS certification if there are no age limates to stop me.

 

[Inaris]

it's all part of the process. Understanding IT starts with a good understanding of Math, like I said. Programming is very logic heavy, so if you can understand the logical operation of mathmatics, any language shouldn't be that hard. it's all in syntax and language specific functions...

But that is what books are for...

 

[Visha78]

thanks for you views guys! i appreciate it much... right now im working in a web dev company... (so far from my major hehehe!) im a b2b exec so i dont need to be too techie... i understand some stuffs but i'd be lost in a black hole if people went too technical for me. im just concerned about delivering projects. if they had techie questions, i pass them off to our developers.

 

[Inaris]

not to complain, but having a non technical supervisor or exec has always pissed me off. I want a person that knows what I'm telling them and understands the concepts behind it. It's always felt like I was working for a mule when they don't understand or care about the work I'm performing under them...
Now I have a technical boss and he is awesome, cause he knows what it is that I'm working with and the requirements and chanllenges associated with it. It's worth the effort to get a grasp on what you are managing.
Never seems to make sense to be that IT is like this. In every other industry, you start somewhere low and work up through it before you are a sup/exec. Not just a piece of paper on the wall... not that you are, but you get the idea...

Good luck and best wishes...

 

[furtivefelon]

... From there, you can expand. Web technologies is an interesting field, but there isn't too much money in it anymore. It's getting over crowded. All of the industry is, but that is another topic. Anyway, if you want to do web stuff for fun, it's not to hard to learn.

huh? There isn't much money? it's true that there are so much medicore programmers doing java/c++ recently that they don't get paid very well anymore (very little people do mainstream programming gets paid very well).. but if you have the ability, try to find some problem to solve in a efficient manner, and if it's promising, try to get some venture capitalist funding and start a company Starting tech company is the ultimate in coolness and also the riskest job you can prob do..

several things to learn:
linux/unix, programming (common languages: c/c++/java, perl, python, basic, lisp, ruby, php), hardware, sys admin (also falls under learning linux/unix)