What degree should I pick?

[PKania]

Hey guys, I'm new to this board

Couple things about me; I was Political Science major at FDU but didnÂ’t like it was too boring so I switched to Business Administration but I donÂ’t really like it either. I was always interested with computers but not sure how I should start.

Reading this board people say itÂ’s good to first get the A+/Network+ certification and then pick major.

My school offers the following:
1. Computer Science/Information Technology AAS with possible tracks in Networking, application, programming, web design, game development (you pick one of the track based on your electives)
2. Information Technology
3. Information System

Which one of those tree would be best for me if I was going to do something with networking, security, system design, and server administrator?

And which one of the following certification would be best for me.

1. Information Technology CP <-- for this you need 33 credits
http://www.ocean.edu/academics/catalog/2005-2006/INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY_CP.pdf
2. Information Technology CC <--- For this you need 18 and have no idea what is the difference between CP and CC and what they mean.
http://www.ocean.edu/academics/catalog/2005-2006/INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY_CC.pdf
Do they cover/or are they the A+/Network+ certification?

What would be the best start? I really want to be as much diverse as possible and not sit in the computer alone for the whole day but be more around people etc.

Any help would be great

Thanx in advance

 

[Tyler1989]

Well almost everyone in the computer field has an +A certification if I am not mistaken. It's kind of the building blocks and even if you don't use the knowledge at your job it is usefull to know I'd start off with going for certification.

I recommend

A+ (A+ Hardware)
CNA (Certified Network Administrator)
N+ (Novell Certified) OR Redhat Certified

 

[office politics]

those CP & CC are not degree programs but are certificates that ive never heard of.

goto http://www.ocean.edu/academics/online_catalog.htm#computer and pick a degree. They are really general degree programs setting you up for a transfer into a 4yr college.

my suggestion

complete A+ / Net+ while going to OCC for a CS degree. At this point, you really need to get a job in the feild; you may be able to utilize resources from your school. Then, look into getting more computer certs such as MCSE and CCNA. Transfer to a 4yr school and start studying security.

 

[super_phreak]

Right on the nose

I couldn't agree with csamuels more.

I think the days of having either a degree or a certification are over. ItÂ’s been my experience that it is to the point now that you really need both. If you had been in the field for several years and had the experience to back you up you could get away with choosing one. However, even that is questionable now.

As you get into your college studies and have had a few classes take a look at the A+ and Net+ exams. Are they going to get you the kind of jobs an MCSE or a CCIE will? No, but they will be a step toward getting you an entry level hardware or network support job.

You can also cultivate a lot of contacts in college. I can attribute a lot of the jobs I've had to contacts I've carried over from when I was in school.


:freak:

 

[PKania]

Allright..coool, thanx for the help guys

Think Ill go do Information Technology and get my A+/Net+ and CNA as soon as possible