Advice on what to do in college

[Mikie]

This is a very interseting thread.

Im 36 and never went to college. My Son is a 17 year old senior in high school and is going to college with a basketball scholarship. He has absolutely no idea what he wants to do in life ...let alone a major.
We are just now sitting down and discussing courses that will produce a good pay and stable employment. We have leaned quite a bit tward business management because it is a broad subject and carries great on a resume.
Now after reading this and talking with my local friend that works for Wachovia bank , I am leaning to the side of information security or IT.
My Son is great with computers on the software end of things and works well with excell, publisher and word.

Get as much information as you can and base your decision on that. Remember once you move into a 4 year school you can change your major as most often do.

 

[sunil6784]

Yep,

From what I've seen, Information technology doesn't have that much to do with hardware, but a lot of software stuff. But like Mikie said, you can apply to a college as "Undeclared Major," and during the first year or two take all the general ed classes that are required for any major. Once you meet people and talk to professors and get experience, you can declare your major.

 

[bob331T76]

have keg parties.

ooooooooo you mean what to do career wise

 

[shallowreef]

Whatever makes you happy.

 

[funkytrunk92]

have keg parties.

ooooooooo you mean what to do career wise

You beat me to it. All I have to add is spend all your money on a junky 92 coupe! Eat tuna and ramen noodles for every meal-I prefer "oodles of noodles"-..........YOU CAN DO IT! Thats what I did and I got out in just a shade under a decade!
---
just kiddin'......I realize that this is not constructive in any way!

Good Luck in whatever you do

 

[89white50]

Pay is a part of it, but you really need to figure out what you enjoy doing, and if you dont you WILL be miserable for the next 40 years of your life.

I am a senior in college, and I cannot wait to get out in my field. I love every aspect of geology, but my thesis (thus my area of concentration after graduation) is Oil and Gas. I am currently dating a rock formation which will tell the world the age of all the natural gas in the Appalachian basin, so yea pretty big...

Anyways, if you really enjoy computers have fun with that, but i would commit suicide if i had to sit in a office every of my life in front of a computer. I tried everything in college, from finance, to market, to engineering, and finally decided "**** what everyone else thinks about my love for rocks ." lol

 

[89white50]

Oh and yes i get teased, but everyone understands i'll be starting at 70+k a year in the summer, no else i know is, not even my buddies who are mechanical engineers.

 

[savegoodautonfg]

I am in the exact same boat as you. I like to work on computers and have really started getting into working on my cars. I even had a job for a year working as a computer tech. I like the job until my boss started having me pick up parts from our distributor in my car. (not down to put uneccessary miles on my car) So I quite. I also took a course laster year in my highschool called AP computer science(programming) and I hated it.

Anyway computer information systems is what I am probably going to go to school for. It basically involves very little programming and a lot about hardware and things of that nature so I am told.

See i like using the computer, im good with word and stuff and i'm really good at figuring out issues with computers.

Question is when i graduate if i do do CIS what kind of job would i get?

 

[rdharper02]

Dating a rock formation? To each his own...damn should always read all of the post. Big thing here is that there are people that get paid to help you in this area. Look at possible choices, go to the college web-site and find the number for the class advisor. These people are well versed in classes and career paths. One note, if you want to do something in particular, find what it takes to make that big salary. My BA is in psych. To make any money in the field I will need at least a Masters Degree. I already have a Masters in Bull Sh*^t, but doesnt really apply.

 

[jrichker]

One key thing about the computer business is experience. Some time spent as an appentice is a necessary part of the process. Plan on spending some time doing the low level, low paying jobs until you get that experience. The certifications (Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, Linux, A+) you earn along the way will open doors and get you interviews. The experience is what will get you past the first interview.

How do I know? this is my 27th year in the computer fixing business. I have enough certifications to paper a small wall, and plan on completing more. It is a field where you are constantly learning and studying new things. If all that studying makes you head hurt, get an MBA and go into IT management. Then you don't have to know all the new technology, you just have to be able to tap someone on your staff that does.

 

[wazazzle]

I'm in a community college right now but i want to start taking classes for my major. My 2nd semester is coming up.
Heres the deal, I love computers have been using them since before i was working on cars and such, but i also love cars. I know that most of the time computers makes more money but im not sure in computer field what exactly i want to do.

I was first thinking computer networking but theres not alot of college that do that it seems, but question is what in computer field is a good career choice and makes a good amount of money?

Any opinions are welcomed.

Thanks again

-Nick

Before transferring to UW and getting into Urban Studies/City Engineering, I was at WWU studing MIS/Mgmt Info Syst. It's hard to get a good paying job with only your BA if you don't have any intern experience. Even then you have to worry about job security due to outsourcing. In WA seattle area it's hard as heck to get your shoe into any tech firm because most of the work now is being outsourced to emerging tech countries like India. I got layed off at 2 diff tech/telecom firms due to outsourcing to India. That's why whenever you call up a company like XYZ or Verizon wireless you get a towelhead answering.

 

[89white50]

haha i said everyone makes fun of my major, but we'll see how i am doing at 24 compared to you.

i second the motion of boozing hard and wheelin broads as much as possible.

 

[savegoodautonfg]

I talked to some guy that owns infusiondev.com in NYC. I live about 45 minutes from the city so pretty cool.

He makes over a million a year and he said he pays computer programming graduates 80K a year as soon as they get out of college.

What you guys think?

 

[savegoodautonfg]

??

 

[jrichker]

I talked to some guy that owns infusiondev.com in NYC. I live about 45 minutes from the city so pretty cool.

He makes over a million a year and he said he pays computer programming graduates 80K a year as soon as they get out of college.

What you guys think?

There's one one of him and a few thousand hungry IT college grads. Spots like that fill up fast. Experience is what the recruiters/HR people are looking for, and that experience can mean working cheap for some cheap company.