College - Champlain College or ????

[xd-shooter]

I am going to start school this January 12th at New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI). It's a Community Technical College. My major at NHTI is going to be in General Studies for a couple of reasons. 1) This will allow to me to most of my General Education courses done with and out of the way. 2) I had originally signed up to enroll into the Information Technology program but since I didn't do any Algebra in High School and since I lack math skills, they want me to start off by doing General Studies, but after I've done Algebra I - Part I and Algebra I - Part II, I can then transfer over to the Information Technology degree.

I plan on taking 3 classes per semester for 3 semesters and then I want to transfer over to a 4-year college. The college I am looking to transfer to is Champlain College to major in Web Development & Design.

Has anyone here been to Champlain College and majored in that major??

Would you suggest I go to a different college??

You know, I never thought I would want to do Web Design or Development but I think it's actually fun stuff and the best part about it, is that I can practice anytime I want.

[NogDog]

Do you mainly want to be a graphic designer or a software programmer (or both)? If a graphic designer, my personal recommendation would be to search for a more general graphic design degree program where the emphasis would be on the underlying principles: color theory, typeface design/selection, graphic layout practice, etc. and how they are applied to achieve desired effects. Likewise if the interest is in programming, I would look for a more general computer science degree that emphasizes general theory rather than focusing just on web programming. (And you can always take some electives or even pursue a minor in the other field.)

The idea is that in either case, if you learn the theory and background of the field you want to pursue, then learning the specifics to a particular implementation (such as web sites/applications) becomes simply a case of learning specific tools, restrictions, etc.; which is much easier than learning the "big" concepts.

Also, I fear that if you focus too specifically on the web, you may limit your opportunity to discover other aspects that you might find even more interesting/rewarding, such as print or video graphics design on the artistic side or client-server programming or embedded system programming on the programming side.

[xd-shooter]

Well at Champlain College, I would be learning both about Web Design and also Web Development and Programming. Here, check this out. The major teaches you things such as Server-Side programming and Client-Side programming, among other things.

Curriculum
First Year
First Semester:

* COR 110 - Concepts of the Self
* COR 115 - Rhetoric I
* WEB 125 - Web Development I
* WEB 150 - Introduction to Web Business
* CIT 135 - Introduction to Computer Theory

Second Semester:

* COR 120 - Concepts of Community
* COR 125 - Rhetoric II
* WEB 200 - Relational Databases with Web Applications
* WEB 225 - Web Development II
* CIT 130 - Introduction to Networking Security

Second Year
First Semester:

* COR 210 - Scientific Revolutions
* COR 220 - Aesthetic Expressions
* WEB 320 - Server-Side Scripting
* GDD 210 - Digital Interactive Design
or GDD 110 - Digital Artwork
* MTH 120 - College Algebra

Second Semester:

* COR 230 - The Secular & the Sacred
* COR 240 - Capitalism & Democracy
* WEB 350 - Implementing e-Commerce Technologies
or WEB 290 - Computing Internship
* WEB 325 - Client-Side Scripting
* MKT 110 - Marketing

Third Year
First Semester:

* COR 310 - Globalization & Technology
* COR 320 - Globalization & Faith
* WEB 340 - Mastering XHTML & XML
* WEB 355 - Animation & Interactivity I
* WEB 265 - Implementing Web Media

Second Semester:

* COR 330 - CORE 9
* COR 340 - CORE 10
* ACC 130 - Financial Accounting
* SWE 130 - Systems Analysis & Design
* WEB 370 - Usability & Design

Fourth Year
First Semester:

* COR 410 - CORE 11
* WEB 440 -Applying XSL/XSLT
* Natural Science Elective with Lab
* General Elective

Second Semester:

* WEB 450 - Senior Thesis
* WEB 430- Using ASP
* WEB 455 Animatiion & Interactivity II
* General Elective
* General Elective



Now, if I don't go into this major then I will major in Computer Networking & Information Security.