IT Degree Questions

[ronet<it>]

Greetings,

I just changed my major from music to IT-Web Development, and I have a few questions before classes start soon. How general do these classes start out at, what should I be doing now to prepare for any surprises. To be honest I'm a little nervous. I'm very comfortable around computers, but I know hardly anything about web design, programming, and networking, classes that I will have to start taking next semester. They start out the first two years with classes that touch each of aforementioned as well as databases. Do the classes start out really basic, or will I be way lost very soon. Keeping in mind that I have been a PC and Mac user for over 15 years. I guess I'm a little freaked out about all the languages. I don't know, as you can tell, I really just need some advise and some encouragement from this forum of great IT pros. I'm really excited about it, and I see a bright future in it, as well as all kinds of $dollar signs$.

Here are the classes the degree plan starts out with:

Fall 2005
Survey of Information Technology <-This one is self explanatory

Logic Design info Tech <-This one freaks me out a little, can anyone explain it to me. Here is the description:
Introduces students to programming concepts, structured and object styles, logical thinking, and problem solving. General programming topics, design tools, and algorithms are introduced through pseudocode with structured modular design, object, and event-driven programming paradigms. Students will be able to plan and design the logic for IT systems.

Operating Systems <-Covers Windows and Linux. How much different is Linux compared to Mac OS X Tiger?

I know this is a lot, but I really appreciate any help

Thanks, Joseph

[invertedpanda]

Linux is WAY different compared to OSX :) Most people who like Windows or OSX hate Linux, because you have to know a lot more to use it.

Why are you majoring in web design when you haven't done it before? Honestly, I think it is a bad choice. You may be able to handle doing basic web design, but when you get to programming, you may find you just screwed yourself - some people don't have the right kind of mind for programming. I've spent a large chunk of my time tutoring people in programming, and they just plain can't grasp the basic concepts.

Anyway, on to your classes.. The Logic class can be fun if you are into logic and algorithms. I myself enjoy algorithmic stuff, but my college doesn't offer a class focused on em' (we covered algorithms in Discrete math).

Operating Systems classes can be a bit tough - Most OS classes will have you learning lots of OS theory, which can get pretty complex. Most people hate it (once again, I loved it).

It is hard to say how your classes will be, though. It depends on the teachers, and the department and whatnot. I think my dept is a joke (I spent a good chunk of my later years teaching one of my instructors Linux, as well as teaching parts of classes), but people who don't have any real experience with computers tend to struggle.. a lot.

I'm graduating with a degree in Computer Information Systems in December, btw. I can't freaking wait, I'm so tired of my school :)

In summary.. Using a computer is way different from knowing and developing for one. I suggest you hit B&N or some other book store, and start reading programming and algorithmic books. If you can find out what books you will need for your classes, see if you can find a copy and study it on your own. The IT world requires the ability to learn on your own - without it you are going to be pretty useless, considering the pace at which IT evolves.

[buntine]

I don't think its a bad choice. The course will be structured for people who want to pursue a career in Web Development. The only pre-cursor should be a working knowledge on a computer system and the Internet.

It would be beneficial if you researched design theories and frameworks such as UML. Gaining a basic knowledge of Object Oriented concepts would be beneficial, also.

Regards.

[spufi]

Greetings,

I just changed my major from music to IT-Web Development, and I have a few questions before classes start soon. How general do these classes start out at, what should I be doing now to prepare for any surprises. To be honest I'm a little nervous. I'm very comfortable around computers, but I know hardly anything about web design, programming, and networking, classes that I will have to start taking next semester. They start out the first two years with classes that touch each of aforementioned as well as databases. Do the classes start out really basic, or will I be way lost very soon. Keeping in mind that I have been a PC and Mac user for over 15 years. I guess I'm a little freaked out about all the languages. I don't know, as you can tell, I really just need some advise and some encouragement from this forum of great IT pros. I'm really excited about it, and I see a bright future in it, as well as all kinds of $dollar signs$.

Here are the classes the degree plan starts out with:

Fall 2005
Survey of Information Technology <-This one is self explanatory

Logic Design info Tech <-This one freaks me out a little, can anyone explain it to me. Here is the description:
Introduces students to programming concepts, structured and object styles, logical thinking, and problem solving. General programming topics, design tools, and algorithms are introduced through pseudocode with structured modular design, object, and event-driven programming paradigms. Students will be able to plan and design the logic for IT systems.

Operating Systems <-Covers Windows and Linux. How much different is Linux compared to Mac OS X Tiger?

I know this is a lot, but I really appreciate any help

Thanks, Joseph

If your primary motivation is money, then I wouldn't suggest getting into IT. This goes for any job really. I'm not saying that this is the case for you, but I'm just pointing it out. As mentioned before, I would do some playing around with making web pages, and get your feet wet that way. Start with HTML and CSS. Using both of those are as easy as it gets in web development. There are a number of different paths that you can take in web development. Do you want to be more of a developer who works with databases and server type of stuff, or do you want to work more on the design aspects of it like dealing with images, and Flash? How about both?

About your classes, early classes will be very basic. If you are starting to sink in them, you may need to rethink things. The logic design class will be pretty much all theory of what it takes to program and not any real programming at all. They will teach you concepts that can be use to program regardless of what language you are using.

Oh, and since you were a music major, you could use your passion for music to work on music based web development things and thus you would be covering two aspects that you like within the same job.

[NogDog]

For what it's worth, In the 17+ years I've worked in the IT industry, I've met quite a few successful people in it who either majored or minored in music. There seems to be a certain synergy between the two. (I was a music ed. major.)

Did you know J.S. Bach was also well known as a mathematician? I guess anyone who could write a 4-part fugue like he could would've had no problem with recursive program functions. :)

[buntine]

Did you know J.S. Bach was also well known as a mathematician? I guess anyone who could write a 4-part fugue like he could would've had no problem with recursive program functions.

I love Bach.

[qzn]

Logic Design info Tech <-This one freaks me out a little, can anyone explain it to me. Here is the description:
Introduces students to programming concepts, structured and object styles, logical thinking, and problem solving. General programming topics, design tools, and algorithms are introduced through pseudocode with structured modular design, object, and event-driven programming paradigms. Students will be able to plan and design the logic for IT systems.


how do you program efficiently

will the program run on its own just down a list of items or will you have it object oriented , ie. it will respond to user interaction like clicking a button

if jane is taller than john and john is taller than amy:
is jane taller than amy?

using algebra and trigonometry

the basics of what you need to program and debug (fix problems)

pseudocode is just code to think thru a process - it's not perfectly correct in syntax(the code that the machine will understand)

that about sums it up in more layman terms
on the uml note: im just now getting introduced to it in the next to last semester - they took their time on that one but nice to know theres a web extention :)

[buntine]

on the uml note: im just now getting introduced to it in the next to last semester - they took their time on that one but nice to know theres a web extention

Cool. It can get a little tricky. All those college/university professors tend to make things overly complicated.

Regards.

[stacywacy]

I've been taking up IT for just over 1 year (switched from computer science) and I'm thinking about dropping out, even though I have only 9 more classes to take (about 9 more months). I have a BSBA so it doesn't matter. I don't think I have the aptitude for IT and I certainly can't grasp the concepts of programming (only the very basics, which is enough to get by on, so programming isn’t in my future). The only classes I've enjoyed so far are Web design and Database design and I'm looking forward to taking the advanced classes. Other than that I don't think I can hack being an IT major. That's well over $10,000 down the drain so far for this degree. The only thing I’m happy about is that my school isn’t on a semester schedule or I’d really be in trouble. Right now I’m taking up E-commerce and PC trouble shooting and my professor is suggesting that we take the A+ exam in 5 weeks, but I don’t know if I want to waste the money.

As far as whether you’ll be lost soon or not depends on how quickly you grasp everything and other factors. And, don’t worry about being in over your head because they’ll start you out with the basics. If you don’t know anything about IT now, then you’ll learn what you need to know in class. I knew absolutely nothing about IT until I started taking the classes. During my lower level classes my professors spent at least 30 minutes teaching students how to log into their e-mail and log into the university’s system. Good luck with your classes.

Someone mentioned that they know a few people who were music majors. One of my professors has degrees in music, math, and a master's in IT.