[ale] CS Degree necessary?

[Chris Farris]

My experience was going to school long enough to meet the right people
and do the right things to get enough experience to get a job. I started
at Tech in '93 and didn't get my degree till 2000. In between I've spend
about 3 years working FT. I learned more working FT than I did at Tech
or SPSU. 

I would recommend the degree program that will give you the most time
and flexibility in discovering what you want to do, and doing it.
Contribute to an OpenSource project, get involved in campus activities.
Do the non-classwork stuff that will help you get ahead once you do
graduate.

If you plan to go into the business community, take some Management-type
classes, It is very useful to know the CEO/CFO perspective on things. If
you want an academic career take the harder course work, and get
involved w/ research projects. Both the schools I've been to have been
open to undergrads doing research. Sometime I kick myself for not
getting more involved in it. 

Eh, enough rambling for now.

Chris

--
Chris Farris
Sr. Consultant
PrimeHarbor Technologies 
http://www.primeharbor.com
chrisf at primeharbor.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Golden [mailto:naugrimk at yahoo.com] 
> Sent: 16 January, 2002 7:56 PM
> To: ale at ale.org
> Subject: [ale] CS Degree necessary?
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 	I know a similar thread has gone on in this list a 
> while back but for one I'm too lazy right now to go back and 
> try to find it and two I don't recall well enough if it 
> addressed this exact topic.
> 	Right now I am set up to major in Computer Science but 
> I've only been taking general education core classes so far. 
> I was talking to people about some of the classes for the 
> major and I took a look through them myself and I'm not sure 
> how interested I am in taking half of them. I'd like to have 
> a career in computers but I don't know how much I'll enjoy this major.
> 	Is a CS degree really necessary in the real world for 
> computer jobs? What are the advantages/disadvantages to 
> having it? Anything else to add?
> 
> Michael
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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> 
> 



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