So I finally flunked out of my course. My mistake was sticking it out another semester, when I could've quit earlier. Oh well, that's in the past now, and it's time to pick a new course. I've basically narrowed it down to a B.Sc. in Computing or Business Information Systems, or a B.A. in Mass Communication. The thing is, I'm not really interested in MassComm since I'm not much of an extrovert and being in MassComm probably requires a whole lot of, well, communication and people skills. However, I've also been advised against I.T. since there're already a lot of I.T. grads and the competition is tough. Also, I'm not so young anymore [being 22 - when I graduate I'll be 25+], so future employers might [would?] factor that in against me when I apply for jobs. Computing is also new to me since I don't know anything about programming, hardware, etc., and I'm afraid that might be a disadvantage to me [considering age again and all]. I'm under the impression that the employability of BIS grads is higher than that of plain Computing grads, but again, it involves more interaction and seems like not much specialization, so in that sense I think Computing might be better. I was also advised to take a more specialized course, something relating to security, but unfortunately that's not one of my options. Right now I'm hoping to receive some input as to why I should or shouldn't do I.T., and some idea of the workload I.T. students face. If the feedback is overly negative, then I suppose it's MassComm for me... Thanx in advance for replies...
Eh, I thought you wanted to do Pharmacy?? IMHO, you should choose a vocation that you enjoy. You should not choose a course just based on its current or future prospects. What would you LIKE to do??
My only advise is do something you really like. Passion is the only key that will keep you going further. Every field makes money as long as you are really good in it. The more expert you are, the more money you make, in fact most employers look for experienced people rather than the field you graduated in. Besides, a degree is so common nowadays that it doesn't worth more than it is used to be. Also no matter what course you take, there are bound to be many others who took it as well. The key to stand out from the rest is that you know more than they do.
imo, the most reputable paper atm is the B.Sc in Computing amongst the 3 you mentioned. however, having any of those papers only help so much when trying to land a proper job in relation to what you've studied. think of it as just a piece of paper that will only get you started. unless you specialize, you'll probably won't be using the knowledge you gained anyway. it'll all come down to experience. i think the most important question you're probably asking is can i get a job with this paper. yes, the minimum nowadays is a degree. the rest depends on how you present yourself. any IT courses you take would probably involve 1 or 2 programming languages which you need to generally learn.. but besides that, it's not overly difficult. it really depends where your taking it. my personal experience is that if you take it overseas.. it's much easier.. so get the-bloody-waste-of-time-but-required-degree, and take some other courses which interest you a lot and you'll do good. everyone would advise you to study something you like instead.. but most of the time your not sure what you like anyways... what you need more now is experience rather than paper. no point studying so much and wasting your time and money. the older you get, the harder it'll be to get a job as a fresh grad (unless your father knows an uncle who knows a tan sri etc). in summary, unless your lich and want to court girls (hey, the best place is in college and uni's) get a degree fast and get the experience (job hopping). with a little luck, you'll might just discover what you really like to do on the way.. _____________________________________________ i'm holding a B.Com in IT and IS and my first real job was as a telemarketer! proceeded to Sales Manager, then IT Administrator and then demoted to IT Systems Engineer (but with higher pay!) of course all in different companies. i've been lucky so far...
Be careful where you get your B.Comp too, because some private universities/colleges and also some public universities' syllabus is too darn easy and lack quality. I know of some colleges/universities (both private and public) whose third year syllabus is equivalent to my first year material.. And don't let the 'get a fast degree' or 'this college/uni is easy to pass' sway your decision
Damn kids and your computers...run awayyyy arghhhh But seriously i agree with djSpinnet, i myself have seen some of the course syllabus of some colleges. I say do what makes you happy
I must say that these days, a degree is a MINIMUM. It's the new equivalent of a high school certificate in our father's or grandfather's days. But I believe success is not pegged to the degree you have. At most, it's your passport to a white-collar job. At the very least, it's something to hang on the wall. Seriously, I think we should aim to do what we are MOST passionate about. That's the only way to succeed because no matter what we do, we need DRIVE to succeed.
I agree with djspinnet. If you really want to get a degree in Computer Science, get it at some reputed universities or colleges. Some tips: MMU is of high demand I know, particularly from bigger organizations such as Maxis. When we went for interviewes, some employers do emphasize on where we get our degree However should you find the institute you studying is kind of weak on the syllabus, always try to take the initiative to study extra courses outside. Especially getting certified in certain programming language such as from Sun microsystems or Microsoft. Those certs is valuable in the I.T. market In a way it distinguishes you fom the rest.
Do as u please man. What do u want to do. Not what is marketable or not (although it shouldn't be totally disregarded... )
Cool, a lot of replies! Thanx guys! Well, it seems the general opinion is to do what I want to do, what makes me happy. That's actually why I flunked out of Pharmacy I suppose. I had no interest in it, it's not what I wanted to do and I was miserable doing it. So to me, "doing what I want to do" now totally makes sense. After reading all the replies, I've made my decision to try for the B.Sc. in Computing. I can say that it's the most appealing to me, so I might as well go for it! Even though it'll be completely new to me and I'll probably need to put in a whole lot of effort, I'm going to give it all I've got and this time there can be no excuses since I actually chose the course myself. Besides, if I ever need help, I can always come to the forums, right?
Heheh.. If that's what you want! Be sure to find out from those already taking the course.. or working to see if that's the kind of job you want to be doing. Good luck!!
btw. do some research first to get an idea of what are the differences between courses like: - Bachelor of Computer Science - Bachelor of I.T. - Bachelor of Computing They may sound the same, but they're actually not. Most places tend to offer Bachelor of IT or Computing (or something like that in the name lar) but not many offers a Bachelor of Computer Science. Look up the differences to decide on which one your interest is in. This is important 'cause well, one big complaint nowadays is that a lot of courses dont seem to be teaching the stuff that the market needs. Avoid courses that claims to give u the best of IT and Biz, 'cause well, its just in name lar. What u'll learn in both fields will be so shallow that its practically useless. U'll be better off doing a full IT related degree while taking electives from Biz...
One thing's for certain in my experience. the degree will still end up as a paper. it's experience that counts when an employer hires you. I've been lucky to have quite a number of part time work and contract jobs (IT/Computing related ones of course) under my belt by the time i graduate. Therefore, I was able to land on a job immediately after my final exams. It don't really matter what course it really is. I've seen many engineers ending up with highly paid consulting jobs and many so called comp sci grads ending up as slaving programmers. The difference? These engineer grads I know picked up their own skills and has taken the initiatives to do things on their own, pick up skills on their own and etc. As for the comp sci grads? they simple expect to just use what they learnt in uni for work... until they finally find that what they have learnt is totally useless.
The only reason why this is so, is that the employers know tat in those institution, you are forced to have certain skills, such as presentation, self study, etc. So as long as you have your own self initiative to learn new skills and is able to prove it to your interviewer, you don't need a degree from a good school.
That's a rather sweeping statement - it applies to all fields, not just comp sci grads. Like a Monash lecturer once said in a Business Law class, "You study and slave yourself here and think yourself grand only to realize after you graduate that you've learnt nothing at all"
Hehe.. It's true even in medicine. Once we graduate, we are not supposed to think, just do. And we basically throw whatever we learn out the window. Well, the basics are still important, but as far as tests, treatment, etc. goes, we have to follow the hospital protocol and that can be totally different from what we learn.
