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On to college...

I will give you THIS advice, from personal experience:

If you love computers, get a degree in something else, but throw in as many computer-related courses as you can.

I tell you this, because as Chuck so succintly pointed out, the corp world is not the best.

In computers, you can *AND WILL* eventually burn out. And more than once.
I'm not even 40 yet (few more weeks!) and I've burned out about 3 times!!

once, sold cars, 2nd time, repaired electric forklifts, third time, I forgot WHAT I did!

Getting work experience in a computer field, but a degree in something else, will have you covered for now and near future, as well as longer into the future if you burn out.

Just my $.02 - keep the change ;)


T
 
Oooooo, sold cars, you say? I too tried that. Close to total failure. I didn't improve as time went along, I got worse.

It was VERY VALUABLE experience though. When the ex-cons from Florida try to con me into septic helper, at least I know the breed very well now.
 
It seems some of us have even more similarity than collecting computers. Maybe the similar intrests are tied together and somehow run through some peoples DNA. I say this as I, at 15(going on 16) want to sell (used) cars. It seems to me if you hit the right area one could be quite succesful. I have already gotten a taste of it, selling my dad's Saturn. Quite an easy way to make money while having fun. I think , much like fizing computers, working on cars is fun. I just like a challenge that uses knowledge and hands on work, though.

--Ryan

PS, congrats on the test!
 
Seriously, learn a trade that will always be in demand anywhere, anytime (butcher, barber, mechanic, etc), but study the computer stuff you find interesting too. IT jobs come and go so quickly these days, that it's hard to count on any for long-term security. Best to have another thing to fall back on between situations.

--T
 
I think a modern (car) mechanic has to study quite a bit of IT, as the cars get more and more advanced. Not that they have to become developers or system administrators, but learn how to use specialized and probably advanced diagnostic software.
 
Terry Yager wrote:

Seriously, learn a trade that will always be in demand anywhere, anytime (butcher, barber, mechanic, etc), but study the computer stuff you find interesting too. IT jobs come and go so quickly these days, that it's hard to count on any for long-term security. Best to have another thing to fall back on between situations.

Persisely why I decided to work with Weeds! :-D

Of course after a while you get to be quite good at how to keep Weeds out too! :-o
 
Terry Yager wrote:

But, if you ever become so good at it that you threaten your own job security, you can always toss around a handful or two of crabgrass seeds...

Yes well unfortunately while I was trying to establish what we might call Crabgrass (cause Common Names of Plants change from place to place - especially countries) I looked this grass up in the past to find out what we call it - oh yes good ol' Summer grass. Our workplace already works with Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), Buffalo (Stenotaphrum secundatum) and Couch (Cynodon dactylon). The Couch grass is perhaps the closest thing which looks like Crabgrass, I'm unsure if there's any Crabgrass there or not, don't think so. Those other grasses of course are potential weeds and have already invaded gardens. These grasses are of course typical weeds and invade Bushlands and Coastal in urban areas without a problem! :-x All of them are Perennial and a pain to remove by hand.
 
My 2 cents.

Do something hard. You have to be willing to do things that other people shy away from.

I graduated at the top of my class in 92 with a computer science degree from a good school with an old, established program. It wasn't MIT, but it has taken me far. The saying 'you get out of it what you put into it' could not be more true than for education. And it was hard. My masters degree was hard as well.

I work for a big evil computer corporation whose initials are IBM. It's been 15 years now. When I started at IBM is was hopelessly fat and bloated, and investors knew it. Stock price went from the low 90s down to about 45 in a few months. Sharks were circling in the water looking for bodies. The first layoffs came not too long after I started working.

I'm still at IBM years later. I've worked on the gory internals of an operating system, found a few processor bugs, met countless customers, helped build the worlds current fastest super computer, and seen some amazing things. I've also met a lot of great people, some of them who no longer work with me.

If you are willing to work hard and tackle things that nobody else wants to go near, you will probably be able to keep your job just a little bit longer. College is the perfect place to start practicing. If I were to do things again right now, I'd go for the math. People who can do hardcore math are very much in demand, for engineering, finance, etc.
 
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