[GRLUG] Is ITT Tech a Good School?

[mooselikebriard]

Ultimately IT is my new career path therefore employability is of
prime concern.  I do however, see in life that a sheepskin matters
most to the HR folks, not so much the customer who's main concern is
getting there problem corrected.  I feel employability comes with
being good at what you do, regardless of how you got there.

That being said, I certainly feel a degree opens many doors hence my
current interest.  Mostly I just want to improve my skills at IT.
There is much I do not know, and most agree my soft skills are already
decent.  I am old enough that I would like to focus my energy on my
technical abilities.

On 2/22/11, Eric Beversluis <ebever at researchintegration.org> wrote:
> On Tue, 2011-02-22 at 08:58 -0500, Jonathon Klobucar wrote:
>>
>> > There are a lot of certification programs out there which compress
>> > semester-long courses into one-week or three-day hands-on runs.
>>
>>
>>
>> > linux+ is a place to start if you really really want a cert.
>>
>> > At this stage, if you're considering spending the coin to go back to
>> > school for a couple years, consider spending that same coin on a
>> > round
>> > of certs and workshops. In the computer field, cert programs are
>> > almost certainly going to be more up-to-speed on the industry than
>> > college courses. (I've got an acquaintance who's taking a class
>> > involving Fedora who has been having difficulty because the version
>> > of
>> > Fedora they're using came out after their textbook)
>> >
>> > Also, the best way to learn to do anything right is to eat your own
>> > dogfood the way the cat learned to swim*. Back up your Windows
>> > install, wipe your system, install Linux and go to town learning how
>> > to use it.
>> >
>> > Finally, there are a lot of good general knowledge books available
>> > on
>> > just about any subject you want to pick up.
>> >
>> > Or take the slightly less insane route and wean yourself more
>> > slowly. :)
>> >
>> > * Don't you just _love_ mixed metaphors?
>
> @MooselikeBriard:
> If you're already using Linux to rescue your Windows systems you
> probably know what you'd get from an intro Linux/Unix courge (eg at
> KVCC, where I took mine).
>
> The advantages I see to a bachelors degree program:
> --More training in logic/math/programming than you'd get from
> self-study. This varies by individual, but even if your objective is
> sysadmin/security, you probably need to be reasonably good at scripting
> and programming
> --(Hopefully) faculty who can answer questions. When you're on a steep
> learning curve this is much more efficient than mailing lists and
> forums.
> --Employers in many cases want the breadth and depth of a 4-year degree.
> Even in IT writing skills and acquaintance with humanities are
> important.  I remember a student I had years ago who started as a
> business major and then, for whatever reason, switched to a double major
> in philosophy and economics. He then went on to law school. Given what I
> know of his innate ability, I don't think the business major would have
> given him the abilities he needed to succeed in law school.
>
> On the other hand, if you just want to get good at Linux and otherwise
> know your way around computers and at least some about programming,
> self-study can take you a long way.
>
> Some people are well-known for dissing formal education, but we're not
> all equally quick and equally capable of disciplined self-study.
>
>
>
>
>
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