That's the field I'm in now. 7 years after going to school, I finally decided to work in the field I spent so much time going to school for.

 

Oh i dont plan on stopping with just my associates, after this ill shoot for my BAS

 

Well after i start taking some classes and start learning the basics and start grasping everything.....what would be a good direction to start looking for a job while im in school? I mean, i have a pretty nice job where im at making 13 an hour but its definitly dead end and wont go anywhere, i just would liek to stay here untill i can get a job doing what im going to school for...

 

You wont learn much about platform technology at USF engineering. That kinda stuff gets outdated way too quickly to make worth learning in college.

They teach you mathmatics and structured programming skills for the most part. You can take Networking and security classes as electives, but its all nitty gritty theory (eg. you learn the create the algorithms behind MD5 hashing and RSA).

If you want to learn commands in linx you need to got to a tech school. Most of that stuff is learned on the job anyway. If your job requires certs, most companies will send you out on thier dollar. Ive got 3 certs my company wanted me to have and has paid for.

 

congratz!!! im in the same boat...

after withdrawling 2+ yrs ago i decided to go back. im going to be attending ITT and im planning on finishing my bachelors in CNS. i chose ITT because it is a technical school and they're close to home. is SPC known for this trade? i wouldnt mind going to a real college rather than a trade school, but i figured a trade school would be best even though it costs about 70k after 4 yrs.

 

Dont waste your time/money at a tech school unless it's one of the spectacularly renowned ones, of which theres one, but I completely forget the name and its nowhere near FL.

I went to ECPI and it was a joke.

 

keep with it, i have about 2 semesters left to get my Business AA done and transfer to USF-st pete. but i am dropping out. like you, i found out what i want to do with my life. i start EMT training january, if all goes well, ill get certified and be in the Fire Academy by April, and in a house by the end of next year....i have a "glam" job right now...8-5, in the a/c, pushing a pencil and talking to customers...and i when i sit down and really think about whats going on, and i ask myself, "who is benefitting from my help" only 1 person...the owner...i am not out to line anyones pockets anymore. i like to help people, and well...im a pyro from birth, so i think the job fits me well... (cant bitch about 24 hours on 48 off either!)

basically the point of that whole rambling was...dont get tied up in something you dont honestly have a passion for...you will turn into me, how i am now. pissed at my job, bad attitude from the utter incompetance, and absurdly upset about the effort i put forth and the returns i get for it. (example, i wrote 5 web pages, and wrote 2 programs for my department so our customers would be able to do things smoother, the paperwork was legible, and stuff was done correctly....i get a "good job"....im about to give the delete function a "good job" of its own.

 

yup. I bet most of us IT people aren't passionate about it, like we thought we'd be

 

Well my 2 years off has been since high school. I havent been to college yet.

The reason im going to spc...well, i want my associates so i have something to fall back on in case i dont like the IT field.

 

well.... good luck to you all.