Should i do E-business or Databases module??

sandt

hi,
Not too sure this is the right place for this but i thought some guys on this part of boards would have a good idea on this.


Im currently doing a 3rd level course and i have to choose an elective subject between E-business/commerce or Databases.

Basically i dont know which one i should do / which one would look best on my CV at the end of this.

The E-business module involves using dreamveaver (which ive never used) to design websites, it will also involve having a database behind it and some PHP scripting.

The database module is basically all databases using oracle (again ive never used this, only used mySQL), and eventually integrating the database with java. A bonus with this module is that there is no exam in the summer it is all CA.

A few people on the course have decided to do databases because they reckon 'anyone can do web design' or 'you could do that course online/evening'.
but im not sure, i like the sound of designing websites and integrating them with a database.

as for the database module i REALLY hated that subject last year (just couldnt get my head around all that 'normalisation' :mad:) and loathe to do it again this year but if by doing it id have a better chance of getting a job next summer then i will do it.


Any thoughts guys?



Mods please move if need be.


thanks.

yoyo

sandt wrote: »

hi,
Not too sure this is the right place for this but i thought some guys on this part of boards would have a good idea on this.


Im currently doing a 3rd level course and i have to choose an elective subject between E-business/commerce or Databases.

Basically i dont know which one i should do / which one would look best on my CV at the end of this.

The E-business module involves using dreamveaver (which ive never used) to design websites, it will also involve having a database behind it and some PHP scripting.

The database module is basically all databases using oracle (again ive never used this, only used mySQL), and eventually integrating the database with java. A bonus with this module is that there is no exam in the summer it is all CA.

A few people on the course have decided to do databases because they reckon 'anyone can do web design' or 'you could do that course online/evening'.
but im not sure, i like the sound of designing websites and integrating them with a database.

as for the database module i REALLY hated that subject last year (just couldnt get my head around all that 'normalisation' :mad:) and loathe to do it again this year but if by doing it id have a better chance of getting a job next summer then i will do it.


Any thoughts guys?



Mods please move if need be.


thanks.

Would you like the thought of web design? The fact web design will cover databases also means you will be using PHP along with HTML/CSS/JavaScript. The web would possibly be the more difficult module but possibly the most useful? I'm assuming you will be using dreamweaver in "code view" and not wysiwyg view.
I agree totally database theory and normalisation is tedious, you'd probably be introduced to Procedural Language SQL in that module, I'd go for the web design one, but it would be a personal choice, I don't think a person could learn how to build decent websites with CSS, JavaScript, PHP in an evening, it may not be the most complicated type of programming out there but I wouldn't call it 'easy'

Nick

sandt

yoyo wrote: »

Would you like the thought of web design? The fact web design will cover databases also means you will be using PHP along with HTML/CSS/JavaScript. The web would possibly be the more difficult module but possibly the most useful? I'm assuming you will be using dreamweaver in "code view" and not wysiwyg view.
I agree totally database theory and normalisation is tedious, you'd probably be introduced to Procedural Language SQL in that module, I'd go for the web design one, but it would be a personal choice, I don't think a person could learn how to build decent websites with CSS, JavaScript, PHP in an evening, it may not be the most complicated type of programming out there but I wouldn't call it 'easy'

Nick

Thanks for the reply, had a go at dreamweaver during the week, I'm not sure what you mean by "wysiwyg" view?
We just used the program as normal I thnk!!
I really enjoyed using the program for the first time, but I'm still not sure if I'm missing out on the databases side of things. I was talking to a few people who decided to do databases and they seem to think it is a bit easier using oracle than last year.


Still not sure what to do!!

yoyo

sandt wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, had a go at dreamweaver during the week, I'm not sure what you mean by "wysiwyg" view?
We just used the program as normal I thnk!!
I really enjoyed using the program for the first time, but I'm still not sure if I'm missing out on the databases side of things. I was talking to a few people who decided to do databases and they seem to think it is a bit easier using oracle than last year.


Still not sure what to do!!

WYSIWYG means "What you see is what you get", Ie using Dreamweaver like using microsoft Word . It has a very powerful code view where you actually write the HTML markup yourself, which is much better, and gives you morte control If you enjoy programming you may prefare databases, although PHP is a programming language and it would depend at how much you cover in the course, personally I'd go the web development module, but thats probably due to me absolutely hating bloody databases and Oracle PL SQL in college, whatever you choose best of luck anyways

Nick

starlit

Hey Op, both are equally good modules. Depends what career path you are looking into, what you are good at, your likes and dislikes and what your interests are. E-business isn't too bad but is a difficult module from experience of having done it as part of my degree. It was more the business terminology side rather than the technical side I were dealing with which was harder again.

When I went back to college to do a HDip I did PHP and found it a straightforward programming language to learn. CSS and HTML are very simple programming languages to learn as is the Dreamweaver software is very easy to learn. It depends do you like web design/web development, creating business ideas when marketing online or do you like straightforward procedures and dealing with setting up a system database?

Personally I would go with the Database module, I did it in my third year of my degree and again when I did my HDp. I found the module very straightforward to learn, the SQL Programming is quiet simple. Databases was one of my best subjects in college while e-business I found it quiet hard. You will probably get to learn a bit of web design/development as well as PHP in this module so don't think you will miss out in all that much if you didn't do the e-business module. When creating web pages you probably need to create and link a database anyway so you will learn that I am sure if you are learning either PHP and or Java and or VB. Java is one of those programming languages you need to have some knowledge of.

Continuous Assessment is better in my opinion than having to sit an exam at the end of it when its a practical subject! Every college and course is different, for a very practical subject they do a written exam for it which isn't logical at all but that's how things go! Based on job prospects Databases be the way to go but if you feel you don't want to do the subject do the e-business module you can always change your mind after a while can you?! Or do an evening course outside of college for the web side of things if you really want to learn that and do the database module for college. Go what you think is best for you.

Good luck with your decision OP. If there are any other questions you'd like to ask fire away! Best of luck!