Help me choose my modules

Amphicoelias

Very soon I will have to choose my modules for next semester (I am doing a 4 semester IT Conversion course).

What I have done so far:

1. Web Design.....Grade A
2. SQL...........Grade A+
3. C..........Grade B- (this subject was a bit of a battle, but started to sort of like it when I began understanding things).
4. C++............A+ (properly a few grades too high from just remembering answers.. I really hated this module)
5. Windows 7 and Linux Administration........A
6. Windows Server 2008 Administration........A+
7. PHP Project.... ?? Doing this right now. PHP seems easier to grasp than C or C++ were

The main choices for the last semester:

1. Java
2. More Java
3. Android Development
4. Wireless Networks
5. Information Security Management
6. Forensics
7. Ruby
8. Intro to Python
9. Management in IT
10. Law in IT
11. Enterprise, Innovation, Entreprenuership in IT
12. Collective Intelligence
13. Context-Sensitive Service Delivery
14. System Analysis and Design

Now, I have bolded the ones above I am thinking I should do. I was thinking I would be suited to either a web development role, or systems administration role.. so Ruby would come in useful in either of these roles?

I could do Java, and android, but this sends me down the road of a hard core programmer, I am not sure If this would suit me since C and C++ were such a painful battle for me?

Any thoughts?

Thanks

SalteeDog

For maximum employability, Java, more Java, Python and perhaps System Analysis.

CD8ED

Personally I found System Analysis very boring, but it's pretty easy to learn/regurgitate in an exam.

Procasinator

Amphicoelias wrote: »

I could do Java, and android, but this sends me down the road of a hard core programmer

I wouldn't call Java development (targetting Android or otherwise) hardcore development. Generally people find the learning curve for Java is tougher than PHP, Ruby and Python, but easier than C and C++.

ChRoMe

Procasinator wrote: »

I wouldn't call Java development (targetting Android or otherwise) hardcore development. Generally people find the learning curve for Java is tougher than PHP, Ruby and Python, but easier than C and C++.

SalteeDog

BTW - I'd be surprised you will learn anything useful in "Management in IT" that would actually help you being a manager in a real job - except for perhaps the meaning of a few buzzwords or the like. Do you have a syllabus for that module?

Amphicoelias

SalteeDog wrote: »

BTW - I'd be surprised you will learn anything useful in "Management in IT" that would actually help you being a manager in a real job - except for perhaps the meaning of a few buzzwords or the like. Do you have a syllabus for that module?

https://sisweb.ucd.ie/usis/w_sm_web_inf_viewer_banner.show_module?p_subj=IS&p_crse=40370#bookmarkassessment

Amphicoelias

ChRoMe wrote: »

Huh....!?!?

Procasinator

ChRoMe wrote: »

I don't really get how this is relevant. I'm not disparaging Java (or Ruby, Python, PHP), only saying that many find C and C++ harder than Java - things like pointers, manual memory management and a more confusing eco-system make C/C++ difficult for a lot of people.

SalteeDog

Amphicoelias wrote: »

https://sisweb.ucd.ie/usis/w_sm_web_inf_viewer_banner.show_module?p_subj=IS&p_crse=40370#bookmarkassessment

Mostly waffle...

fergalr

Amphicoelias wrote: »

Very soon I will have to choose my modules for next semester (I am doing a 4 semester IT Conversion course).

What I have done so far:

1. Web Design.....Grade A
2. SQL...........Grade A+
3. C..........Grade B- (this subject was a bit of a battle, but started to sort of like it when I began understanding things).
4. C++............A+ (properly a few grades too high from just remembering answers.. I really hated this module)
5. Windows 7 and Linux Administration........A
6. Windows Server 2008 Administration........A+
7. PHP Project.... ?? Doing this right now. PHP seems easier to grasp than C or C++ were

The main choices for the last semester:

1. Java
2. More Java
3. Android Development
4. Wireless Networks
5. Information Security Management
6. Forensics
7. Ruby
8. Intro to Python
9. Management in IT
10. Law in IT
11. Enterprise, Innovation, Entreprenuership in IT
12. Collective Intelligence
13. Context-Sensitive Service Delivery
14. System Analysis and Design

Now, I have bolded the ones above I am thinking I should do. I was thinking I would be suited to either a web development role, or systems administration role.. so Ruby would come in useful in either of these roles?

I could do Java, and android, but this sends me down the road of a hard core programmer, I am not sure If this would suit me since C and C++ were such a painful battle for me?

Any thoughts?

Thanks

You've already put your finger on the important issue: do you want to go 'down the road of a hard core programmer' or not?

Do you want to be able to have a career as a developer, or not?
If you want to, you should get back into fully fledged programming, and do as much of it as you can, seeing as you found C/C++ tough.

Programming is the core skill of a software course. Everything else hangs off it.
If you are comfortable with programming, then being able to code competently will open up a lot of doors in tech and make a lot of other things easier for you.

Most of the other things in those courses, you could probably learn later, by reading books or picking up the knowledge as you go. (There are, of course, other big areas that take time and practice - e.g. software engineering, software architecture, design, math, AI.)

The courses you already did makes it look like you are heading to be a developer.

If so, but if you don't quite get programming yet, then do as much programming as you can: Java, More Java, Android, Ruby, Python. (Or if thats just too focused, to the point where you'll lose interest and get bored, instead maybe take Java, More Java, and maybe Python, then 2 others you are interested in.)

Each successive language will get easier.

C,C++,Java,Ruby,Python all have a huge amount in common. They are all basically different evolutions of the same language/paradigm, and what you learn in one will transfer a lot to the others. C/C++ is probably the most difficult variants, so don't get too discouraged because you found it tough the first time round.


On "Information Security Management" and "Management in IT": While those individual courses may be good, in general you should be wary of any academic course thought by an academic, with the word 'management' in the title. Its better if the course is being taught by an experienced industry manager that is just coming in to teach the course, but even then, theres a lot of bad information about management. Its hard to beat just reading 'Rapid Development' and 'Peopleware' and a couple of the other good software management books, and doing some group projects, as a learning experience.

There's a couple of other interesting/good courses there (collective intelligence) but you might be better off leaving such more specialised courses until later, unless you are sure you are interested in that particular area.

I don't know why you'd do a course in 'wireless networks' unless you particularly wanted to get into a related area? If you did, then it makes sense, but I wouldnt do it as a general conversion course (but I dont know anything about that specific course other than the name.)

IRLConor

Pick the things you most need a teacher for. You can learn any of those topics on your own time, but some will be much easier if you have someone to lead you through it.

Don't be afraid of difficult subjects. Most people will get more out of struggling in a hard subject than they would by ace-ing an easy one. If you really need the piece of paper at the end of your course to have a particular number on it, then fair enough be more cautious but you should try and stretch yourself.

conor.hogan.2

If you want to go down the dev route avoid the info sec module and modules like that, but places go fast and clashes can happen so be quick to choose.