Computing Courses - Advice Needed...

Random

I'm interested in Computing.

Programming: I've dabbled in C, Java, Visual Basic (not very indepth, but enough to get started). I've also done a good bit of PHP/MySQL.

Networking: I'm interested in setting up networks, their operation, P2P technology etc.

Hardware: I'm interested in learning how the latest technoligies work, but I have NO interest in learning about how the resistors, capacitors, inductors etc blend together. I'd also be pretty interested in PC Maintenance and repair. I'm also into building and upgrading computers and wouldn't touch a prebuilt PC.



I've had a look aroun most of the Irish Colleges and I can't seem to find a course which would suit my requirements ? Has anyone come across one? Got any suggestions?



Cheers in advance

Repli

I'd say horticulture in UCd

-oRnein9-

Repli wrote:

I'd say horticulture in UCd

Capt'n Midnight

Repli wrote:

I'd say horticulture in UCd

ouch.

Programming - have a look on the programming forum

ciaranfo wrote:

Networking: I'm interested in setting up networks, their operation, P2P technology etc.

Networks - cabling or fileservers , logins , security , routing , deploying ?
P2P - since this is underground not much of a commercial market for it. Big sites will already have a proxy server so they only need to download onceand even then it would almost certainly be from a trusted (ie. non-P2P) site.
Here in Ireland a couple of years ago there were like 50,000 MCSE's or something, more than a few from boot camp - there aren't that many SME's so IMHO I wouldn't reckon it's worth going down that particular avenue unless you can get experiance too.

ciaranfo wrote:

Hardware: I'm interested in learning how the latest technoligies work, but I have NO interest in learning about how the resistors, capacitors, inductors etc blend together. I'd also be pretty interested in PC Maintenance and repair. I'm also into building and upgrading computers and wouldn't touch a prebuilt PC.

You're describing a boardswapper - the defining characteristic being almost no training/experiance required.

damnyanks

A general degree in comp sci should cover all that quite easily. For instance my classes this year are the following...

Data structures and algorithms (Programming with Java)
Web Development (Programming with C#)
Artifical Inteligence (Programming with Prolog)
Software Engineering (Methodologies behind engineering of software)
Operating Systems (How operating systems work, also some light programming)
Computer Hardware (How machines work at the hardware level, also some light programming)
Syntax Analysis (No idea what its really about Lots of perl to be done though!)
Networking (About different network technologies and network interface API's for programming)
C And Unix (Programming)
Human Computer Interaction (UI stuff, how to do things the right way etc.)
Database Systems (Databases )

Thats in second year. I did a national cert as well which covered the things you asked about also. But as I said most computer related degree's should cover what you have listed.

neon_glows

Im in W.I.T study commercial computing, it covers all the topics your interested in, heavil programming based with two languages a year, its a cert followed by a diploma followed by a degree (The degree is computer science commercial option)

AntiRip

If you just wanted to do pc upgrade & repair you should do a home study course that just deals with that only. For example Kilroys College does PC Upgrade & Repair

Random

Hiya lads, cheers for all the replies



In terms of networking I'm interested in fileservers, management, setup, etc


"You're describing a boardswapper - the defining characteristic being almost no training/experiance required."
- yeh, but where can someone go with this?

What's WIT?

What course are you in damnyanks?

Anyone suggest any decent courses in Dublin ? I guess one which gives you a cert first, then dip, then degree would be best, but I'm open to most...

youcancallmeal

ciaranfo wrote:

Hiya lads, cheers for all the replies



In terms of networking I'm interested in fileservers, management, setup, etc


"You're describing a boardswapper - the defining characteristic being almost no training/experiance required."
- yeh, but where can someone go with this?

What's WIT?

What course are you in damnyanks?

Anyone suggest any decent courses in Dublin ? I guess one which gives you a cert first, then dip, then degree would be best, but I'm open to most...

I'm fairly certain WIT is Waterford Institute Of Technology
Yea quite interested in doing something like this myself part time next year aswell. So far i've been looking at the DIT(Dublin Institute Of Technology) website and they seem to have a good selection of courses. Its hard really to decide on anything because all the course descriptions are spruced up to sound better than they actually are(I found out the hard way )

secret_squirrel

Dont bother learning computing - the indians will be doing it all soon.

Random

Thanks secret_squirrel, real constructive

youcancallme>al - like you I have / or seem to be finding out the hard way myself too. Computer Engineering just doesn't seem to be for me, it's just not what I expected at all (taken me enough repeats to work that one out!).

I'm looking around at a couple of courses but they range from being pretty dam useful but needing prior experience to apply, or too dam ****ing basic that I know most of the stuff already.

damnyanks

secret_squirrel wrote:

Dont bother learning computing - the indians will be doing it all soon.

Thats about 3 years out of date Actually what happens now is work is out sourced to India which is then out sourced to China which is even cheaper

But that doesn't really work all the time hence the huge demand for different IT staff. For instance I'm a second year now. Next year is my industrial placement year... I've been offered jobs ranigng from 10k (Sterling) to 35k (Sterling). And no I'm not a know it all I got like 290points in my leaving 3 years ago

I'm currently studying software engineering in the UK. DIT do a diploma version of their computer science degree which looked pretty good. Thats a 3 year course though.

Lots of places offer e HETAC national cert. Thats what I originally did. To be honest they are quite basic. I didn't find it challenging at all. I have had a keen interest in computing for many years but still it really was basic non sense.

Just about every single third level institution in Ireland has at the very least one IT releated qualification. If free fee's in scotland still exist for Irish students perhaps look into studying in Edinburagh. Their CompSci department is meant to be excellent (But challenging)

Mitch Connor

neon_glows wrote:

Im in W.I.T study commercial computing, it covers all the topics your interested in, heavil programming based with two languages a year, its a cert followed by a diploma followed by a degree (The degree is computer science commercial option)

i'm, in the 3rd year of that course - its an ordinary degree, not a diploma. the 3rd year is also crap with only AI and Java as programming languages, instead we have to learn about Law and German :mad:

yawn

i'm in crumlin college doing IT with Cisco.

cover most course such as:

computer architecture
computer maintainence
introduction to networking
routing technologies
database methods
programming
web design

it's a 2 year course, u get a cert but can go onto other places such as dit and skip the first year there. get a degree from dit.

something like 4 or 5 places kept aside for students out of cc with a fetac award.

stevenmu

If you're interested in the FAS option, they run A+ courses. The A+ is divided into software, which is really just the ins and outs of windows, and hardware, which I think is pretty much at the level you're talking of. They also do Network+, I'm sure you can guess what's involved in that

unklerosco

If u go to fas do not go to the Finglas center. Its a joke, ballyfermot is meant to be good. Ballyfermot college itself has some good computer courses...

secret_squirrel

damnyanks wrote:

Thats about 3 years out of date Actually what happens now is work is out sourced to India which is then out sourced to China which is even cheaper

Admittedly I was being slightly facetious - but it is worth bearing in mind. Outsourcing is getting fairly popular, with India and China churning out literally millions of IT graduates, and whilst I dont necessarily think they will do us all out of jobs - it can only have a negative effect on salaries in the long term.

Put it this way - I've been in IT 10 years and I would be very surprised if I am earning much more than my current salary plus inflation in 10 years time. The golden age of IT salaries is dying - people looking to do IT should bear that in mind.

Im expecting to have to take a pay cut the next IT job I take.

woolymammoth

you could always opt for something like this .

AFAIK, its available elsewhere, and not just in c'bar (where management is only interested in overcrowding to get numbers and, hence, funds. and by that i mean the facilities are quite sh*t compared to what you'll expect from reading about the course!)

http://www.google.ie/search...

be weary if you look into this one. it has its pros (good topics, 18 months, inc 6 months work placement)

but it can have its cons (18 months. your placement is the only guarenteed 6 months you'll do. your 6 months study in college, already condensed, will be even shorter again due to holidays, exams and all that. that might seem ok now, but when the work piles up....)