Jobs after graduation

[Sip]

I have this cooky dream of working and completing a civil engineering degree in night school. Am I totaly nuts, what do you think?

Depends ... I keep getting these emails about all sorts of BS/MS/PhD diplomas I can order online

To do a serious degree you better commit yourself a few years and do it right. Otherwise, you will go to school forever and never get anything done. I'm not saying it can't be done but an engineering degree will take a good 4 years (summers off to work). Plus the classes build on top of each other so if it takes too long between your first few classes and last few classes you'll more than likely realize you forgot the basics (such as calculus) by the time you really start to need it towards the end.

Having said that, I know someone who did his entire UCLA undergrad Computer Science BS degree in 2 years flat with a 4.0 GPA! He was taking 5-6 classes a quarter year round (including summer) and acing them all. He then came to our research group and did his masters in 1 year after which he totally did a 180 and went to law school. Last I talked to him, he was studying for the bar exam! So anything is possible ... I am only telling you what is reasonable to expect ... and doing a serious engineering degree in night school, although possible, just doesn't sound plausible to me. Unless just want a paper from some place that says you have a degree.

[patlajan]

Kooky dream indeed. I think you're totally nuts. Is this even offered anywhere? isn't night school geared more towards completing a high school or associates degree or something? Civil engineering?! You nut.

It doesn't have to be "nigh school". Classes after 5 oclock sound better? If my science teachers in highscool weren't total idiots, maybe I wouldn't have "wasted" my first 4 years in college.

[patlajan]

Depends ... I keep getting these emails about all sorts of BS/MS/PhD diplomas I can order online

To do a serious degree you better commit yourself a few years and do it right. Otherwise, you will go to school forever and never get anything done. I'm not saying it can't be done but an engineering degree will take a good 4 years (summers off to work). Plus the classes build on top of each other so if it takes too long between your first few classes and last few classes you'll more than likely realize you forgot the basics (such as calculus) by the time you really start to need it towards the end.

Having said that, I know someone who did his entire UCLA undergrad Computer Science BS degree in 2 years flat with a 4.0 GPA! He was taking 5-6 classes a quarter year round (including summer) and acing them all. He then came to our research group and did his masters in 1 year after which he totally did a 180 and went to law school. Last I talked to him, he was studying for the bar exam! So anything is possible ... I am only telling you what is reasonable to expect ... and doing a serious engineering degree in night school, although possible, just doesn't sound plausible to me. Unless just want a paper from some place that says you have a degree.

I understand that it'll take 4 or 5 years. I'll be 27 when I'm done, which is not that old. I took Calc 1 and 2 but I have totaly forgotten it all, you're right. Let's switch gears for a second. What about comp sci. I already know a bunch about programming since I currently run a small e-business. But I'm afraid of wasting money learning things I already know the first two years. All the comp sci graduates I know, have knowledge in theory but when I ask them for specific advice I get blank stares.
Bottom line is I wanna combine my business education with something scientific because I'm not in the mood for going to graduate school to learn things I already know, but this time in further detail, which is what my impression of grduate school for business people is from what I've been told.

[anileve]

Computer Science is just that "Science" it's all in theory, it's not practical. And I hate programming, I am sorry to say. Give me a PC and I'll fix it, just don't ask me to explain it in scientific terms. Pat, what about a vocational school? Seap, what do you think? He has a BA already, he can get one of 2 certifications and he's good to go. Plus often companies send you to computer courses at their expense. All they care about now is if you have a degree or not, whatever it is they don't care. Nobody wants an oaf off the street. Pat was your major business in St. Johns?

[dusken]

St. Johns? In New Mexico? I was thinking of going there at one point.

[Sip]

Computer Science is just that "Science" it's all in theory, it's not practical.

I agree with the first part but not with the second part. Much like any other science, there are theoretic branches to it as well applied branches. Either one without the other is very weak ... but bring theory and application together and then you can all of a sudden do great things.

Computer Science in its purest form, much like physics, chemistry, biology, etc, doesn't prepare you for a specific job. As Anileve said, to be trained for a specific job or career, a vocational training program or a specific certification may be more appropriate.

About programming and a programmer and the relation to computer science ... I will use the analogy of flying a plane and a pilot to aeronautic science. Programming is more of an aquired skill of how to operate a computer (note that according to my analogy, normal PC users that don't know how to program will correspond to passengers on a plane at the mercy of the pilot). Obviously in order to be a great pilot, one would need to have a deep understanding of how a plane functions. Analogously, to be a great programmer, one would need in debth knowledge of how a computer functions but not necessarily all the details about how to engineer it or the fine grained details how it all put together.

So anyway ... "Computer Science" is a science so don't think of it as a collection of classes to give you a certain skill for a certain type of job (there is a big misconception about this as computer science has traditionally been more applied that most other sciences!!!!!!)

Patlajan ... about what is best for you, it is hard for me to say as I know very little about you. But just based on the basics of what you have said, I would say considering a business degree (MBA) may be beneficial to you. If you have a BA, it may not be a bad idea to go back and to a Masters as that can be done in a relatively short time (Computer Science takes about 1 to 1.5 years) and is not too class intensive ... you can often work at your own schedules.

[Anonymouse]

I have a class called the History of Computer Science. Boy that Charles Babbage sure was smart and stuff to later influence the Cabbage Padge Kids or whatever they are.

[Sip]

I have a class called the History of Computer Science. Boy that Charles Babbage sure was smart and stuff to later influence the Cabbage Padge Kids or whatever they are.

What's even more interesting though is the story of Ada Lovelace who got very fascinated by Babbages ideas and his calculating engine and is considered by many to having come up with the first computer program!

Yes ... who would have thought! The first programmer was a lady mathematician ...

Another factoid: The "ADA" programming language used by the defense department is named after her.

[Anonymouse]

It's a shame that Babbage was so into himself otherwise maybe he would have received funding for his difference and analytical engines. Either way I consider Boole's binary code more important for some reason.

[violette829]

I wanna be a mutha fukkin hustla!