Aight, so for you that know me I have been doing various stuff over the years, but have desided that at age of 27 I'm going to take a bachelor (3 additional year) degree. What I landed on was IKT, roughly transelated to computers/technology in society 'n shit.
It's within my interests, aswell that it's closeby to where I live and lastly good work opertunites afterwards.

My questions however is in regard of the optional matters/studies. On the second year I will be able to chose form a wast/huge amount of additional lines withing IKT, but to make it simpler for you to understand it's either programming stuff or more creative stuff / learning programs.

What would you suggest? I know that I most likely won't do programming, but I could like learning certain programs and go deeper into the technology / society part. If anyone has some pros/cons or experience on the matter, what you suggest? Are you satisfied?

TVE! Come to LFS some day! :P

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And on topic, what if you would change your mind? Are you sure you are going to make it "the end?" Like finishing all stuff and so

I'm really ready for a change and focused on finishing this! If I made it 13 years on school before, 3 more is nothing ;D In addiotion, my GF is educated teacher/historical, so she knows some study tricks and motivation that will help me on that way!

And I was online some weeks ago actually! No wheel or anything, so I was experience the life of the midfield driver.. was actaully pretty ok! Might do some races in the future when I get a wheel

Thanks for the reply Maybe I was a bit, or quite horrible at explaining! What I meant is that I'm prepared to learn and do programming / learning the varios programs used in the industry, but however, I'm going to use more time on the part of study that aims for people that wants to help people with technical problems, instead of the ones that writes coding lines most of the day.

It's quite hard explaining the difference here in english for me, but I know that my abilities are at best... OK, and I will need to learn a lot the upcoming years, but even with that I will not be GREAT. But I do like it, computers, technology and such, aswell that I have several years of experience with handling customers and tech questions. It's a job I like, but I want to take a propper education for it.

It might be a shot in the dark, but hey... well it can't be a worse idea than what I'm currently doing? ;D

It's really about where your own interest is. If you don't like programming don't go into that field, if you don't like designing HW, you don't go to that area. If you like both but not more over the other, go to system design or testing field.
The latter 2 ones I can recommend with 21 years of experience in telecom business

IMHO, my opinion of IT's direction over the next few years. (Run an IT Co, been here since the 80's)

Local Servers and server systems are on the way out, most will be cloud based, as will most corporate desktops as soon as M$ gets the licencing sorted out.

Web design is still there but your competing with every failed artist in existence. And, Biggy here, this can be done in any country so being local will become unimportant.

There's good money looking at phone/tablet apps, great money if you can come up with a great idea. Lot's of people here are doing iOS/Android business apps and getting great money.

Other than that, programming is always needed, so is scripting which at a minimum you should learn.
Probably be money in Linux servers as not everyone wants the cloud.

Basicly, find an area you love that earns money and learn as much as you can.
VR will be big, 3D printing will grow, Gaming will grow, non windoze OS's will grow.

Hint, holograms will be the next huge thing after VR headsets which won't last.

Read William Gibson, Neuromancer and his Sprawl series for a good heads up about upcoming tech. It should be required reading for your course.

I don't know if you've ever tried it - but I used to hate the thought of programming. I thought it was never for me.

Got "forced" into doing a bit at University, enjoyed it and now I'm a software engineer. Not sure it's my ultimate calling but I like it and I never thought I'd be here.

Great advices here, thanks a lot! Truth be told I'm never really thought mouch of programming, allways belived I don't have the skillset to be good at it. I'm not too good in math for example, I'm better in language studies than I'm in math. Physics I never had on school, but don't know if that is a thing that is needed to be in-the-zone?
And, for you people that do programming / scripting for a living, is it fun / needed in future jobs in IT?

jkat - what are the shortenings for? I am quite god damn horrible at creating things, but I would like learning it. Creating things is a dream of mine (be it modding, creating things with the propper tools, 3D modeeling and such), but again I'm not sure if I got the right skillset for it. From what I'v understood the school starts at absolutely 0 skill start, and then you progress over the 3 years and chose your branch of specilization on the later years.

Jakg - so what does a software engineer actually do? Is it possible to be a "less" good one, aka bachelor degree in IT instead of engineer degree?

Racer X NZ - Thanks, I'll see if I can find this William Gibson, guess it's in book form or online reading? Also, don't you think local knowlege and language will be important in the future? Sure, most things can be fixed online, but some matters will be needed to sort out on the companies physical adresses by humans that speaks something else than east europeen language or chineeze (wrong spelled)?

Quote from The Very End :

Great advices here, thanks a lot! Truth be told I'm never really thought mouch of programming, allways belived I don't have the skillset to be good at it. I'm not too good in math for example, I'm better in language studies than I'm in math. Physics I never had on school, but don't know if that is a thing that is needed to be in-the-zone?
And, for you people that do programming / scripting for a living, is it fun / needed in future jobs in IT?

jkat - what are the shortenings for? I am quite god damn horrible at creating things, but I would like learning it. Creating things is a dream of mine (be it modding, creating things with the propper tools, 3D modeeling and such), but again I'm not sure if I got the right skillset for it. From what I'v understood the school starts at absolutely 0 skill start, and then you progress over the 3 years and chose your branch of specilization on the later years.

Jakg - so what does a software engineer actually do? Is it possible to be a "less" good one, aka bachelor degree in IT instead of engineer degree?

Racer X NZ - Thanks, I'll see if I can find this William Gibson, guess it's in book form or online reading? Also, don't you think local knowlege and language will be important in the future? Sure, most things can be fixed online, but some matters will be needed to sort out on the companies physical adresses by humans that speaks something else than east europeen language or chineeze (wrong spelled)?

Hi. Unfortunately, I don't know squat about programming, but I do know a little about the IT industry itself.
Here? Basic programmers and web designers are a dime a dozen.
My son does coding, development and other crap for a video game controller company. He does OK. He barely finished High School and works with people that look like Big Bang Theory rejects.
But one thing of advice I can give. Don't get your education just to get a job. Get it for yourself.
You want to learn how to code and all that? Great. But if you think by going to school and learning all that, just so you can get a job, it probably won't turn out as well.
I imagine if you aimed for a certain industry, Like Bio-engineering or geophysical or banking or whatever and tailored your skills to fit that industry as opposed to just being an all around programming guru, you'd do better that way.

My job.... It technically requires TWO degrees and being a licensed structural engineer would help.
I don't have any of that. I also barely finished high school and LOL I'm one of the top people in my field.
Funny thing is, making all those skins back in the day for LFS cars really boosted my career and gave me an edge against my educated competition.

As far as careers go... engineering. Structural, software, mechanical, civil. It doesn't matter. Pick one. If you can wrap your programming/coding skills around one of those, you'll do just fine

The college education racket in this country sucks. And I can't stand how those over edumicated @ssholes screwed over people in this country with Intellectual extortion. I can go on for days about it. So it's kinda hard for me to supportive of people wanting to go one of those places.
I understand the need for higher education. But when that industry worked itself into a position to where you have to go through it to get anywhere job-wise, where 20% of your tuition goes to paying a basketball coach, where with tuition being so expensive you better pray you get a decent job or you'll be in college loan debt for life. Yeah. Higher education (?) here sucks.


Uhhh... anyways good luck.

Hey TVE,

I did two courses of IKT (a year?) at uni some years ago (2007-2008 or 2008-2009). From what I can remember we did some PC hardware and networking, Web (HTML + CSS), Flash (ActionScript), video editing (Premiere) and a lot of literature studies, obviously. The practical bits very on a rather basic level, but you always learn something new, I guess. Plus if you've got more experience in an area, you have time to really dig into the nitty gritty bits of whatever you're working with.

I bet the curriculum has changed since then (I mean, who uses Flash nowadays?) If you don't know which way you're heading, use your time at uni to figure out where you wanna go. In IT, uni studies (theory) will only get you so far -- To ace any area, be it programming, server administration, creative work, whatever, you're gonna have to spend your free time to experiment and learn more. Always.

Once you find yourself spending the evenings and weekends doing something IT-related (NOT PLAYING GAMES!) there's a good chance you've found your calling.

That said, a few years down the line you may find that your "calling" changes (perhaps you did web development but suddenly realized you spent more time trying to break your own code -- Perhaps you should move into penetration testing or security then! Great news, that means it's time to learn something new!

Quote from Jakg :

I don't know if you've ever tried it - but I used to hate the thought of programming. I thought it was never for me.

Got "forced" into doing a bit at University, enjoyed it and now I'm a software engineer. Not sure it's my ultimate calling but I like it and I never thought I'd be here.

I never expected to go down the software engineer route either but, on reflection, it sure beats the network tech support route I thought I'd take. Thinking long term, it's the creative roles that will be last to be replaced by robots and/or software. Such changes are going to occur within our lifetimes so may as well avoid terminal career paths.

Quote from Racer Y :

He barely finished High School and works with people that look like Big Bang Theory rejects.

That made me laugh. Social opportunities are certainly limited in this field. Male bias is overwhelming, which is likely a vicious circle. There are two main types of programmers, fat with a goatee or skinny vegetarians with hippie hair (optionally colour dyed).

Quote from Bob Smith :

There are two main types of programmers, fat with a goatee or skinny vegetarians with hippie hair (optionally colour dyed).

LOL, have both of them at work here.

I'm not either of those types thankfully.

Quote from The Very End :

Jakg - so what does a software engineer actually do? Is it possible to be a "less" good one, aka bachelor degree in IT instead of engineer degree?

I would say develop software and work with off the shelf tools.

E.G. I write software, work with databases, use some off the shelf reporting tools, develop deployment infrastructure (installers etc) and even work with GIS products (maps). Regrettably also some testing in there. I work for a smaller company, so a lot less specialization - so I also sometimes drive vans, meet people, act as 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support etc.

I have a very good degree. My colleague has a crap one, and is better than me and gets paid more. Many other developers have no qualifications at all.

I also think that the thought process of development & debugging are highly transferable - but now I'm waffling.

Obviously - I'm not suggesting what I do is for everyone. But don't be afraid of something like coding.

Fantastic responce guys, thanks a lot! On my Ipad here so I will be short; lately, as in latest years I have been more and more curious on various programs and started to enjoy it. Recently I have been trying to learn myself some Blender, and earlier I used a lot of time to try learning the music producing program Reason. What I learned is that I enjoy this very much, creating something out of nothing, it gives great satisfaction. Obviously I do not master these programs, but I think my interest of learning more proves that Im having the propper interests But should I aim for the more creative part of studies, or will coding means more on a cv? Again, I am not taking this degree to just get a certain job, its more like giving myself a satisfaction of having a degree and the opertunities that gives me.

I spend half my day drinking and the other half cursing at code.

That's my life as a software engineer.

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

I spend half my day drinking and the other half cursing at code.

That's my life as a software engineer.

Does the latter have happen to be the morning, where you review yesterday's code, and the former happen in the afternoon where you then write more code for tomorrow, thus creating a perpetual loop of undecipherable spaghetti code feeding a hard alcohol addicition in order to cope with maintenance insanity?

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

I spend half my day drinking and the other half cursing at code.

That's my life as a software engineer.

I remember when you were 13..

Are you drunk? ;p

Quote from The Very End :

Are you drunk? ;p

Must have been.