Soldato
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- 28 Nov 2005
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I did no work year 1 and did a half decent amount in year 2 and still ended up with a distinction merit.
BTEC Computer Studies rant..
- Thread starter edscdk
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Soldato
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- 28 Nov 2005
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Yeh, i started doing a computing degree and it was a lot more theory based, including a cisco based networking module.
I dropped out, not for me thanks
I dropped out, not for me thanks
I did a BTEC and we were never very happy with the teaching standard of the lecturer to the point where we had him invigilated. The day the invigilator came the lecturer decided to show off his class interaction skills by brining in some part of a car engine for us to look at to help illustrate some something or the other. Tbh it was a nice change but I couldn't see what it had to do with telecommunications. Possibly something to do with magnets.
The invigilator agreed and not too long after we got two new lecturers who were actually pretty awesome.
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When I was at college I did AS-level history. We had a lecturer who would literally spend whole double lesson periods teaching stuff that wasn't on the syllabus. The thing is this wasn't through blissful ignorance, she would spend hours harping on about something only to say something like "but that's not on the syllabus, it's good background information". She did this pretty much every lecture until we had her invigilated, when she promptly changed her tune, after which nothing really changed. It was bloody ridiculous.
I know you can't blame the lecturer for everything, but she did nothing to help imho.
My Foundation degree had Cisco in, I decided not to do the cisco part, I don't have a massive interest in networking. I'm not even so sure about going into a career with IT now, wether or not this degree will help me get anywhere if I go a different route is unknown.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
With it being a foundation degree probably not. A conventional degree at least shows an employer your ability to learn at a (comparatively) high level whereas all a foundation degree shows if you dont use it in the field its in is... well, I dunno, that you couldnt get onto a proper degree?
Doesnt matter, it can be used to get him into uni. The networking part of the BTEC national in computing I did was useless to the real world anyway really.
(same sort of thing goes for the networking module I did at uni on a computing course)
No business cares about whether the network is a token, ring or bus network. What would be more usefull is to teach about DNS records, exchange manager, setting up Servers with Windows Server 2003 or 2007, setting up exchange and domain controllers etc
Stuff that is actually being used in everyday businesses
(same sort of thing goes for the networking module I did at uni on a computing course)
No business cares about whether the network is a token, ring or bus network. What would be more usefull is to teach about DNS records, exchange manager, setting up Servers with Windows Server 2003 or 2007, setting up exchange and domain controllers etc
Stuff that is actually being used in everyday businesses
Soldato
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- 22 Nov 2007
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top up your degree.
I'm doing a BSc in ICT and was looking forward to doing the networking course. Turns out what we are doing is things like baud rates, Shannon's formula and other bawls I won't be using in the real world. I can say that as I'm currently working part time in an IT job and at no point is any of it necessary, so I indulged in virtual machines and taught myself Active Directory, Group Policy etc myself.
[TW]Fox;15125177 said:
A foundation degree is the first two years of a BSc in all but name, or at least its the case with institutions I've dealt with (and I say this as someone with teaching experience at lower levels). Only difference is the focus of study. It is possible that some institutions place lower entry requirements on them but what intelligent person wants to study at those kind of places anyway?
My university pays for the MCSA, as well as providing some groundwork so that's covered in my case
I'm in my second and last year of my foundation degree and after I can go on to do a 1 year top up degree to turn it into a BSc, but I'm not really sure if I want to do this next year, I want to get a job, just A job to get some money and to show I've done some work.
You can do that on the course, unless you're trying to work 5 days a week that is...
No, I don't want to do a course next year though, I just want to work. The reason I want to change direction is because I figure if I don't like networking and don't do cisco which I did not do, then there is no job for me in IT as I'm lead to believe all jobs in IT require networking.
No, not really. As far as I can tell, your software knowledge is far more important. I've lost count of how many times Active Directory and Exchange are mentioned in recruitment for example.
our programming lecturer was but 3 pages ahead of us the whole year.
our systems (think it was called that) one was drinking IN CLASS.
one module was IS (information Studies) that conisisted entirely of how to use word to a standard that would have shamed a kid taking GCSE. this module was taught by one of the lecturers from sports sci. used to turn up in his gym stuff and prance around like a tart all the time.
tbh we complained but never got anywhere. then the whole year failed. twice.
think the systems guy still works there. programmer woman was writing mills and boon books on the side and seems to have made a living off of that now.
Not always, I've got a job that was after a degree. Degrees are a piece of paper to say you can read a book and write an essay, i've worked with people with degrees and some are thick as they come. and i've spoke to recruiters, they look past the degree if you have the exp and knowledge to outshine.
would you go a tatooist that has 2/3years exp with no college corse in it and rep or a newly trained top of school tatooist? I think the exp one will always shine through.
Exp is where it is all about in most industrys. There are plenty of uni students that have a degree in Computer science, that don't have the foggiest in how a computer is put together ect, how to fault find the lot - i've seen them at interviews.
Anyway back to OP, without the networking your son is being gibbed off, tell them you want them to run it, or they have to pay for your son to be privately taugh the course they were ment to be offering.
networking is one of the fundimentals of all IT. without any knowledge you might aswell just go work in maccy ds. Hes gunna struggle if he goes to uni without networking under his belt.
And fault finding them? networking is involved.
Doing the Cisco networking course isn't just all about switchs hubs and cables! its about how everything works. Its one of the best courses available as a starting area, and every decent employer is aware and looks for it
I would go to the tatooist with 2/3 years exp AND the college course.
over a guy with 4/5 years exp?
No, over a guy with 2/3 years exp. I would choose the guy with 4/5 years exp AND the college course over the guy with 4/5 years exp.