Advise/Opinions Career Path - Degree

DanielCooper

After posting for advice previously my decision between industry and uni is edging towards uni...

I will finish college in June, completing a CCNA (currently in summester 3 of 4)

I have been looking at universities around the UK and the courses that i like the sound of are Network Management or Network Management and Security.

Just wondered what people think, my opinion is i will already know a lot of the course material from doing a CCNA, i have also completed BTEC units in Network Management, Principles of Computer Networks and Comms Technology.

darkerosxx

You're going to college for a CCNA?

DanielCooper

My college has a Cisco Training Academy and the CCNA is included in the course i am doing.

darkerosxx

Oh awesome!

Well, I don't know how school's done in the UK. Also, my advice is a bit biased since this is the type of school I went to.

I would advise you to pick a broad set of studies to get an undergraduate degree in, UNLESS you know you're going to work in something specific for the rest of your life. If you go to school for one specific area, it's that much harder to move to something else if you change your mind.

Having said that, the choices you mentioned are still pretty broad in relation to other areas you could have picked. Just be sure to add some courses that prepare you should you choose to change to a different career and don't force you to start all over.

Good luck!

DanielCooper

Thanks,

THe reason i favour a networking degree is because the only other IT based degrees around are computer science and that really doesn't interest me. I will always stick with the IT industry so theres not much point looking at other subjects.

nielpeel

Just a question, is a University in the UK the same thing as a College in the USA?

nel

nielpeel wrote:

Just a question, is a University in the UK the same thing as a College in the USA?

Nope a university in the UK is....a university like those in the US but im pretty sure alot of colleges in the US offer degree's too, although someone may be able to correct me on that? Even in the UK there are quite a few colleges offfering degree's.

To the original poster - finish your degree to the honours level then if you want you can specialise in something at masters level. At least this will give you the flexibility of changing subjects when you get to the masters.

The only thing i would say is dont expect to walk straight into the type of job you'll probably want, you'll have to still work your way up like everyone else

Or if you dont think you will go for masters, alot of uni's also do degree's part time. OK so it takes longer - my honours will take a total of 5 yr compared to 3 yrs full time but i will also have those years in experiance too.

So think carefully before you decide what to do but good luck.