Need help deciding what to do with my future(Long)(Updated)

physika

First time posting here and would appreciate some insight from you guys. Just found this forum and a lot of you guys are techs.

Skip all this to the bottom if it’s TL;DR and want to get straight to the questions. I just wrote all this to explain where I’m coming from; it's a little biography.

After I graduated high school i goofed around for 2 years. I actually got accepted into a state university and went for a few weeks, but stopped going because I was immature. I stayed registered for those classes so I could keep my financial aid and failed all of them. I was always that lazy intelligent kid that never tried at all. I somehow graduated with a 3.3 GPA without ever trying. After doing nothing for those 2 years i joined Job Corps and went into their tech program. It was nice, being on my own (kind of) and learning how to do tech things in a learning environment; I had always liked computers. I did their basic month of introduction and then went into their computer tech program. I finished the A+ training they had on their computers in like 3 weeks with 100% first try on their practice finals which felt good. They were going to pay for my exam for the A+, but they said that the average student took like 6 months to finish A+ training(serious), so they give the voucher to pay for the exam after 6 months to everyone. We used a program where some dude’s talk on videos and then there was a test like right after that, if someone could tell me the name of this I would be thankful; It was good for the A+ test.

So I didn’t really have much to do except fix computers/laptops and independent study. They had a free repair service at the tech class where students brought their things to be fixed for free if possible. I basically did that all day, learned some neat stuff from the instructor, and studied. I learned how to solder and do a bit of server maintenance. I was learning the Network+ exam as well and managed to finish the program in about a month just doing it little by little. I need to relearn it. I also used my time to study like I said and I realized I was pretty good at math. I did some basic algebra at first because that was where I was at in high school. Then I learned pre-calculus. It just came pretty naturally to me. I ended up teaching myself all the way up to Calc 2. Eventually I got my A+ and the instructor told me I could just stay there and keep getting more experience before I technically complete the program. It was nice, free housing and everything. After being there for a little over a year in total, I started seeking for work in IT. I realized that almost everyone required a ton of experience I was pretty disappointed since I had only a year experience with an A+ and was too lazy to take the N+ test. I got contacted by a temp agency though and got a temp job for a month installing computers in some downtown offices and setting up their network, pretty easy. Except for the other people who got the job with me, complete dopes and they were twice my age.

After that I decided to go to a community college since I heard they had tech training there too. I took their assessment test and they recommended I go for a science major. I didn’t know what to do so I picked computer science. A semester later I took some easy started classes and also Calc 1. Second semester I got into Calc 2 class and Calc-Physics 1. I fell in love with physics. I ended up acing that class and Calc 2 as well. I didn’t even think about taking the tech courses there because I had decided already that I was majoring in Physics. This was a year ago. The next semester I took Differential Equations, Linear algebra, EnM Physics and Calc 3 and got A’s on them, but got D’s and F’s on my other filler classes (English, health, etc.). Now I have to retake them. I hadn’t received financial aid for that semester yet and was wondering why (had money saved and was renting out a room, but still needed that money because it would only last like 2 more months). I went to the financial aid office and they told me I needed to take my mom’s tax income papers to them. I called my mom up and apparently she hadn’t filed her taxes for 2010. I was pissed as hell and she wouldn’t file them; she wouldn’t tell me why. I signed up for classes anyways the next semester, but couldn’t pay for them because no financial aid. So I had to move back in with my mom. I didn’t do anything for like 4 months because I was depressed as hell and just recently she did all her taxes, so I can attend college next semester again. I just recently started to apply for tech jobs again to maybe make some money before the next semester starts and realized how much I still love tech. I just got an interview at a temp-to-hire agency for a full time job doing tech support for a gaming company and I pretty much aced it, especially since I did well on their tech test. I’m expecting to hear from the recruiter as soon as she talks to the other client.

I have 3 questions
1) I have a love for math/physics and I also love IT. The only thing I can think of that uses a lot of physics/math and is also computer related is Computer Science, but I don’t like programming (or maybe haven’t learned to like it). What is a field of study that I can go into that incorporates both IT and Science? I want to do something with that.
2) This temp-to-hire job will likely last more than the summer break for my school if I want it to. It pays $10/hr, its full time, has to do with video games, and will give me experience. Should I keep working through the whole semester, save money, and then start again in the spring or should I just quit it when school starts again?
3) I also just got a huge surge of motivation for getting certs again. Is there a sticky on what certs recommended for the IT field? I know there are so many, and I don’t know exactly which ones will be useful to me. Sorry I haven’t done much research on them.

Thanks

bmy78

Interesting post, thanks for sharing.

1. Some type of engineering? You seem to be good at math so that goes a long way for those programs.
2. School should be priority. If you only go when it's convenient, there will always be times when it is not, thus giving you a reason to not go and delaying your education indefinitely.
3. Go for Network+ then depending on your interests, Windows or CCNA. Or maybe just straight to CCNA?

Also, take your "filler" classes seriously and pass them. I know a lot of tech / sci types don't understand why they have to take them, but they are designed to make you a well rounded person, and be exposed to subjects / ideas you wouldn't otherwise be exposed to.

the_Grinch

Welcome aboard! Gotta agree with bmy, you need to do well on the filler courses if your plan is to go to a four year school at some point. Those grades will follow you when you transfer them in.

1) I have a love for math/physics and I also love IT. The only thing I can think of that uses a lot of physics/math and is also computer related is Computer Science, but I don’t like programming (or maybe haven’t learned to like it). What is a field of study that I can go into that incorporates both IT and Science? I want to do something with that.

You said you did some soldering and you seem to like hardware, why not do electrical engineering? Some would say computer or telecommunication engineering, but I have a lot of friends who are engineers (electrical at that) and they all agree that even if you want to do computer engineering you should do electrical instead. Very easy to do computer engineering as an electrical engineer, but very difficult to go from computer engineering to electrical.

2) This temp-to-hire job will likely last more than the summer break for my school if I want it to. It pays $10/hr, its full time, has to do with video games, and will give me experience. Should I keep working through the whole semester, save money, and then start again in the spring or should I just quit it when school starts again?

I would stick with the job and take classes as you are able. Most community colleges will offer courses at night/on weekends and I am sure if you ask the company will work with you to take the classes you need.


3) I also just got a huge surge of motivation for getting certs again. Is there a sticky on what certs recommended for the IT field? I know there are so many, and I don’t know exactly which ones will be useful to me. Sorry I haven’t done much research on them.

Certs depend on what you want to do. Networking? CCNA. Servers? Microsoft or RedHat. Find your direction and then you'll know what certs you should get.

physika

Thanks for the responses guys. I REALLY appreciate it. I know I started off my career/schooling late, but i don't really mind. Age is just a number and even though I will be a few years older than anyone else and might even have some bosses younger than me, I know I will be better than all of them eventually.

Both of you suggested engineering. I had looked into the engineering fields before, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to design things; I'll look into it. I also heard, like you guys said, that electrical engineering is like computer engineering, which is similar to computer science as well. Is electrical engineering a lot more hardware based than the computer sci/eng? I also just realized that I could do minor and major studies when i transfer over. I just looked up the university I plan to transfer to and they don't have an IT major(It's a UC), so I think I can do electrical engineering major with a minor in physics.

I also saw that i basically filled a lot of requirements for many AA degrees and decided I was going to get like 2-3 before I transfer for the hell of it. Will this help or am I wasting my time? Does this look good on a resume?

I looked at both of your suggestions for my work situation. I'll try it out for the summer and get my feelers in. If I do well and can convince them to make my schedule earlier and be able to leave earlier, I'll stay and take some night classes for the filler classes that I need to retake. Good thing my GPA gets fixed when I retake them. If they're not flexible with their schedule I will go back to school full time.

I don't really know what I want to do, but I know i can get certs for the employ-ability that they give. I want certs that
1)Don't expire within 1 year
2)Do not require lab/in-person experience
Basically, any that can be learned through independent study.

Thanks

dave330i

You design and build things in IT as well. I probably had an easier time transitioning into IT because I spent so much time building things as mechanical engineer.

The only certs you can achieve w/out a lab would be security & management certs.

physika

dave330i wrote: »

You design and build things in IT as well. I probably had an easier time transitioning into IT because I spent so much time building things as mechanical engineer.

The only certs you can achieve w/out a lab would be security & management certs.

Yea that's true about IT.

I got my A+ without doing an lab classes. I just learned the guideline that they use for the tests and passed it. I guess my question is, Which certifications do not require any "official" lab class and are based on knowledge? A lot of these lab classes can be easy simulated through software or your own equipment.

Akaricloud

Pretty much all the Microsoft exams are that way, with a home "lab" setup you should be able to get enough experience to pass them.

You might want to look and see if one of the MCITPs interests you, probably one of the Windows 7 ones to start.

There isn't really all that much IT related that uses physics and intense math. You could always keep those off to the side for hobbies though like I do.