Computing Science at University anyone?

[Marius Dynamite]

Hello all

I'm going to University next year and I think I have decided to do Computing Science. Did anyone here do Computing Science or Software Engineering?

We must have a few programmers in the house. Any advice on what to do in the computing industry at the moment?

[Koga No Goshi]

Hello all

I'm going to University next year and I think I have decided to do Computing Science. Did anyone here do Computing Science or Software Engineering?

We must have a few programmers in the house. Any advice on what to do in the computing industry at the moment?

Move to Ireland after school? I know almost nothing about the software industry over that side of the Atlantic, sorry.

[Ronin]

Yup...computer science graduate right here...

I´m working for Nokia Siemens Networks right now...developing DWDM network managing systems, NSN has a pretty big development center over.....I don´t know about scotland, but I know a bunch of my classmates who relocated to England for the outsourcing market.

enjoy university...it can be a really fun experience once you get into the rhythm of things

[Koga No Goshi]

Just never be caught wearing a shirt that says "Siemens" across it. If the pic winds up on the net, Americans will make fun of it mercilessly. ;)

[Marius Dynamite]

I was really considering doing Aeronatical Engineering or Aerospace systems but apparently thats a tough industry to get into.

Then I heard from loads of sources, contrary to popular belief, that there is huge demand for Computer scientists at the moment and that Microsoft in particular are crying for real computer experts.

I´m working for Nokia Siemens Networks right now...developing DWDM network managing systems, NSN has a pretty big development center over.....I don´t know about scotland, but I know a bunch of my classmates who relocated to England for the outsourcing market.

England and Scotland are pretty much treated as the same thing in terms of employment in Computing anyways. Heck there are more people in London than in Scotland as well as the majority of the Computing employment :P

[drone]

Do not, under any circumstances, get a job at EA.

[FactionHeir]

So how can we politicize this thread? I mean its gotta be in the backroom for a reason, right?

[CountArach]

So how can we politicize this thread? I mean its gotta be in the backroom for a reason, right?

SPORE HAS DRM!

STARDOCK RULEZ!

PIRATING IS MORAL!

That should do it...

[seireikhaan]

SPORE HAS DRM!

STARDOCK RULEZ!

PIRATING IS MORAL!

That should do it...

Only commies think pirating is moral. You dirty commie, trying to undermine proper capitalism...

[Koga No Goshi]

I can politicize this thread.

Computer guys tend to be obsessed with anime.

I hate anime (generally.)

Discuss.

[Strike For The South]

I can politicize this thread.

Computer guys tend to be obsessed with anime.

I hate anime (generally.)

Discuss.

I agree the stuff scares me

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I was really considering doing Aeronatical Engineering or Aerospace systems but apparently thats a tough industry to get into.

Then I heard from loads of sources, contrary to popular belief, that there is huge demand for Computer scientists at the moment and that Microsoft in particular are crying for real computer experts.

I wouldn't commit to a 4 year degree based on the present job market...

[Ronin]

Computer guys tend to be obsessed with porn.

there...I fixed it for you.

Do not, under any circumstances, get a job at EA.

as we all know...EA is the devil.

[KukriKhan]

Having garnered some response from the Backroom crowd, we'll send this to its natural home: the Frontroom. Follw me, all: this way -------------------------->>



-edit-
And here we are. Everyone make the trip OK? Good. Kindly carry on.

[Marius Dynamite]

Whats wrong with EA anyways?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

They are two very fine and upstanding letters.

[Caius]

Poor English assassin.

Or, you could enter EA, destroy their actual progress in all their games, and you will undermine EA.

BTW, read my sig.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I was really considering doing Aeronatical Engineering or Aerospace systems but apparently thats a tough industry to get into.

Then I heard from loads of sources, contrary to popular belief, that there is huge demand for Computer scientists at the moment and that Microsoft in particular are crying for real computer experts.



England and Scotland are pretty much treated as the same thing in terms of employment in Computing anyways. Heck there are more people in London than in Scotland as well as the majority of the Computing employment :P

There's always a demand for chemical engineers. At least in the US, though I'd think that would be true for Europe as well.

CR

[naut]

I do an IT degree. Kinda the same as a CS degree. In short all the programming you'll ever do is Java. Which isn't really programming. It's well, um, gah. Don't know about CS degrees in Scotland or the UK, but in general they mostly include networking aspects, web design, UNIX, information systems, etc. If that sort of stuff interests you, by all means go for it.

The only other advice I could give you is pick something you'll enjoy. If your stuck doing something you don't enjoy your Uni time will be a bit dull.

[Sigurd]

I wouldn't commit to a 4 year degree based on the present job market...

Listen to the man ... I did the "mistake" in 1999 when there was a high demand for people in information technology, and started on what would be a Master degree in IT.
Needless to say, when I finished close to the end of 2003, the need was replaced with IT people without jobs.
I did get my first job, but it was lousy pay from day one and a few years ahead.
When the marked started to pick up, I got a new job.
Seeing all that crazy going on in the financial marked; there will be people without jobs in the coming years.

If you had one year left on your degree and wanted advice in what to specialize in, I would say SAP.
Most of the really big companies run SAP as their enterprise system, and the demand for people knowing SAP is great.
You can roughly divide the demand into the following groups:

SAP - Basis (physical administration of servers and storage)
SAP - Application (writing new programs that complement SAP standard)
SAP - Installation (you need a business degree in addition to an IT degree - customizing SAP to fit into the business or rather changing the business to fit into SAP ).
SAP - Superuser (knowing how to perform many of the functions in SAP).

What about SAP in 4 years? I don't know. All I know is that the current SAP system I work on (Production 1 server in Oil and Energy) is from 1998 and a new installation is about to happen. We have the contract for testing this system. Just testing what others have implemented is a 100 million contract. That gives you a clue on how big this system is. Oh and StatoilHydro who I work for has at least 10 SAP systems. Just imagine the money they have put into this and the reluctance of getting something new. I bet this is similar for other large companies.

[Husar]

I knew I should take one of those "cheap" SAP courses they offer at uni sometime...

[Marius Dynamite]

Thanks for the advice guys. I reckon I'll go for Computing Science and after second year I can make a choice between Software Engineering or some other field. Either way I'll be doing what I enjoy.