In Need Of Opinions From People Who Are Studying And Have Studied To Get Into The Programming Field.

[Phobose]

Hey guys I'm in a very very big dilemma which needs to get solved right away (preferably by the end of this week)

 

I'm a college student aspiring to get a piece of paper that says I am certified to do programming ( which I have done quite a bit already)

 

 

Recently with some situations with my United States Federal Aid for paying my tuition I discovered I wasn't not taking

my specific major.

 

 

I am currently Majoring in Computer Information Systems when I applied for a Computer Science Degree.

 

 

Here's the problem.

 

 

I'm already a year and a half in my 2 year community college, If i switch now I will have to take an additional 7-8 Mathematics courses before I take these programming courses, which will result in my late graduation and me paying out of pocket because I will not longer receive financial aid, ultimately setting me back on getting my bachelor's

 

If I stay in Computer Information Systems I will only take 2 more mathematics courses before I can take these programming courses.

 

 

My preferred field also impacts this decision. I have aspired to take the road of a game developer. After speaking with the department's adviser she had stated that I would need to go down the path of Computer Science to get into the development field.

 

Here's my question(s)

 

-Is this true?

-Is it possible to get a bachelor's degree in Computer Science with an Associates in Computer Information Systems.

 

Whoever is knowledgeable of these majors, whether it be a fellow community member, a moderator, hell even some of the DE staff I would be greatly appreciative of your answers. this isn't the best place to go I know, but I need opinions.

 

 

Thanks everyone who would be of help to me.

 

Edited: Specified what field of development I want to go in.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Phobose

[http404error]

Okay, so let me know if I've got this straight:

> You want to be a software developer or engineer.

> You unknowingly have been doing your AS in CIS instead of CS.

> You are trying to decide whether to stick with CIS or switch to CS before finishing your AS.

 

I'm curious why you don't want to go into CIS. It's a good field with good money and interesting work. You'll still develop software. Maybe it doesn't fit your vision. If that's the case, please elaborate on what exactly your vision is. What about CIS don't you like that CS has? It's a really broad topic, and you end up going a lot of the same stuff, only for internal company use rather than outward-facing consumer use. I mean, you might end up in IT, but we all serve our penance there eventually...

 

As far as whether you can get your BS in CS after an AS in CIS, that's a great question for an advisor at the institution you plan on getting the BS from. If you don't know yet, ask one of them. They can probably give you a general answer.

 

Only knowing the information you gave in your post, I would recommend sticking with CIS.

[Cowhawk]

Hey man, sorry to hear you're in such a dilema...

I'm in the uk myself..and so the education system here is pretty different,

if you're concerned about what degree looks better then you really don't need to worry.

I'm in my final year for my Computer Games development degree and I will have as much programming experience as a forensic computing student.

as you said, it's a piece of paper...it's your portfolio which truely holds the power!!

I know I never answered your initial Q...just try not to stress out :)

Cow

[Cleesus]

Depends on your school and its programs first of all.

 

Im studying for a electrical engineering degree with a minor in CS. My best friend started off in EE and switched to CS his second year. In this case both majors are similar enough not to set him back much because much of the courses in CS is shared in EE.

 

So look to see what classes you need to take in each program and see how many overlap. I dont know much about CIS but if enough classes do overlap you shouldnt be set back too much. Talk to your advisory also.

 

Its only worth it to switch depending on what exactly you want to do in life, at the end of the day a lot of these degrees in engineering and technology are pretty interchanglable, its just important that your graduate and do well.

[Fulgar_Strike]

What? Why are you posting this on a forum for a videogame? I'm genuinely laughing out loud here.

[http404error]

What? Why are you posting this on a forum for a videogame? I'm genuinely laughing out loud here.

 

Extras -> Off Topic

 

Videogame forums are statistically likely to have programmers on them.

[011100110110000101101101]

What? Why are you posting this on a forum for a videogame? I'm genuinely laughing out loud here.

Off Topic.

Edited October 21, 2014 by 011100110110000101101101

[Phobose]

-snip

 

to get down into absolute specifics I want to become a Game Developer. It's been a passion of mine since I was 9 years old, I never looked at a game just as a video game that i play to have fun. I was always curious on how this was made, what it took, a little example of what I've done in the past was I've de-compiled files from Resident Evil 3 when I was younger and edited the installed copy of the game to better "improve" the controls of the game to be a little smoother"

 

I'm gunning for that specific field in development

 

I'll clarify that in another Edit.

 

Hey man, sorry to hear you're in such a dilema...

I'm in the uk myself..and so the education system here is pretty different,

if you're concerned about what degree looks better then you really don't need to worry.

I'm in my final year for my Computer Games development degree and I will have as much programming experience as a forensic computing student.

as you said, it's a piece of paper...it's your portfolio which truely holds the power!!

I know I never answered your initial Q...just try not to stress out :)

Cow

 

I totally agree that your portfolio is what truly matters because it dictates and reveals your experience in that field.

I'm just worried I don't want to be wasting my time on something that will not get me to my end goal.

 

Depends on your school and its programs first of all.

 

Im studying for a electrical engineering degree with a minor in CS. My best friend started off in EE and switched to CS his second year. In this case both majors are similar enough not to set him back much because much of the courses in CS is shared in EE.

 

So look to see what classes you need to take in each program and see how many overlap. I dont know much about CIS but if enough classes do overlap you shouldnt be set back too much. Talk to your advisory also.

 

Its only worth it to switch depending on what exactly you want to do in life, at the end of the day a lot of these degrees in engineering and technology are pretty interchanglable, its just important that your graduate and do well.

 

the overlapping classes consist of this: Advanced college algebra (Pre-requisite of the next), Pre-Calculus and 4 programming classes.

 

The other mathematics courses I will have to take in CS are, Trigonometry, Calculus, Calc 1-3 than the 4 programming classes.

 

What? Why are you posting this on a forum for a videogame? I'm genuinely laughing out loud here.

 

This is in Off topic.

 

I want to become a Game Developer. It's been a passion of mine since I was 9 years old, I never looked at a game just as a video game that i play to have fun. I was always curious on how this was made, what it took, a little example of what I've done in the past was I've de-compiled files from Resident Evil 3 when I was younger and edited the installed copy of the game to better "improve" the controls of the game to be a little smoother"

-Phobose

Edited October 21, 2014 by Phobose

[Cowhawk]

What? Why are you posting this on a forum for a videogame? I'm genuinely laughing out loud here.

many many many many gamers i've met over the years are programmers at a university level...this is easily one of the best places to ask.

[taiiat]

ultimately, it boils down to if you absolutely 'need' to be searching for a job in your desired industry ASAP, or if what you're learning atm is also acceptable for the time being.

 

the Game Industry is indeed rapidly growing, but no matter the field, dependant on luck it can still be difficult to find a spot for a brand new worker that does not have much field experience.

 

i think you're going to need to roll the Slots and figure out which one is more practical for you to get (and be able to afford to accept) employment in either field.

as having the degree you want is great, but it doesn't guarantee employment. you still need to prove to any prospective employer as to why you should be picked over the.... many others out there.

 

 

just don't decided solely based on bee lining for your dreams, because if you get there before you're ready, and it's an empty street for you, you're in trouble.

you might end up taking some detours in related fields as opportunities make themselves available.

 

 

Edit:

think of it this way. in some Adventure game, sure, you could bee line for the main Story Quests. it might end up alright, or you might find yourself 'underleveled' for them as you continue on. and there's Side Quests everywhere, some of them are pretty close to what you're aiming for, some of them... not so much.

but those Side Quests are still useful, even if they don't directly move towards your end point.

Edited October 21, 2014 by taiiat

[Phobose]

ultimately, it boils down to if you absolutely 'need' to be searching for a job in your desired industry ASAP, or if what you're learning atm is also acceptable for the time being.

 

the Game Industry is indeed rapidly growing, but no matter the field, dependant on luck it can still be difficult to find a spot for a brand new worker that does not have much field experience.

 

i think you're going to need to roll the Slots and figure out which one is more practical for you to get (and be able to afford to accept) employment in either field.

as having the degree you want is great, but it doesn't guarantee employment. you still need to prove to any prospective employer as to why you should be picked over the.... many others out there.

 

 

just don't decided solely based on bee lining for your dreams, because if you get there before you're ready, and it's an empty street for you, you're in trouble.

you might end up taking some detours in related fields as opportunities make themselves available.

 

Precisely why is why I've been networking and trying getting my name out as a beta tester for almost 10 years now.

Hell I remember when I beta tested Vanilla World of Warcraft, some of the developers were surprised a kid was able to make sense of the bugs and give valid suggestions on abilities and textures, If you did not know a good portion of the original development team for World of Warcraft had left when the Blizzard Activision merger happened in '09, began developing Wildstar. When I heard of Wildstar and the team that was making it I tested it and was recognized by some of the developers even after 9 years later.

I do understand that the paper and portfolio will not get you the job, I've preached it to my close friends and family who are getting close to finishing college. Networking is a key essential in getting a job post college.

 

Fresh is sometimes good, what is apparent and from my own personal experience, "degree-less" jobs look for experience, it's always sought after and connections is what puts your portfolio on the plate to be picked at first.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Phobose

[Cleesus]

Well the good thing about a CS/engineering degree is if you find you dont like the field you are going into (video games) you can always jump to a unrelated field. Like I said I dont know much about CIS(Never really paid attention to it) but if they only difference is a few courses I would go for it, yeah you might have to spend an extra semester or year but it will be worth it in the end. Better to get the degree now than to wait to later when you are working a full time job etc and might not have time to do it.

[Phobose]

Well the good thing about a CS/engineering degree is if you find you dont like the field you are going into (video games) you can always jump to a unrelated field. Like I said I dont know much about CIS(Never really paid attention to it) but if they only difference is a few courses I would go for it, yeah you might have to spend an extra semester or year but it will be worth it in the end. Better to get the degree now than to wait to later when you are working a full time job etc and might not have time to do it.

 

here are a few jobs listed I found that can be obtained with a Bachelor in CIS

 

 

 

Here are a few jobs a CIS degree holder might look at: 

Computer Technician, Service Center Coordinator, Help Desk Staff, Storage Administrator, Network Administrator, Systems Administrator, Systems Engineer, Enterprise Administrator, Active Directory Administrator, Exchange and Messaging Administrator, Backup Administrator, Disaster Recovery Specialist, Database Administrator, Computing Security Specialist, Ethical Hacker, Corporate IT Acquisition Specialist and Data Center Administrator, just to name a few.

 

the most common job is an CT or and IT. It's a little more hands but ultimately does not go into depth on development.

 

 

That's the problem, some of these courses are pre-requisites. What I can do is I can take one during the fall, take another one during the winter, than the spring than summer and so on and so forth. I'm already a year and a half into my 2 year school and I'm already graduating late because of key faculty members not being present to help me when the online registration system messed up and didn't give me 4/5 classes I applied for my 2nd semester. during the summer and winter semesters, which is another whole big steaming pile of Sh*t.

 

 

Needless to say though, I'm trying to figure out if I can switch over to CS in a 4 year school after this and continue down there without too much of a hassle if I do decide to sit in CIS and get my associates in that.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Phobose

[Cleesus]

here are a few jobs listed I found that can be obtained with a Bachelor in CIS

 

 

 

 

the most common job is an CT or and IT. It's a little more hands but ultimately does not go into depth on development.

 

 

That's the problem, some of these courses are pre-requisites. What I can do is I can take one during the fall, take another one during the winter, than the spring than summer and so on and so forth. I'm already a year and a half into my 2 year school and I'm already graduating late because of key faculty members not being present to help me during the summer and winter semesters, which is another whole big steaming pile of Sh*t.

Idk man, will you be happy if you dont switch to CS? I mean in the grand scheme of things it might end up being worth it. Jobs dont hire JUST based on the degree, you can always learn new languages and obtain the necessary knowledge to get the job you want after your graduate too. You will probably have to work harder, might be a little harder to get your foot in the door at some places but once your in the there it only matters what you can do, not just what the degree says.

 

Do you have advisers or head of departments you could also talk to?

[Phobose]

Idk man, will you be happy if you dont switch to CS? I mean in the grand scheme of things it might end up being worth it. Jobs dont hire JUST based on the degree, you can always learn new languages and obtain the necessary knowledge to get the job you want after your graduate too. You will probably have to work harder, might be a little harder to get your foot in the door at some places but once your in the there it only matters what you can do, not just what the degree says.

 

Do you have advisers or head of departments you could also talk to?

 

 

Yeah, Unfortunately I caught her when she was about to leave to head home So I'll try to catch her at an earlier time tomorrow.

[Cleesus]

Yeah, Unfortunately I caught her when she was about to leave to head home So I'll try to catch her at an earlier time tomorrow.

Yea talk to her, my advisers have help me a lot with stuff like this, mines was the one who help me realized I barely had to take a few extra classes in CS to get a minor in it.

[Phobose]

Yea talk to her, my advisers have help me a lot with stuff like this, mines was the one who help me realized I barely had to take a few extra classes in CS to get a minor in it.

 

Thank you for your help Clinton!

 

Also everyone else who helped me out Thank you very Much.

 

I'll post what happens later on this week if anyone is interested

[Cleesus]

Thank you for your help Clinton!

 

Also everyone else who helped me out Thank you very Much.

 

I'll post what happens later on this week if anyone is interested

ill be interested and yup np

[http404error]

Oh, Game Development. That changes the playing field a bit.

 

CS (or Software Engineering, although most schools lump that in with CS) is going to be much more helpful in game dev. Note that many schools (like mine) that have strong CS programs have a much more theoretical spin on it rather than actual software development ins and outs. Look for the latter.

 

The math is an inevitability if you're going to work in the games industry.

 

If you're planning on applying to a game company, you'll want a degree, yes. You'll also want to familiarize yourself with the more common industry standards like Unreal Engine or Unity. If you live in an area that has a fairly good selection of game studios nearby, start making contacts and see if you can get in on QA part-time or something. Most areas with a dev scene have events of some sort where you can meet studio reps. If you aren't fortunate to be in an area like that, plan on moving. Don't settle for a town with one studio - options are your best friend.

 

However, if you hate money and dream of the indie dev life, grab your BA and forget about the rest. Experience trumps education in that realm.

[Phobose]

UPDATE: after speaking with a good friend and clan mate of mine than speaking with the advisor I've changed majors. In the long run this is better for me financially and overall the right path for my career choice.

Thank you everyone for the help you have given me and the advice that made me reach this conclusion.