Thread: College and Learning

Attending the University of Montana I barely have any time to learn things on my own. I really want to learn networking in linux, posix threads, and opengl better but I can't motivate myself when I have so little free time.

In school I am learning mips assembly and computer architecture, C/C++ (its a bit of a rehash for me), Calculus (fun but....), Technical Writing, (good pain in the...),
Thats it just 12 credits.

The problem is I am 36 and was learning more on my own before I decided to go back to school. It is a bit frustrating. It seems the idea of graduating has become very important to me for financial reasons. While I am learning, I am also very tired .

Do you think it's worth the effort? In MT it will be very difficult to find a decent job at my age and level of experience. Ultimately I want to work on open source projects.

Ultimately I want to work on open source projects.

If only they paid...

It might be a better idea to do some certification programs. While they could never replace a college degree, they still give you credit from the point of view of a prospective employer, and leave you with time to develop other skills.

Keep in mind that this is coming from a 17-year old who cuts pizza 10 hours a week - but it's an idea.

I actually have an associates degree in Computer Networking and am A+ certified which isn't saying much. With that you are very lucky to get a job here.

Thanks for the idea of certification. For instance it would be cool to be Red Hat certified or some Linux certification. Of course most of these certifications end up costing bucks to get.

In the end it all spells hardwork. I think I just need to keep a studious mindset and not worry about the financial aspects so much.

Originally Posted by sean_mackrory

If only they paid...

I get paid quite well to work on open source projects.

Originally Posted by viaxd

may i ask what projects?

I work a free open source platform for building development environments called Eclipse. (best known for its Java Develpment Tools)
http://www.eclipse.org

well, for Canada...
>>How old are you when you leave high school?
18.

>>How many years does it take to get a bachelor's degree?
4

>>Does grad school mean any studies beyond bachelor's degree?
yes. A masters or phd.

>>What's the difference between a university and a college?
You go to university for a degree (4 years and/or grad degrees). You go to college to get a diploma (usually 1.5 to 2 years, not equivalent to a degree). I think this is different in the US.

Of course these are answers in the general case. Some people can do a Bachelors in less than 4 years, some take longer. Some colleges do offer degree programs as well, usually supervised by a university.

college, i really gotta get around to that,

slackpts++;

Perhaps I can use this thread to ask a few questions about your school system:
How old are you when you leave high school?
How many years does it take to get a bachelor's degree?
Does grad school mean any studies beyond bachelor's degree?
What's the difference between a university and a college?

Generally 18.
Generally speaking a bachelors is a 4 year degree but for some of the harder majors (ie engineering) most opt for 5 years.
Grade school is for graduate studies. This differs from "professional" schools like law schools and medical schools. In the professional schools you skip the masters degree and go stright for the doctorate.
The big difference between college and university is this: Universities do research. This might just be a california thing I don't know for sure. And from what I've observed here colleges generally stop at the masters level and universities will go on to doctorates. Also since the universities are more into research their classes tend to focus more on the theories instead of their applications. Again this is just from observation here in Cally and we aren't the most sane state.

The difference between college and university is that universities are generally broken up into different colleges.

Universities have to provide a broader base of degrees, such as a mixture of B.A's, B.S's, B.B.A's, engineering degrees, graduate degrees, etc. (but not necessarily all of those).

This is coming from someone who went to a college that got just got switched to a University.

And to the person getting the degree. You're right, you may actually be able to learn more about computers on your own. But an undergraduate education is about receiving a general (liberal arts) education in addition to some technical/work-related classes. Liberal arts classes are meant to enhance your critical thinking skills, and teach you to understand the world around you.

In the short run, a college degree may take away from your technical training. But in the long run, it will open doors for you that weren't otherwise open.

My only suggestion for you (if you don't like the college you're going to) is to find a technical school in your area that offers bachelor's degree. Plus, when you do have a bachelors, it will allow you to go to grad school, where you won't have to put up with as many general education courses.

Thanks for the input. I was trying to decide if I should register today. I think I may wait a week before I decide.

I must confess I fear failing. This anxiety is part of the reason I want to quit. Next semester I would be taking Calc 2 and Linear Algebra. I would like to learn linear algebra for the graphics applications.

If I can make it through the next test in Architecture on Wednesday I'll probably have a clearer insight as to my possibilities.