My buddy is looking to start an online degree in IT to break into the industry.....I want to help him find a good school all online. He will be using FA.
He has no credit at all. He also knows nothing about IT.....lol... I want him to find an RA school as well. I know knowing about the computer field or IT at all so I'm no help to him.
To put it bluntly, if he knows nothing about computers or IT, then he is probably not cut out for it. (I'm assuming he is an adult) I work in IT, and most of my colleagues who really know what they are doing are at least partially self-taught. You can't really succeed in this business unless you are motivated. But if this is what he really wants to do, then he should give it a try. Though I recommend that he try to learn as much as he can on his own, before racking up mega student loans.
Ok, thanks for your input. But is what your saying right? I mean people go to school to learn, so I don't think not knowing IT will stop him. Any input on schools or programs that are good for IT?
I would recommend him to start with CompTIA A+ and Network+ curriculum. These stuffs can be purchased with few hundred dollars. I don't know what his current profession is, but I would high recommend to get a Junior Help Desk Support job. Some of the materials can be purchased from: - Train Signal - CBT Nuggets - Test Out (SEE PM):wave: Then start with Western Governors University's program; while earning a degree also certification as the same. Notice that Western Governors University is a little more challenge because if he has no prior knowledge. Another low tuition cost program is Fort Hays State University's Bachelor of Science in Information Networking and Telecommunication Computer Networking
To be blunt (like imalcom), it is tough without a "natural" skill for it. I worked with a guy who was really good (I mean he would track down corrupt .DLLs without training) and he said he had friends that were a lot better and faster then him. My advice is to buy some computer parts, build a computer, load drives, load the O/S, and make it work. That will provide some base knowledge and let the person "test the waters" and is cheaper then a student loan! This can all be done while taking the general ed classes. As far as an IT program, I would recommend an on campus program for someone with no expereince since so much is hands-on.
I think it's possible to succeed in IT without previous training, but make sure that he understands he will have a tougher time of it. For example, my roommate in university had little previous IT experience and he had a very difficult first year (and eventually switched to a different program) ... I saw that repeated many times, where the person with no experience switched programs.
I too am an IT guy, but I'll be less harsh. Just because your friend doesn't know much about computers yet doesn't mean he has no aptitude for it. That's what education is for! And it can be tough to get started on your own if you don't have clueful friends on hand who can provide invaluable pointers in the right direction. You're asking exclusively for online schools for your friend. Is that because he's deployed somewhere? If not, then as ironic as it sounds I would strongly recommend that he at least get the basics about this stuff in a classroom setting. When you're first figuring computers out, there's a lot of iterative questioning, meaning that it takes a lot of follow up questions to get a firm grasp on what's going on. That's a lot easier and faster to do live than by threaded discussion or email. And having hands on experience with the hardware will help, even nowadays. -=Steve=-
He is a single father who works 40 plus hours a week. He has no support from his ex wife with the kids at all. He can't go to a classroom if he wanted to. That's why online is the only option for him, two kids and a job kill out the B&M thing. Any programs anyone can point him to?
Got it. I feel for him. Well, if he's interested in either computer networking or in web development, he could look at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. They're a regionally accredited state school that's very reasonably priced. Here's a list of their online Bachelor's degrees. -=Steve=-
I'll echo what a previous poster said that in order to be successful in this field you have to eat and breathe technology. If he has little to no knowledge then he probably does not have what it takes. A pc, internet connection and Google is all he needs to get up to speed to a reasonable level. If he has not already started on this journey of learning then pursuit of this career path will probably ultimately lead to disappointment. A college degree is not going to magically make him qualified to anyone outside of HR. I spent 2 years at a technical school in a network engineering program, then started over again at a RA University and did an A.S. in Computer Information Technology and am now 1 semester away from completion on my B.S. and I can honestly say that only 5% of the knowledge that is useful to me in my career was gained from education. Most of it is self taught. I have higher hopes for the graduate coursework but am trying not to delude myself. The fact of it is that Uni will teach him theory but he needs real world experience to apply that knowledge in any useful fashion. He needs to determine why he wants a career in technology. If it's for the money or job growth only then he will never be more than mediocre. If he truly has a passion for learning he will find a way to fulfill it. Your friend needs to start that journey BEFORE he goes to college and it will not end when his degree is completed either.
