Re: [SAGE] Computer Sciences degrees in IT

[Paul Lussier <p.lussier@comcast.net>]

Hi Jason, et al,

Thanks for the great questions!

Jason Antman <jason@jasonantman.com> writes:

> I'm a student member of SAGE, and a Computer Science major at Rutgers
> university. Right now I'm working part time as a PHP programmer, but
> am looking to make the jump to sys admin - honestly, I just find it
> more interesting and dynamic.

I'm extremely passionate about system administration even after having
been at it after almost 13 years now.  It's something I found in
college getting a dual Math/CS degree (at a liberal arts school, so it
was BA..)  I read an article a few years ago in ;login someone wrote
describing the differences between sysadmins and sw developers.  The
gist of it was, they're essentially the same creature with the minor
difference being that the developer gets his/her high off of crafting
a software system which (usually) runs on a single system, whereas the
sysadmin gets his/her high by getting many such systems working in
concert together across a network.

You don't need a degree or certification to appreciate the beauty of
either profession.  What you need is intelligence, curiosity, good
troubleshooting skills, and some passion.

> So, I have two questions that can hopefully be answered by some of you
> who are working in the industry:
> 1) Most jobs that I've seen ask for a BS in computer science. Is there
>    really such a feeling that a BS is preferable over a BA? Here at
>    Rutgers, the only difference is one CS elective and two semesters
>    of physics.

No, I think the difference between a BS and BA in something like
Computer Science is largely lost when it comes to the job market.
Most people don't understant the difference, and really just want to
see a degree.  With medicine, you might really want a BS :)

> 2) The CS curriculum doesn't seem to have anything to do with the real
>    world of IT.

As others have said, school doesn't really have anything to do with
real life, it has to do with the ability to learn.  I've known stellar
sysadmins who had no college education at all and people who had
Masters and PHDs in Math and computer science who couldn't sysadmin
their way out of a paper bag.

I've also seen (or, more accurately cleaned up after) "sysadmins" who
had no appreciation for sysadmin as a artform, it was "just connecting
a bunch of systems on a network", where little thought of good
management skills or best practices was ever given.

Does a degree in CS help you to become a better sysadmin?  It can.  I
certainly appreciate my CS degree and lament I didn't go to a better,
more engineering oriented school.  However, I think that exposure to
the profession and immersion in it by surrounding yourself with those
you'd like to become like is the best road.  Combine that with a
passion for learning and striving for self improvement in the field,
and there's nothing you can't become, even outside of system
administration.

SAGE is a great place to start.  I've been doing sysadmin for a long
time, but hanging out here I realize daily how much more I have to
learn, how much I don't know, and how really smart the people here
are!

Oh, and the fact that you are thoughtful enough to have contemplated
these questions in the first place tells me you've got what it takes
to be the kind of great sysadmin I hope to be when I grow up :)
-- 
Seeya,
Paul
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