networking or programming?

[ImDennis]

so my first semester of college is coming to an end, and im stuck between 2 courses that could change my life for better or for worse , anyway so i worked in the past for individuals on their computers, setting up networks etc, i also did alot of volunteer work at public libraries as the it guy, installing os, phone service, customer support etc it was a neat job, enjoyed it and was a great learning experience it, but in college as of first semester im not a fan of networking, seems boring and learning how packets are transferred,etc.... and im not doing so hot with it just because it's just not that interesting to me unlike the work i did for libraries, but in college im also doing programming, i got like 80% first semester which aint bad comparing that i've sorta been slacking on reading the book, but i really enjoy programming, i like learning it, and i feel reallly great bout something i programmed, but the thing is, im not that good at programming and i think future employeers expect me to be like a professional programmer right off as a grad which i dont think i'll be able tooo so now im unsure bout what to take, i kinda made a positive and negative list for both but undecided still, so i was wondering if someone could help me out tell me about ur experience maybe if u were in my shoes, would you change ur profession and if so why?

my list (top 3 positive and negative list)
Programming
+enjoy learning
- fear of failure
+motivated to learn
- heard all the jobs are going to india
+proud of accomplishments after completed and enjoy the whole struggling challenge of figuring things out
- what if i have to work independently and cant complete the assignment in time due to not having enough education on the program?

Networking
+ enjoyed learning bout routers and setting them up
- hard field to get a job into
+ don't have to worry about over seas jobs just because a person in india/china cant fix a network issue in canada
-i dont have interest to learn the basics(how packets transfer etc), and enjoy the more complex stuff
+ really enjoyed past volunteer work (even tho it was more like hardware and os with a bit of networking like mapping drivers)
-fear of blowing up a really expensive router or network and then getting fired and not getting a job again...

[Tony]

Is that block of text a single sentence? Many people in India have better English skills than that. You seem to be mostly concerned with employment -- improving your written communication will do you more good than any one particular technical course.

I'm assuming that is what you are asking about -- one course or another? Doesn't matter. Technical education requires 4+ years of hard work (something that you are not even attempting -- "fear of failure"), not a single 4 month long course.

[RandomLetters]

Also, it is better to separate the pros and cons. That way, you can more easily compare them.

[ImDennis]

Tony @ Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:03 pm wrote:

Is that block of text a single sentence? Many people in India have better English skills than that. You seem to be mostly concerned with employment -- improving your written communication will do you more good than any one particular technical course.

I'm assuming that is what you are asking about -- one course or another? Doesn't matter. Technical education requires 4+ years of hard work (something that you are not even attempting -- "fear of failure"), not a single 4 month long course.

i wasn't going to write out proper paragraphs, just because it doesn't affect reading issues i betcha u were able to read that fine, + this aint english class, and yea employment is a huuge part of this, whats the point in going to school if you can't get a job for what you want? im interested in both, but i dont know what to expect, and this is only first semester thought, i was looking at other peoples scripts and they're huge and complex, so it had me wondering, what if i get a job and cant do that

[RandomLetters]

I think in engineering and programming, doing stuff is only half of it. The other half is explaining what you did to your colleagues and boss(es)

[Tony]

ImDennis @ Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:24 pm wrote:

u were able to read that fine

you could have made that easier.

RandomLetters is right. When you write code, you write it for other people (ever looked at what compilers actually do with what you wrote?). Expressing your ideas clearly clearly is a vital still to have.

Here's the thing: myself, the rest of the educated community here on the forums, your school's staff, and your future boss could read your communication, but it's not exactly easy and it's not exactly clear. You're looking for some advise here (or from school... or from your boss). I'm typically happy to help, but this kind of writing puts me in a bad mood. So you'd get a subpar advise. Or the school doesn't help you with... whatever. Or your boss doesn't bother with giving you any promotions. As well, we all would have to guess at what exactly you are talking about. Maybe I've guessed wrong, so now we are just wasting each other's time? Simply put, it's in your own best interest to be well understood.

As for the classes -- why not take both? Networking is part of programming (ever want to program a multiplayer game? Networks!), and was one of the best CS classes I've taken (then again it was at a 4th year University level, so maybe different class of material).

[Nick]

Just a question, are you taking the CST course at Durham College? If so I highly recommend the CPA course instead if you like programming, I'm currently in year 2 and I'm having the time of my life. One important point though is that the CPA course is heavily lined with business courses. As Tony said you have to be able to talk to your colleagues and bosses. You also have to be able to lead a team and be able to finance your project.

tl;dr: I'm a programmer therefore I recommend taking programming. It's more broad therefore you learn more diverse topics and have a higher chance of getting a job.