November 5, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR ESHE PICKETT IN IL
Hi Ashley,
I received my undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the school of engineering at Northwestern University, and am currently pursuing my Masters at the University of Chicago. The advice that I would give you is this: the type of education you will need is highly specific to the type of work you intend to do. It is seldom the case that we know this when entering an undergraduate program. It is the universities job to impart this knowledge to you during your enrollment at their institution. Universities assume that we don't know all there is to know about our field when we choose to major in it and so they provide courses that build our knowledge from the ground up with introductory courses and as you matriculate through the curriculm, the coursework becomes more specialized, usually your advisor can help you decide what type of specialization you would like to concentrate on, but after you have taken your basic level courses in your field of study.

The big difference between a "Technical School" and a college or univerisity that offers a degree in a techincal field is that your general curriculm (outside of the core classes that you will take to fulfill your major requirments) will consist of more technically based courses, they will also expect that you have taken more higher level math and science courses in high school, so it is likely that the student population at an Institution of Technology will be more "technically saavy" than your average university student.

This having been said, I would suggest that you look at the admissions requirments for the Technical Institutions you are considering, be proactive and write to the admissions office, they will gladly send you an informational packet with all of the info. you will need to make an informed decision. Also, try and narrow down the field that you would like to study in computers, is it Computer Science (software, applications --think programming) or is it Computer Engineering (circuits, computer hardware--think physics electrical engineering), Computer Graphics (animation, design --think pixar, advertising), there are several other fields, however these are the most popular. Once you have figured this out, it will be easier to narrow a field of schools to which you would like to apply. Please let me know how it all goes! Best of luck!
*******************
A: FROM MENTOR WANDA RITCHIE IN MA
Dear Ashley, chartering our futures really can be stressful. I had an
exceptional mentor once who always said "Beginnings are humbling" - in
other words, be patient and kind with yourself when you are entering into
new adventures. Selecting colleges and institutions of higher learning is
definitely a "beginning" for most of us.

It seems to me that your choice between a technical school and a 4 year
college may depend on your financial situation and your preference in terms
of environment and the type of experience you would like to have. For
example, if you need to work while you are pursuing your education and wish
to work in the computer field, you might want to consider the technical
school route. This could offer you somewhat more flexibility in terms of
"phasing" for your education - ie various systems certifications may allow
you to work in certain areas before completing a full bachelor's degree
program. The trade-off might be in terms of environment. Some technical
schools may not provide the same type of "comradery" that comes from living
on campus, going to sports event, etc as a more traditional 4-year college
or university might provide.

Another option to consider might be a "coop student" type program. These
programs allow students to work in industry while pursuing their education.
You would be able to work in your chosen field with experienced people.
During school sessions, you have the advantages of a university-type
environment.

I hope this information helps in some small way. Good luck with your
decision!!

********************
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON IN IL
Ashley,
I'm so sorry you feel this way. Remember that teachers have bad days and they
are human. There is alot of pressure to get a certain amount of the curriculum
taught every semester and it's almost too much, if students aren't understanding
it. I think when kids don't understand, the teachers might feel inadequate,
like they didn't do a good enough job teaching the subject, and it makes them
frustrated. It's not your job to be patient with them, but it IS their job to
be patient with you! But, perhaps just knowing this may help you to understand
and keep asking those questions. In the end, the good teachers will appreciate
a student who really shows interest and wants to know. It's alot worse to be in
a classroom where no one asks questions, than in a classroom where there are
alot of questions. It's the same in the working world. The interest is shown
when people ask questions. You have to be sure that you are paying attention at
all times, though. If you aren't, then you may ask questions that were already
answered and that becomes frustrating for a teacher, as well. When you ask
questions, show that you are interested by having a postive attitude. If your
question was answered, but you don't understand the answer, let your teacher
know that. If you prefer, it may be easier to talk to a teacher after class to
let him/her know that you don't understand a certain topic. In a one-on-one
setting, the teacher may feel less pressured to perform well. Good luck!
********************
A: FROM MENTOR LESLIE WAITE IN CA
Hi Ashley;
I am glad you continue to ask questions here, especially if the
teachers and counselors at your school are not supportive (I say
"feh!" to them!) As to your question about whether to go directly to
a 4-year program in computer science or to a Tech school first, I
would definitely go to a 4-year degree program first. College majors
are designed to be "self-contained", that is to say that any courses
you need to bring yourself up to speed and be ready to tackle the
hard-core computer science classes will be available at the
University or you will have taken them in High School. So there is
really no need to go to a tech school first. Also, the career goals
for someone in tech school will be slightly different than for
someone in a 4-year degree program, so Tech school will not
necessarily prep you for a 4-year program. Also please note: When I
say "tech school", I am NOT referring to somewhere like Tennessee
Technical University, an excellent 4-year university, but to a place
like Devry Institute for technology, or other schools whose programs
are generally two-year Associate's degree programs.

As for teachers not being supportive- I assume that you are talking
about academics here, and not information on college. If that's the
case, it is possible that the teachers are feeling overwhelmed.
Nowadays, they have a lot to do, and aren't always given the time and
resources that they need to do it. Sometimes what happens is they
have students asking for help immediately before or after a class
when they are trying to prepare for another class, or have meetings
to go to. Even during class, they might get frustrated that they are
veering too far away from the almighty LESSON PLAN when a student
asks a question. I teach a class, and I know that one of my biggest
frustrations is when a student comes to me for help before really
trying to understand the material themselves. It makes me feel like
they want me to do the work for them instead of feeling like they are
trying but have gotten stuck-that they aren't willing to put in the
work needed to understand the material. One option to try if you are
struggling in a class is to set up an appointment before or after
school to talk to the teacher. That way, they know you are coming and
will set a time that is just for you. Be sure you have an idea of
where you need help, and think about specific things you are not
understanding. By preparing yourself ahead of time, you let teachers
know that you respect and appreciate that they are giving you their
time, and that you are willing to do the work. In other words, don't
just come in and say "question 4 is hard". Try to find the pages in
the book that deal with question 4 and read them carefully. Try to
identify what part of question 4 doesn't make sense to you. Now
instead of "question 4 is hard", you can say "I'm having trouble with
question 4 because I don't really understand how electricity can
generate a magnetic field". This will help them help you. Even if you
can't get that specific, you can still say "I'm struggling with
question 4. Even though I went back and re-read the part on
electricity and magnetism in the book, it still doesn't make sense to
me." showing the teacher that you are working hard and just haven't
been able to figure something out will go a long way towards making
them want to help you.
If you are referring to teachers not helping you figure out the
college stuff, that could be because they don't know. Even though
they went to college, it may have been a long time ago, and they
might have had a different major, or all sorts of things could be
different. So for college information, counselors are the people who
are supposed to know what is going on. Also, if you need information
about specific schools or majors, feel free to contact the
departments you are interested in. Again, be sure you know what you
want to ask, and that the information you want isn't already
available somewhere- go on line and look at the web site for the
department you are interested in. Ask for an information packet from
the department, or the University, and read it over. Then if you
still have questions, they will be more informed, and people will be
more able and willing to help you out. You can even ask for someone
in the department who advises undergraduates that you might be able
to contact, and ask questions directly of them if you feel the
departmental folks aren't able to give you the answers you need.

Good luck!
Leslie
********************
A: FROM MENTOR AIMEE WILLOZ IN MN
Tech school vs. 4 year college is a really interesting question. I
don't think there's a simple answer to it -- it depends on what you want to
do. I recommend looking into some of the tech school programs and talking
to current students. Ask them what they like about it, and what they
expect to be doing when they complete their program. If the types of jobs
they describe sound interesting, that may be a good route to take. If you
think you'd like something with a deeper understanding of the underlying
technologies, perhaps a 4 year degree is right for you. (I'd recommend
talking to students in 4-year programs, as well.) One other possible
avenue of information is the placement offices at the schools you're
considering. Chances are they have a lot of information about what types
of jobs their graduates take. The bottom line is that there are really no
rules -- if you go to tech school and you don't like it, you can always
transfer to a 4-year school. Good luck and have fun exploring your
options!