[48174] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Certification or College degrees?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stephen Sprunk)
Thu May 23 12:36:45 2002
Message-ID: <01e601c20277$6570f2e0$9d876540@amer.cisco.com>
From: "Stephen Sprunk" <ssprunk@cisco.com>
To: <fithen@networksplus.net>, "'Nanog List'" <nanog@merit.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 11:01:29 -0500
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Thus spake "Blake Fithen" <fithen@networksplus.net>
> > Stephen Sprunk
> > Thus spake "Nigel Clarke" <nigel@forever-networks.com>
> > > Certifications are a waste of time. You'd be better off
> > > obtaining a Computer Science degree and focusing on the
> > > core technologies.
> >
> > If you're looking to write software, sure. A CompSci degree
> > won't help you in the slightest at operating networks.
>
> Usually what you say is helpful. I have to disagree with
> you here though. A few things I learned in a CIS degree program
> which apply to networking:
With the exception of Scheme (yuck) and patience (yuck), I learned everything on
that list long before I graduated high school. I understand many others didn't
have the opportunities or interests I did, but it's hardly necessary to major in
CS to understand basic data structures, logical processes, and a few useful Unix
skills.
A CS degree (or other BS) may be useful to some who have no other means of
learning. However, I can't agree that it's the best way of obtaining that
knowledge, or that it gives you any immediate way to apply that knowledge.
Likewise, a cert doesn't demonstrate knowledge, it demonstrates a particular
skill. Obviously, the best engineer will be one with knowledge and skills.
> Plus, when you are in the labs, and if you have the slightest
> bit of geek curiosity, the mind wanders and you inevitably
> have to find out how everything is connected. Luckily the
> curiosity blossomed from there.
I was a unix hack until I got to college; I made the mistake of mouthing off to
the network guru (hi cvk!) about the school's network, and got a rapid and
thorough education about all the useful stuff that my professors weren't
teaching. I was hooked.
S
