Re: ITT a good ISS school to attend?

["Chase Simms" <csimm () pubpress com>]

Curtis,

I think it's great that you already have a career in mind.  And ITT may
be a good start.  But I would recommend getting a well rounded
education.  I am not familiar enough with ITT to critique their
programs.  I can only go on what I've heard.  And I've heard it is more
like a vocational school for IT.  

I believe it is more important to learn why than how.  If ITT programs
focus on how to accomplish specific tasks, that is extremely perishable
knowledge.  If you study things like english, history, math, and ethics
you will gain knowledge that should last you a lifetime.  I'm not saying
you should major in english, but that non-technical subjects should not
be neglected.  Later in your career you will garner as much respect for
how well you present yourself as how much you know about IT.  

If you had gone to ITT fifteen years ago and majored in Novell
Administration, what would your career prospects look like today?  IT is
ever changing and I believe the key is to be versatile.  

I think a better combination would be an IT degree from a traditional
school with security certs afterwards.   

You should also be aware that 60 Minutes did a story on "for profit"
schools and that now congress may do an investigation.  If that happens
ITT and Devry alumni may really receive a black eye.  And any school
that needs to please stock holders cannot keep students' best interests
in mind.

Best of luck,
Chase

> > > Curtis <demoshark () gmail com> 3/21/2005 3:51:44 AM >>>
Hi all,
Hopefully this question is directed to the right list. I am
considering going to ITT Tech for a.a. in SAP (Software Application
Programming) and a b.s. in ISS (Information Systems Security. )
I have heard a wide variety of pros and cons about ITT ranging from
"you learn more than other 4-year regular colleges" to "the
instructors don't even know what they are teaching and all you learn
is how to pass a certification, provided your instructor didn't
already sell it to you." One of the main reasons I am considering ITT
is because it is the only school in Southern California that I know of
that offers a degree in ISS.

Should I instead of looking for a degree in ISS but rather focus on a
degree in programming & networking then get security certifications?
Also does anyone know if ITT is really that horrible and if I should
instead of going to ITT go to a junior college?
Are my chances of getting a job leading to a ISS job even lower than
if I went to a four-year college? I do realize that security can be
hard to get into and may have to settle for a tech support job and
work my way up from there.
Finally, if ITT isn't a good school, any suggestions on a good
ISS/programming school that is located in Southern California?

Curtis