Computer Online Schools Can Help You Succeed

Busy people who are looking for an education in computers will discover that online schools provide a convenient method for earning certificates and degrees. Online schools have designed their curriculums to target today's crucial technologies. Students will become familiar with industry-related computer tools and industry-related computer applications. They can anticipate opportunities to explore foundations of new technologies and acquire highly functional and real-world skills to meet corporate and business institutions of today.

The online computer curriculum will present courses in computer science, engineering, security, databases, graphics, multimedia, information systems, information technology, Internet, networks, computer programming, software engineering, technology management, telecommunications, web design, web development, and more. Students wishing to develop expertise in computer skills will find many opportunities to do so through online computer school.

It goes without saying that your computer education requires access to computers, software, and hardware that meet course and program specifications. Before applying to any school, online or otherwise, students will need to do their homework to determine course and program specifications and expectations.

One thing students should be very careful to do is to make sure the school of choice is accredited by agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Education. This is very important, as there are a lot of "diploma mills" out there on the Internet that are taking quick cash for providing little or nothing of value. These so-called "schools" have not been accredited and do not provide quality education - nor are their degrees worth much in the job market. There is no point in paying hard-earned cash to a non-accredited online school for a piece of paper that proclaims a "degree" that proves nothing of value; employers are not interested in applications for technical positions that do not meet appropriate education standards. The words, "Accredited by ..." should be sought by students and will be evident if the school is legitimate. Higher education accrediting agencies (there are several) can be found on the federal Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) web site.

If you are interested in learning more about Computer Schools and Online Computer Schools, as well as other colleges and universities, please search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc., in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Visit our Distance Learning Directory and find Online Schools and other Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Trade Schools at SchoolsGalore.com.

Computer Education Schools Teach Essential Knowledge

Just imagine what our world would be like without computers! It?s a fact that a solid Computer Education is essential in today?s modern world. A Computer Education helps to prepare business professionals to perform at their peak, as nearly every aspect of commerce and business now rely heavily computers. Computer Education Schools can provide knowledge that is vital to conducting business, or just functioning day-to-day in our modern society.

Computer Education means gaining a thorough education in the use of computer technologies that affect us in all aspects of our daily life. Students are given the hands-on computer experience, knowledge, and skills that can qualify graduates for careers in business, education, commerce, mechanics, technology, healthcare, and nearly every other field. As well as being an important tool of business, computers have become an important part of the home office, making Computer Education essential for managing personal finance, paying bills, and other household chores.

Computer Education Schools of all types offer computer courses to meet community needs. Programs of study in Computer Education are found in community colleges and adult continuing education, technical and vocational schools, universities and even online courses of study. Students can opt for a single course to bone up on basic skills, or enroll in advanced post-graduate degree programs that can cover many computer-related subjects.

Associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees in Computer Education are awarded for applications in arts, humanities, government and business analysis, marketing, commerce, sciences, and in computer software and hardware. Depending on the concentration, graduates may be qualified to apply for employment in the fields of traffic control, education, building design, business management, mechanical and automotive trades, health care, banking and finance, and many others.

If you are interested in learning more about Computer Education Schools, please search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

Five Questions To Ask A Computer Training School Before Signing Up

As with any field, there are good technical training schools, and bad ones. When you sign up with one of these schools, you’ve made a significant investment in time and money. You deserve to know everything about the school and your job prospects after leaving that school before you put down your hard-earned money. The problem is, sometimes it’s hard to know the right questions to ask.

The point of this article is not to bash technical training schools. That’s how I got my start in IT eight years ago, and today I’m a CCIE™ and own my own Cisco training company and my own consulting firm.

Before I ever put down the first dime, though, I asked some tough questions. So should you.

What are my true job prospects and legitimate salary levels after I graduate from your school?

We’ve all heard the ads on the radio… “Did you know the average salary of an MCSE is $80,000?” “Are you worth $65,000 a year? If not, call us!”

I’m an optimist, and I often tell people that no field rewards individual achievement and drive like IT does. Having said that, none of us start at the top, and darn few of us start at that kind of salary.

I’m sure that there are some people who broke in at $80,000, but I haven’t met very many of them. Be very wary of technical schools that use the famous/infamous MCSE Salary Survey as a marketing tool. They tend to represent those salaries as starting salaries.

Ask your technical school what the average starting salary of their graduates is. And keep in mind that salary is not the most important factor to consider when looking for your first job in IT; it’s the experience you’ll be able to put on your resume later on that you should weigh heavily at this point.

In short, be very careful about schools that brag about starting salaries. It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up.

How up-to-date are the courses you’re offering?

Make sure the school you’re going to attend has made efforts to keep their courses relevant. Ask what changes have been made to their curriculum in the last three years. No field changes faster than IT. If the answer to that question is “none”, look somewhere else.

I want to work in IT security. Have you placed anyone in this field lately? If so, can I talk to them?

Technical schools are jumping on the security bandwagon, with a couple of schools running ads about training you to work in Homeland Security. If that’s your goal, that’s great, but keep in mind that you have to get a security clearance for any job like that.

And how do you get a security clearance? You have to be sponsored.

And who will sponsor you? Your employer.

Can you get employed in a Homeland Security job without having the clearance in the first place?

Hmmm. Probably not.

Hello, Catch-22.

Again, I’m certainly not saying you can’t eventually get an IT security job; if that’s where you want to go, you can eventually get there. The key word there is “eventually”. Ask the school you’re thinking of attending whether they’ve actually been able to place graduates in such jobs. Ask to talk to them. If the school’s managed to do so, they’ll be glad to put you in touch with such graduates.

What textbooks does your school use?

Some technical school chains use only books that someone in their organization wrote. I’ve heard some of their own teachers complain about the quality of these books. The technical school I attended used off-the-shelf books, and the quality was very good.

If you’re looking into entering the IT field, you probably know someone who’s already in it. Use that resource for everything it’s worth. Ask that person what they think about the books, or for that matter, what the local reputation of the school is. IT is a small world, if the school has a good or bad reputation, most of the IT personnel in your city or town probably know about it.

The fifth question is a question to ask of HR representatives. Every technical school lists companies where they’ve placed their graduates on their promotional material. Pick up the phone, call these companies, and ask to speak to someone in HR. Ask that person about the reputation of the school. Five to eight phone calls will give you a good picture of where the school stands with local employers.

Making the decision to attend a technical school can be the best decision you’ve ever made; it certainly was for me. Make sure to ask the right questions before writing a check or taking a loan to attend; the answers to those questions will indicate to you whether this school is truly the school that can help you achieve your dreams.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is also available!

Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available, and you can attend an in-person or online CCNA boot camp with The Bryant Advantage!