Information Technology and Beyond

I was indeed hoping to learn more about Information Technology for my four year education.  However, I am not bothered by the absence of this at San Francisco State University.  This because I have learned what is needed for Information Technology through books, community college courses, and experience.  The business side of the equation is so involved, that I really have enough on my plate for now.

If anyone would wish to learn specifically IT, they'll have to gain hard skills through books, certification courses, or more economically through a local community college in areas of Microsoft Certification, Red Hat Linux, Cisco's CCNA, etc.  There's so many skills where students can get exposure.  Ultimately though, most of the education is from tinkering with the computer, trying out scripts, playing with equipment.  

For more business side of skills, I think ITIL would be the biggest area of study that is essential to Information Technology.  The U.S. Department of Defense is really into this system, and I imagine it will become quite popular.  The problem is that, I really do not know where to learn this material, other than professional certification schools. 

Obstacle Course in Education

In any public institution, there are bountiful barriers, whether from regimented rules parroted by mindless drones to non-sense stemming from things like ego and politics.  And most certainly, at San Francisco State, there's no deficit of these issues.  Yet still, there's plenty of opportunities if you can keep focused and not just  simply scrape by, getting a good grade without learning anything.  

A good friend of mine told me these barriers are put in place for the "other people".  Those that work around these, go through these, can get places in life, but for those that don't  apply themselves and don't work through barriers (especially self-created ones) have to get comfortable with settling for less in life.

I intend to make the most of my education, both in what the professors have designed or designated I should learn, and also in the material needed in the industry at large, that is, real concrete business and technical skills related to Information Systems.  This may mean I have to get education outside of SFSU, at a sister college, through professional training, or through a study abroad...