Hello All,
This is my first post as a new member. I'll get right to the point:
I am in my early 40s, back in college seeking a CS degree.
Java is used in many courses and I have come to like it, and I find it just makes sense to me ( in the OO sense that is ) so I am trying to learn it at a much deeper level than is required for school. I stumbled upon the certifications available for Java, and that got me thinking it might be a good thing to have, in order to give me a leg up on all of the "kids" I am in school with. I figure I need as many "pluses" as I can get to balance out my age when seeking employment.
So my question is, what cert is the most beneficial for a new programmer? Since I'll be looking for an entry level position, I am thinking a more general cert would be better than a more specialized cert since when I am finished with school, I don't anticipate I can be too choosy when accepting an offer. As far as my interests go, I guess I am game for anything but game programming. I've been playing video games since I got my 2600 for Christmas in 1978, but I have no interest in making games. Therefore, I see myself as more of a backend/server kind of guy, but I can't say for sure, since I've not taken any courses yet dealing with that sort of thing. I'm still learning about what makes Knuth-Morris-Pratt better than Brute Force. :-)
I'll also take any other advice you feel might be beneficial to me. Oh, someone already told me about not eating yellow snow, so I've got that one covered. ;-)
Thank you for your time,
BD