SIUE... (an outsider's ponderings)

[axe9]

HELLO! :o

Ok got that out of my system.
My name is Benjamin, and I'm thinking about transferring to SIUE as a Networking Systems administration major.
Currently, I attend Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL (Way up north to you guys). Anyhow, I'll be graduating with my associates in the spring, and am looking to transfer for my bachelors/masters from a four year school.

To the meat of it:

As a CIS student, I'm looking for a school with a strong program, and a place that has good people. I'm glad there's a computer club, you seriously have nooo idea... I'm guessing most of you are CIS students, so how would you rate SIUE? Would you recommend someone pick SIUE over another school in Illinois? Do you think the classes are relevant to your career goals, and are the faculty good?

I've been digging through the SIUE website for a while, and it's pretty good aside from the rampant dead linkage... but I want the opinions of the students in the program I would be enrolled in. Not the sales pitch.

I'm sorry if this is gibberish... it's very... very early for me.

Thanks in advance for all the time, and effort you've expended by reading this post! \o/ I'll check this often for replies.

thanks Again,
Benjamin Wasson
Administrator, Kishwaukee College Computer Club
Malta, IL
tidycms.com (The website sucks for our club X( )

[Jesse Cook]

Hello Ben,

I personally like this school quite a bit. I attended UIUC (number 4 or 5 in CS in the US) for a while, and I didn't really like the learning environment there.  The student to teacher ratio there was so high, it was hard to address your problems to the teachers.  Also, the teachers there seemed to care more about their research then the students. I think you'll probably enjoy SIUE. However, i'm a CS major not CIS/CMIS, so my opinions may not reflect the experiences you would have here.  Also, i'm not sure about the CIS/CMIS programs but when I transfered in I had completed the Network Administration course through the military, and I received 0 credit because I was told there was no Network Administration program. I would recommend you investigate this further before making a decision.

Good Luck,
Jesse

P.S. If you decide to transfer, we look forward to having you as a member of CAOS.

[Ross Mead]

Hi Benjamin,

As a preliminary note, we do not offer a Networking Systems administrator major; the computer-oriented majors that SIUE offers are Computer Science (emphasis on programming), Computer Management and Information Systems (emphasis on... well, read the title! :-P ), and Electrical and Computer Engineering (emphasis on computer design).  That being said, what would someone with an interest in Networking Systems administration be looking for in terms of courses?

Now, to address "the meat" of your questions.  I hold a very high opinion of SIUE.  The faculty are knowledgeable and friendly, and are very helpful both in class and during office hours.  This is, most likely, due to the fact that SIUE is an education-oriented university (as opposed to a research-oriented university).  I've sat in on a few classes at UIUC and the vibe I got was very cold; half of the time, a teaching assistant was teaching the course, and the other half of the time the professor did not offer much help to students (hands would be raised but the professor kept his back to the class).  On the opposite end of the spectrum, professors at SIUE seem to be very open to questions and discussion.  As far as other regional schools (note that these are outside of Illinois), I've heard that places like Purdue and Mizzou are somewhere in between these two extremes.

From my experiences (as a Computer Science student), I would recommend checking out the CS website and avoid the abomination that is the SIUE site (seriously, have they heard of HCI? ).  You can find links (hopefully not dead links; if you find any, please let us know! :-) ) to specifics on the classes offered in the program.  One thing that we've been noted for is our course diversity; you can be exposed to just about every major area of computer science at an undergraduate level, giving a very broad understanding of the field; I've spoken with friends and representatives at various other schools that are rather impressed with the range of topic material that we offer.

Our graduating seniors are ranked highly in the nation (see SIUE Moves Up in U.S. News & World Report Rankings).  Also, if you find a particular area that you are interested in and want to consider pursuing research in that area, SIUE also offers an Undergraduate Research Academy (URA); we're one of the few schools in the nation that has such a program.  If you want details on the URA, let me know.

So, yeah, if this sounded like a sales pitch, it wasn't meant to be.  What can I say?  The school offers a lot (especially for what you pay! ;-) ).  I've had more opportunity here than I would have ever gotten at any of the alternatives, and I'm proud of that.  The school is rapidly growing, with a goal of national recognition.

Ehh, just check the links, see whatcha' like, and ask more questions as they come to you.  Hope to see you on campus someday! :-)

[Kaitlyn Schmidt]

Hey Benjamin!

SIUE's Computer Science program is excellent.  Hands down one of, if not the best program at the university.  The classes are small yet the subject matter and level of teaching is that of a larger department.  I feel that I have learned a great deal in the majority of my core CS classes.  I hadn't even started out at SIUE as a CS major. I fell in love with the department and material after I got here. (Silly me thought I was going to be a Chemistry Major lol)  Anyway, because of its size you really get to know your professors and fellow classmates.  There is no lack of opportunity to get involved with the department or the university.  Also, if you are a resident of Illinois you can't  beat the tuition rate.  ;-) If you get the chance I really recommend coming down to SIUE for a visit.  It is the professors and peers that really make the CS department what it is and I don't think any website will truly be able to convey that.  Of course you are also always more then welcome to chat with everyone here on the forums too. :-)

[Ross Mead]

It is the professors and peers that really make the CS department what it is and I don't think any website will truly be able to convey that.

Well put.

Of course you are also always more then welcome to chat with everyone here on the forums too.

If you happen to make a visit down here sometime, give us a heads-up and we'll try and make sure there is some CAOS meeting or event going on that you can sit in on.

[axe9]

Thanks tons for all the helpful information! I'll be sure to check out those links!

I figured I'd be able to get some good info from current students :) I'm glad ^_^

Sorry I haven't replied in the last few days. Some idiots in a neon totaled my car... going 80mph so I've been in bed with aches and pains and all that. Geeze my head hurts.

Anyhow... Maybe I'll be able to get a new car :(

I'll be checking back here more often now though.

edit:
Totally forgot to answer some of your questions.
Ok, what I'm looking for is a Computer Science degree from a reputable university. I would like to focus on Linux/unix administration as well as take classes on Cisco and windows server. and possibly, in the future, do the MCSEs and whatnot. but not until after I graduate. That would be hell.  
So, Just looking for an overview CS degree, which I could flesh out with some well taught electives.

I think that all translated through to my fingers right.. Just let me know if you guys need clarification on anything.

Also, is there a list of available majors somewhere on the CS website? I can't seem to find one.  :-?

Also, I am somewhat looking to get a masters. But That's not totally for sure. I'd be a pretty young to have an MS after my name XD

[William Grim]

CS will teach you the theory of computing, how to design basic computer hardware, and how to get the best performance out of your system via algorithms.  CS is not geared to teaching very specific technical knowledge such as Linux/Unix administration, Cisco, and MCSEs.  All of that stuff sounds a lot more like CMIS anyway, and they might offer things like that.

Needless to say, if you're interested in developing software for computers, CS is the route to take.  A lot of cool things can be done on computers these days with the mainstream advent of multi-core/multi-chip systems.

Hope you get better soon, and good luck on your decisions!

[axe9]

Hmn.. I'm honestly not too big on programming. not a fan of debugging XD

Wow, apparently, the aches and pains are from Influenza Type A. not the car accident.. glad I went to see my doctor! :o

I'll take the programming stuff into consideration....

So, SIUE doesn't have a CMIS program I'm guessing?

[William Grim]

We have a CMIS program, but I can't speak for its quality.  I have, however, seen some pretty untalented people get through it, but that's only my personal observation and could be totally wrong.

If you do a CMIS program here, you're going to be taking a lot of business classes too.  It's probably like that with CMIS-like programs in other schools as well.

[Jesse Cook]

I would like to focus on Linux/unix administration as well as take classes on Cisco and windows server.

Unfortunately, these type of courses are more likely something you will find at a technical school or 'specialty' school that focuses on degrees for specific jobs (or at least that's my understanding).  You are probably not going to find a lot of classes in these areas at most 4-year public universities.

I went through the Network Administration course (74B MOS) in the military, and I learned Windows Pro, Server, Cisco Routers, Switches, Sun systems, etc, etc.  I learned all of these things in a 4 month course. Now granted the military training may not be as in-depth as some civilian educational institution's, but it is quite rigorous and you learn a lot.  The point is, you can learn most of these things quite quickly, and the rest is on-the-job training.

The bottom-line is, if you want to be a network administrator, I recommend that you attend a school that provides a degree specifically in this area.  If you want to learn a lot about programming along with some software engineering, operating systems, HCI, maybe some AI and/or robotics, etc then CS is the way to go.  Keep in mind that you can always go for Network Admin. now, and pursue a degree in CS later, if you decide it's not something you want to do.

Anyways, I think you need to decide what type of career you would like to have, and then pursue a degree based on that. I made the mistake of pursuing a degree in CS at a 4-year public university when I was specifically interested in game design. Of course, I am much more interested in algorithms and working for companies like Google now, but I still have a strong desire to work in the field of Game Design. I could probably have benefited more from a school that had a program in this area specifically.

You can always change your mind, but I recommend you do some serious research before you make a decision.  Otherwise, you may end up doing something you hate.  If you decide you'd like to pursue a degree in CS, I think you'll enjoy attending SIUE.  Furthermore, when you reach Jr/Sr status there are a lot of great classes (CS electives) you can choose from based on your areas of interest (AI, distributed systems, Linux Kernel Development, Graphics, Game Design, and a whole lot more).

I hope this helps a little,
Jesse

[axe9]

D: I totally forgot about this... must have lost the link :s

Thanks for all the advice! I'm going to applying for the spring 08 semester (Need money, so going to work through the summer and fall semester), so God willing I get in, I might be working with some of you soon!

Thanks again for all the advice and help, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to contribute as much  :)

Btw, My computer club is hosting their last LAN party of the Year, it will be held the second week of June :) So if anyone is from the Northern Illinois Area, and wants a fun WEEK of gaming, check out www.tidycms.com should be some more information soon. :)

Benjamin Wasson
Administrator, Kishwaukee College Computer Club
Malta, IL
tidycms.com