Are there any IT people here? I'm wondering what's the difference between information technology and computer science...

Are there any IT people here? I'm wondering what's the difference between information technology and computer science, and which one I should pick? I've done coding in the past but I'm not sure if I want to do it as a major. I know IT is focused on systems but what exactly do you do course wise? Any resource online to help me pick one or the other?

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Information Technology is more about implementation
Computer Science is for faggots

>technoLOGy

IT is more about systems and security. Think email security, local network security, firewalls, maintaining servers, maintaining company communications (skype, slack, etc.)

Computer Science can fit a wide range of programming, but you'll find the course work is more oriented towards exactly the name "science of computing" you'll look at different levels of programming (machine language, operating systems, low level object oriented like C & C++, and high level object oriented like python). The ultimate focus is on efficiency. Building faster algorithms, useful libraries, etc.

Software Engineering is programming at the various levels using teams and pre-built libraries.

I look at it as Comp Sci makes Lego, Software Eng builds with the Lego, and IT makes a stable work environment for everyone to do their job.

Could you explain exactly what that means?

I think a good analogy is that Automotive Engineers are to mechanics as Computer Scientists are to IT people. One creates, the other maintains/supports.

There's a pretty big variance though between computer science programs. The more respected ones are basically applied math degrees. The typically state-school level CS program are just for the smart IT people

I used to be IT. It becomes so boring and monotonous. I’ll work IT for 5 years and then quit and do something else for 4-5 years.

Like now, I cut and sell firewood and am a bee farmer.

I’ll probably go back to it in a couple of years.

So basically don't do CS unless I'm smart? I should have mentioned before I'm not good at math so I am definitely leaning towards IT

user you need to look at the course curriculum. It shows you all the classes for that program. It's usually a pdf and it's usually not easy to find. You'd think that would be more relevant information than Jeff Daniels playing in the auditorium next year but yea.

How was the money?

I've been looking at it, and IT would be the shortest path for me. It's just that I don't really know what to expect by doing IT, whereas with CS I do since I've taken some classes in it already. I just don't want to pick another damn major and hate my life every second I'm doing it

Faggot.

IT is professional tech support. Expect to hear "Dale down in accounting says his computer is broken again" a lot. Computer Science is actual programming. IT will probably cover basic programming, but you aren't really expected to be good at it.
Or at least that's my understanding of it.

IT means being the guy having to set up the network, file shares, servers, and all that other lovely shit.
Computer science is programming mixed in with a bunch of math and abstract data structures and algorithms.

How bad at math are we talking? CS generally requires up to Calc II or Calc III and higher (300) level math electives

Really depends on your school's curriculum, but as a general rule of thumb, yes.

look if you pursue CS you'll be left to do whatever you want to improve on and you dont have the hassle of company politics to secure a good salary. In IT prepare to kiss your boss' ass(you wont be the boss/manager for years), the customers ass, your colleagues ass and the CEO/VPs ass, and you wont even get close to the freedom and money in CS.

no u

Really bad, I've failed the intro math course multiple times back in 2011-2013. Last time I almost had it but fudged the last two tests and the teacher was a bitch.
Why would I need to kiss anybody's ass? That doesn't make sense to me

IT is setting up computers for anyone at the company you work for. You install the OS and programs expected for each employee to use. You're also on call to fix anything that is wrong with the computer

Computer Science is typically developing software. You are writing code, debugging, testing, creating features.

The two are very different careers save for the fact that they both use computers?

what are IT salaries like these days? I've heard everything from "they're tanking and are peasant tier" to "im in IT and just bought my third boat"

computersciencedegreehub.com/faq/difference-information-technology-computer-science/

>Really bad, I've failed the intro math course multiple times
don't do CS lol

Another analogy type thing:

at my school one of the first CS classes was pretty much dedicated to studying, analyzing and coding all of the really common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, etc) and then working those custom implementations into assignments

The equivalent course for IT was just homework assignments using the out of the box ones but not requiring much of an understanding of why you choose one over the other

If you struggle with math, IT is probably the way to go. It depends on what your specific weaknesses are though. To complete a CS degree you usually need to get through calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and varying levels of discrete math. The most important is the discrete math, like combinatorics and proofs, etc. If you just struggle with algebra, but you're generally fine with mathematical reasoning, you should be fine in a CS program.

A lot of CS classes are wildly different from one another, I don't think taking a few of them gives you a clear idea of what the rest of the coursework is like. If you like computers and you can bear through the math, CS is very doable if you work hard.

i just assumed you at some point wanted to secure a salary good enough to live a lower middle class life, if you dont play under company social rules, then dont expect much. prepare to laugh and smile at complete asshat colleagues and managerS. ive had 11 years in an international IT US-based company. maybe things are different in a small local biz or public servant office

IT you do help desk/field tech, network admin/sys admin/, printer tech, installs(networks, deployments, projects)

Computer Science you can do all of the above also, with some back/front end knowledge. You can get into development, software/hardware engineering and design, app development, in depth networking

80% of the people that come to us with CS degrees usually end up on the desk at an IT level. The other 20% are actually good at coding and get put with one of our devs as an apprentice so to speak

IT sales salaries aren't too bad. If you aim at the mid market your looking at about £35-45 for field sales + bonus. Lots of hours though as you would be surprised how much travel is necessary sometimes I can do 16 hour days when you take travel into account.

Not really worth it. I have welder friends that made more than me by far.

IT gets you in front of customers. You need to know a lot about technology and have good troubleshooting skills plus have excellent people skills. If you have a customer facing IT job, it’s like having an extra few points against getting layed off or out sourced. The successful customer facing IT specialist has a little bit of an edge.

In my experience (master's degree, university of Eindhoven, the Netherlands - fairly acclaimed world wide; Dijkstra has history there), computer science has only very little to do with actual coding.

It has more to do with creating exact models of phenomena, and using such models to specify or 'calculate' certain things. For instance the different states in which a system can be.

About 5% of my courses we were taught how to program well. In about 20% of the courses, I had to do programming. About 15% of my courses were about engineering (how to efficiently and effectively produce software that solves a given problem).

Mostly, my courses were abstract exact science, done mostly 'on paper'. Comparable to abstract mathematics, the subject matter being things like processes or states.

We had barely any exposure to actual hardware, and only little exposure to implemented software. I think therein lies the greatest difference with IT.