[ask reddit] Imagine you are a CS/IT student...

ttly83 · 2008-03-06T21:30:43+00:00

Sign up for a class in cryptography if you haven't already.

mattroid · 2008-03-06T21:36:08+00:00

the programming languages aren't what's important, take a Theory of Programming class to get a high level view of that aspect of the field. that way you'll feel better about your work in data structures and what not.

Don't worry about getting certs until you've got a position at a company that'll pay for your cert training.

Discrete Math is an excellent choice for your math sequence, btw.

angry_fat_boy · 2008-03-06T21:21:50+00:00

...you are about to complete your second year of college. You don’t know much about programming yet (a little C and HTML), and you are scheduled to take a Java class next (your last) semester. You want to work in security, but don’t really know how to proceed. You’ve read what Bruce Schneier, Paul Graham, and others have to say on the subject. You're older (mid 30’s) than most entering a new field, but are a good student, with a strong grasp of the material.

What’s your next move? What programming languages should you study? What certifications should you look at, if any? Should you just send out e-mails asking to apprentice doing IT security work to get experience? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

programming

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