In short, what university offers to those looking to get into the web industry is the chance to learn mostly theory. There might be some practice involved but I have unfortunately come to notice that most universities and colleges are teaching a few years behind current web standards. For the Web Courses Bangkok internship, we use the newest software at the agency, so thus we also teach the newest versions to students.
Did you like the 80’s?
As crazy as it sounds one way for webcoursesbangkok to obtain an ASIC accreditation would be for us to teach DOS.
How very 1980′s?….. Imagine yourself proposing technologically advanced courses and yet having to teach something 20 years behind current technologies.
What do you mean you’ve never heard of my University? (Awkward)
Sure, in the end, students will get a degree (by following classes or paying for the papers, as this happens too). But this is something that was considered extremely important ages ago when only a few were lucky enough to pay all the university taxes and additional expenses. Nowadays with the advent of technology, things have changed.
We are part of a technological age which is constantly evolving, almost any information can be found on the web and in most cases for free. Project Guttenberg and our own YouTube channel come to mind as great places to go for learning. The internet whilst being an amazing and instantaneous knowledge tool can lead to leaving gaps in knowledge.
What do I mean?
Well, If I attend a uni course on say web design I will be given a course outline and taught all the software I will be using. If I teach myself I am left fully responsible for the areas I learn. I need to rely on myself not to be narrow-minded and concentrate only in the areas of study that I think are important to learn.
I would never say universities are in any way a waste of time but I think they are only effective when combined with experience. For certain career paths, I don’t think there’s a better way. I wouldn’t like to have a doctor that learnt amputations from YouTube doing my surgery.
Who knows what he might remove?
No more teachers?
One key problem with self-training is it removes that often life-changing lecturer or instructor that opens your eyes to a new way of solving and approaching problems.
Teachers change life I know this from personal experience. As much as I annoyed my teachers at school and college with them almost pulling out what little hair they had left. The ones that had a passion for their subject shared their knowledge and experience in a way that is immeasurable by comparison to video tutorials or reading through endless web design books. Also, the later method books can never look at what you’ve created and tell you how to improve it or simply leave it alone.
Is it assured that you will get a job right away after you’re done with uni?
NO.
Forget about those who try to make you think that uni’s are a guaranteed way to a bright future. Whilst giving you some sort of cultural preparation, you still need to get the step into the workplace to put into practice what you’ve learned, many fail on that, as they rely on theories and methods that often collide with the modern ones. Also dealing and working with clients is a whole other thing to learn.
We have a very interesting post regarding 10 ways to better work with project managers which are well worth a read.
Experience might get you hired but if you have years of experience working in an impractical and inefficient manner your new employer won’t be very happy and left wondering why you take twice as long as you should and why your work needs to be redone to comply with new industry requirements.
I want a clean fight: Bob VS Mike
So can we all agree that there’s no definitive right answer?
Take two students:
One young guy, whom we will call Bob, one day decides to join a uni to study technology-related subjects for the following 3-5 years of his life.
Meanwhile, his buddy, Mike….older than Bob, without a degree but has always spent time learning things on his own through what the net has to offer, friends, books, etc. He always preferred to put his hands at work rather than learning piles of theory documents by memory and spend the same amount of time right after to remember how to apply that “knowledge” to his daily work and life issues.
After 1 year, Bob learned a lot in terms of theory….but what about the experience/practice factor? Well, unless he had the chance to practice it, the experience factor is very low, compared to his friends that maybe are already working or they’re far ahead with their studies. Since he has been taught that this is the way to do things, he would probably never doubt following what the book says and therefore keep on studying, confident that one day he’ll kick ass once he holds a degree and lands his dream job… Mike instead is free from any possible kind of “chains”, which means he spent 1-year learning, practising, testing, and FAILING, and finding the quickest solution to test again until succeeding. He feels more comfortable and not scared to face job interviews with big companies. Actually, he’s already had two interviews and awaiting a response. So he can go stay out on the weekend, sit in the park, write down some notes, and think about projects……while poor Bob has to stay in to study as an exam is coming up soon. Exams are nothing like working to a deadline.
No doubt that at while both can promote their exam results (Bob) and acquired skills (Mike) on the net. Overall though the one that will get more visibility would be Mike as he is available and ready to be part of a work environment, while Bob is still learning and has yet to receive official qualifications and skills to show to potential companies, only the thought “in 3 years I’ll get a degree” then all of a sudden he can join the work world. Also Bye Bye student discount…
The Job Hunt…..
At the end of the 5 years period….Mike will have vast skills and experience set him up for working at a company or as a freelancer with a big rooster of clients…while Little Bobby could have managed to get his beloved paper but still no sign of a job offer and even worse far behind, as an experience rather than knowledge, compared to Mike. So let’s say…5 years (pre-uni)+5 years (uni period)= approx. 10years of experience behind Mike Too much? Let’s size it down to 5 years. Ok…..but still 5 years between them…
Web Courses Bangkok Internship – My experience
I’ve worked for over 12 years in areas unrelated to my studies until now apart from the occasional freelance work created for friends. I’ve attended private training courses, and downloaded books of many kinds for the pure pleasure to read and keep myself updated with the new developments in web design. I’ll be honest as I approach the big 30 birthday I was very apprehensive about doing an internship.
To put it bluntly, I felt too old. I could have gone to uni spent 5 years learning and then try and compete against younger, leaner, meaner designers but this internship gives not have a fast track lazy I can’t be bothered going to uni option. It gives me the chance to work in the way a design agency actually operates. I’ve always been interested in design but this is the best opportunity I think I can be given to really develop.
I don’t want to sound like a commercial to support my Web Courses Bangkok internship but it’s the plain truth…
The time you can spend at Web Courses Bangkok internship helps a lot, as you can clearly feel the difference between sitting in a classroom vs being here and being motivated almost subconsciously to become part of the team. Many of my friends left uni years ago and work in jobs completely unrelated to their degrees.
For some, it is a choice with them merely losing the passion after years of study or more often simply due to the current jobs climate companies want experience and some kind of evidence of learning. Of course, many simply wanted to keep their parents happy by going to uni and some for the party student lifestyle. Guilty as charged your honour.
What I lack from not having a uni degree I have now been given a lifeline to progress more in doing something I was beginning to think would never happen. I actually look forward to going to work and don’t clock watch until finishing time to escape either. Here I have the freedom to learn in a friendly environment, where I can ask questions and even If I don’t understand something I get assistance and the feeling I’m probably asking something that one of the previous interns has asked before.
Final considerations:
Students have several options for paying for their educational expenses. Be it scholarships, private student loans, or even coming to an arrangement for their parents to cover the costs. The idea is to get an education that sets them apart from the crowd, all in hopes of getting a better job and an opportunity for a better life. Sadly, in the majority of cases, the world isn’t that easy.
I could simply answer such affirmation by mentioning one person: Steve Jobs 
I love Apple stuff, if not for the practical way of using then if merely for the design aspect.
Did he study design? no.
He dropped out of college after one semester. What did he manage to achieve with his ideas and strong belief?
You know this already, possibly your even reading this on a Steve Jobs idea. When asked about his business model Steve Jobs responded with. “My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each other’s negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts.
Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people”
So what are you waiting for check out the Web Courses Bangkok internship?:
If you have a strong will, you will achieve your objectives… So no matter your age the time spent on a Web Courses Bangkok internship here will serve you well.
