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Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!lisa
From: lisa@cs.utexas.edu (Lisa Laguna)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Best route to programming career
Keywords: career education computers
Message-ID: <345@truffles.cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 14 Mar 89 18:54:47 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 40

I really need some sound advice and I am posting because I know there
are a lot of experienced people out there that can tell me things that
CS professors and counselors can't.

I want a job (career) in programming (or programming/management,
eventually).

My first obtacle is that my Bachelor's is in Psychology.  My second is
that I'm about to move to Philadelphia and there are no inexpensive
schools there (except maybe community college).  I have been taking
some classes at a community college in Austin and have done well.  I
use a formatting language (LaTeX) at my job and am pretty good at it
and enjoy helping others master it.  I think I have the competency for
programming.  What I lack is the education and experience.

I would welcome any advice as to what would be the best path for me to
take.  Should I go for another undergraduate degree (this time in CS)
and get much in debt doing so? Should I continue taking programming
and programming theory classes at a community college where I am
moving?  Would it be any use at all interviewing with
companies/universities in the hope that they would see that I'm
extremely eager and fast to learn and they would be willing to train
me to get me started (I'm sure this is unlikely).

The languages I have programmed in are:  Basic, Pascal, and I am
teaching myself C now and in the summer.  I have a Mac at home and
love working on it.  I also have experience with the IBM PC, but
really love working on the Mac.  Do very many businesses out there use
the Macs?

One more question:  How easy is it for a programmer to find a
half-time job if that is desired?  I know it's not easy in many
fields.  I would really like to be able to stay home half time when I
have a baby (or to work part-time at home--I already do this with
technical typesetting)--Do many people out there do
freelancing/consulting at home?

Again, I welcome ALL suggestions, comments, etc.

Lisa Laguna