Hi

First, I just want to say how awesome everyone on this site is, very very helpful and no bad attitudes.

I have a question: it seems about half of all job postings for web developers want the applicant to have a bachelor's; the other half don't mention it. How important is a BA for a web designer, vs. just getting an AA?

I'm considering Full Sail Univ. (online) for the undergrad... very expensive, but if I need a bachelor's in web design, so be it, they're fast. Otherwise I'm at a community college at the moment, taking C++ this semester so I can have an idea of what's going on in Java. Many employers want designers who know Javascript, so I figure if I know Java-proper, I'm ahead of the game.

Thoughts?

Java and Javascript are not related at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_%28programming_language%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECMAScript

That being said, the syntax of both are somewhat based on C and C++.

Thanks for pointing that out... that will have a bearing on my class selection in the Spring.

Does anyone have any thoughts on a bachelors being of any use in landing a web design job?

Ooh, the web design industry. What a pain.

One would only assume that is is like a Ph.D in computer science; it's a good mark to have, but people really care about how well you do and respond to things.

If you can get it, go for it.
If not, well you have to show a great personality and enthusiasm towards a job.

(A dedication would be assumed with a bachelors)

Basically I want to work in IT but mathematically, Computer Science may not be doable because of the calculus... I'll know next semester, but I need to figure out where I'm going, you know?

What's wrong with Calculus. If you want to work with math you'll most likely need to know it.

What's wrong with Calculus is that I've always been a C student in math.

The hardest part of calculus isn't the calculus.

Actually Computer Science involves a lot of Maths but depending on the industry and job position you are in, you may not even need to use it. Usually there will be readily available API and Open Source library that implements those Maths. All you need to do is to learn how to use the API and get the results they returned. Of cuz if your industry and job position is actually implementing those API for other developers to use, then your good grasp in Maths is very crucial.

Now we go by statistics. How high the chance you land a job in implementing API and how high the chance you land in using the implemented API ?

My personal working experience is unless you are in academic or research/development related sectors, you hardly need to use those Maths as you will be using the output of those implemented API. Instead you spend time in understanding and knowing how to use the API.

E.g
How many developers are in the Google Android SDK development team and how many developers uses those SDK provided by them to code apps? Statistics speak for themselves :)

I agree sohguanh, many college majors involve weeder courses. I've met many engineers who say they never use all the math they learned in school, but that they just end up interpreting data (I was speaking with mechanical engineers in the manufacturing sector).

I'm not quite at Calc yet... I'm taking Intermediate Algebra right now, and if I do well enough, College Algebra next semester, which will let me take Calc I in the fall. I got off to a bumpy start but I'm testing much better now. Much of my anxiety stems from returning to school after 11 years.