# How to get into Programming



## niemiro (Feb 20, 2010)

Hello all!

Firstly, I would like to say how wonderful this section is , and also that I fully understand about not being overcertified. 

I am currently at school, and would like a bit of advice in getting into Programming. For programming, do you think that I need a Computer Science Degree? I have been self teaching myself programming from books and the internet for the past 5 years, and I now create programs for people on the Internet, have a large collection of programs I could compile into a portfolio, intend to sit the British Informatics Olympiad this day next week, etc. etc. I can program in C# and C++. The problem I have is that I don't know how advanced I would need to be to be able to give a Computer Science (CS) degree a miss. 

Personally, I hate the idea of doing CS. Most of it looks really basic, and very broad, but maybe that is what I need to do, or maybe it isn't like that (I do not truly have a very good idea of what CS is like). At the moment, I want to read Maths at uni, possibly up to a doctorate (I love maths )

I have seen very many questions about getting into IT Tech jobs in this forum, but not much about programming. Any advice you could offer would be extremely gratefully received.

Also, I have one other question. One of the teachers (not in the IT department) at school is offering to invidulate Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications, up to and including the Masters. I am pretty sure that he is quite clueless about overcertifying, and so I am a little bit apprehensive about accepting. I currently have not had any real experience (I can use the tools perfectly well, but no relevant job experience) Is this cert Entry Level? Is the Master's Entry Level? 

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification l Office Specialist Certification l MOS Exam

Thank you so much for reading this,

Richard


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

most programmers I know have a degree but it does not have to be in computer science although it would help, most programmers I know have degrees in maths. Where as its not a neccesity for tech or networking types.

Taking the MOS is okay to do wether you have lots or viery little experience


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