Best IT Degree Programme in T&T....

[rassmatic]

I'd like to get the opinion of people already familiar with the various educational institutes in Trinidad

on where offers the most comprehensive and accredited IT bachelor degree programs. I was consider SAM,

but I believe their programs are really expensive. Does anyone know just how expensive they

are or of anywhere else that offers programs that are just as good or even better? I'm already familiar

with COSTAATT, but the fact that the institute is relatively new has me concerned. I'd like my degree to carry

some "weight" if I were ever to leave the country. Any advice would be appreciated.

[TheApprentice]

I humbly suggest against SAM as the IT degree program I'm currently in has had too many downs too ever recommend it to anyone.

[Archer]

^^ yep im in his class over there. U would be better off going to SBCS my friend.

[rassmatic]

I humbly suggest against SAM as the IT degree program I'm currently in has had too many downs too ever recommend it to anyone.

really? what kinds of downs?

[TheApprentice]

Less than average lecturers, not enough practical work, server crashes for the software we are studying, lack of campus security at times (south, once we had a class from 5:30-8:30pm and in school with no security), some unfriendly staff, long certificate processing times... etc..etc..

[Trinispartan]

Well having a degree in these times are an essential requirement if you want to be able to get a good job etc, however being a final year student at the School of Accounting and Management (S.A.M.) I would not advise anybody to do their computing degree there. I will state my reasons below:
1.   First there is the cost. Since you have to pay for 3 years their fees are:
Year 1: £750 + $500 registration fee
Year 2: £850 + $500 registration fee
Year 3: (final year) £990 + $2000 for books and $500 registration fee
So from the beginning they are critically expensive.

2.   As a computing institute you would expect to have a computer for your personal use like you get at SBCS. Wrong!!! At SAMs the only time you get to use the computers are at lunch times or when you have labs and trust me you don’t get much labs. There are about 45 computers in the entire SAMs south campus and about 70 at the north campus. At both campuses you care not assigned permissions to download any files so downloading .zip files or ever .pdfs are prohibited.

3.   The teaching REALLY SUCKS!!!!! The syllabus they use is from NCC which is from 2002. The lecturers do not have any degrees so they can’t teach most of the subjects. Throughout my experience at same I have studied using my books since most of what the lecturers don’t teach. Most of the time the lectures are very rude and bad talk the students in the classroom which is unprofessional.

4.   The text books we get are outdated (printed in 2004) for the latest. So they don’t offer much information that is useful in the real world. For some of practical books like A+ they are using windows 98 and windows 2000!!!!!!

5.   The library is useless since all of the books are outdated and there are hardly any books for the computing department.

6.   The first 2 diplomas that you get in year 1 and year 2 are not accreted and are not recognised by any government agencies. So you can’t even get a job as a technician since NCC is not recognised anywhere.

7.   Final Year is really SHIT because they require you to use oracle 10g database which is the shittiest thing around. They do not train you use it, so weather or not u can understand or know how to use this database is up to you.

In conclusion I don’t think going to sams to get my degree was worth it since when I was a technician in Petrotrin, I had to train a sams student who had a first class Hons in computers who didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. If I didn’t do some Microsoft and CISCO courses I would be unemployed and job less.
I would advise you to do your degree at SITAL OR SBCS. Thanks. Message me if you want more information.

[Archer]

^ He is also in the same class as me and the apprentice at SAM.

Chakra for u dude, superb explanation.

[TheApprentice]

Well having a degree in these times are an essential requirement if you want to be able to get a good job etc, however being a final year student at the School of Accounting and Management (S.A.M.) I would not advise anybody to do their computing degree there. I will state my reasons below:
1.   First there is the cost. Since you have to pay for 3 years their fees are:
Year 1: £750 + $500 registration fee
Year 2: £850 + $500 registration fee
Year 3: (final year) £990 + $2000 for books and $500 registration fee
So from the beginning they are critically expensive.

2.   As a computing institute you would expect to have a computer for your personal use like you get at SBCS. Wrong!!! At SAMs the only time you get to use the computers are at lunch times or when you have labs and trust me you don’t get much labs. There are about 45 computers in the entire SAMs south campus and about 70 at the north campus. At both campuses you care not assigned permissions to download any files so downloading .zip files or ever .pdfs are prohibited.

3.   The teaching REALLY SUCKS!!!!! The syllabus they use is from NCC which is from 2002. The lecturers do not have any degrees so they can’t teach most of the subjects. Throughout my experience at same I have studied using my books since most of what the lecturers don’t teach. Most of the time the lectures are very rude and bad talk the students in the classroom which is unprofessional.

4.   The text books we get are outdated (printed in 2004) for the latest. So they don’t offer much information that is useful in the real world. For some of practical books like A+ they are using windows 98 and windows 2000!!!!!!

5.   The library is useless since all of the books are outdated and there are hardly any books for the computing department.

6.   The first 2 diplomas that you get in year 1 and year 2 are not accreted and are not recognised by any government agencies. So you can’t even get a job as a technician since NCC is not recognised anywhere.

7.   Final Year is really SHIT because they require you to use oracle 10g database which is the shittiest thing around. They do not train you use it, so weather or not u can understand or know how to use this database is up to you.

In conclusion I don’t think going to sams to get my degree was worth it since when I was a technician in Petrotrin, I had to train a sams student who had a first class Hons in computers who didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. If I didn’t do some Microsoft and CISCO courses I would be unemployed and job less.
I would advise you to do your degree at SITAL OR SBCS. Thanks. Message me if you want more information.

^^ That about sums it up...
If someone here at GATT has had a positive experience at SAM's please share.. otherwise the picture we are telling you here Rage is "DO NOT GO TO SAM'S".

[UltimateGamer]

SBCS Has 2 computing degree courses:

University of London Degree in Computing and Information Technology (UOL)

and

University of Greenwich Degree in Computing Or Business Information Systems. (UOG)

UOL does not have any requirements passed CXC, and is a 4 year course in that case, or if you have A' Levels (I am not sure if CAPE counts) it is a 3 year course. When i first went back in 2006, Registration fees were as follows:
Year 1:
£500 + to register in London
$4000 for local tuition (Usually covered by gate)
£208 per exam (2 in year 1)

Year 2:
£288 continuing registration
$4000 + for local tuition (Again usually covered by gate)
£208 per exam (3 in year 2)

Year 3:
£288 continuing registration
either $6000 or $8000 for local tuition (GATE)
£208 per exam (4 in year 3)

Year 4:
£288 continuing registration
either $8000 or $12000 tuition (I believe it was the latter)
£98 per exam (You only do half modules, and their are 6 of them and a final project)

And if you manage to pass all you walk out with a degree. Best thing is the 35 marks out of 100 is pass, so you really have to be daft to fail, not to mention the fact that you must pay an addition £208 to rewrite the exam, so just don't fail.

UOG
I only did one course from this (WEB ENGINEERING) and the fees were £150 exam + $5000 tuition. You MUST have an associates degree to enter this course. And this, for me is the better of the 2 degrees. It is alot more technical and carries with it courses that focus on real world architecture and design (at least in the computing section).

What is very important to note, is that you will see some cool courses for UOL final year, including AI, Neural Networks and Data Compression. Don't be fooled into thinking you will have a lecturer who will assist you with these courses. SBCS has NONE. You are all on your own so if you can't study and learn on your own, just choose the few business courses they have in the final year.

I didn't stick around to finish my degree because i just couldn't afford to (As you could see it is pretty expensive and i had a baby on the way). And i don't regret it one bit, and one of these days, i will tell you why

[ViCe]

interesting thread
i too lookin to start my IT degree sometime next year (cost permitting) and hav been lookin around exploring my options.
any other choices besides SBCS?

oh and i live in d east so anywhere along the east-west corridor good for me

[Spazosaurus]

Leartes, you may have just convinced me to persue a MBA next year.

Do you know off hand if the entrance rquirements of an MBA, generally speaking is a Bsc With honors, or once you have a BSc you good?

[Berzerk]

Its usually an upper seconds or higher.

but other academic qualifications are also taken into consideration, before a board can recommend you for any postgraduate study.

Id assume its the same for all postgraduate studies (masters, mphil etc) but dont quote me on it, and IT may be different.

and pretty much endore all Laertes said.

[Saxito Pau]

Very good thread, as I am looking to start my degree in IT next year, and so far, it looking like SBCS is my institution of choice.

Is a good thing UG post up them tuition fees. At least I know to start saving like a Scrooge from now to pay for them, GATE or no GATE. (Thank god for my job at "that" College!)

I like what Laertes added about the MBA as opposed to a Masters in IT; I was planning to do Masters right after I finish the degree, but I do not thtink I want to be "changing ink in the receptionists' printer and giving advice on which laptop to buy" when I am almost 40.

*Chakra for all*

[Nephilim]

sams is balls

and this thread to late

also

sams is balls

if i wasn't already accustomed to learning on my own i woulda be screwed

there are a few good lectures, but it not enough to warrant going there, also the administration is worst thatn UTT...yes worst

i applied for 2 exceptions them tell me i cyar get it, do my research and i could, so i went back for them , 2 weeks later it come through...would you know after the first year i had to collect results...i missed the deadline for 2 courses and i had the praticals to do over...my results slip come back with FOUR failled...including the 2 i get exemptions for, and followed buy 'yuh go hadda pay'

if i coulda move i woulda LONG time...they fking up too much...also...i believe there have been law suits against the school by a previous student body

rant

i have been really annoyed this past year, ppl who i dont consider smarter than me are being put in charge of me and getting pay big boy dollars...ppl who cant even understand the SIMPLEST explaination of VPN

e.g. man like kfably walk in to install a wan link to intranet...them think they getting internet...i explain the difference...and them eh know shit...they ask me for a LAYMENS explanation....and that was what i give them...'basically we going through the internet to make a private network' even draw diagram...nada...srsly?

the only reason im even doing it is because i am tired of ppl with degrees being payed more than me, put in charge of me, and talking down to me...when they cant even add pc to domain or sync time on a client...

/rant

if you going into IT, really going into it, i would suggest getting some MCITP certs to learn some windows networks then CCNA...the books not that expensive if you order it down...here is rape...no degree yet but at least you would be able to ACCOMPLISH sum when they ask you too.

also i was shocked when they tell we we using oracle too...apparently is the only thing they know...cuz mysql was news to them

sticky this shit...


also my condolences to apprentice, trinispartan and archer

[rb]

I was in SAMS some years ago, stopped for personal reasons but from back then it was sucky. Started back recently in CTSCBCS in Chag to finish up. No complaints whatsoever from me, I haven't had fun learning stuff since Form 5 Social Studies.

[Spazosaurus]

Yea boy sams was a nightmare. Glad...no ESTATIC that THAT is finally over.

[Crixx_Creww]

well sams is balls everyone has said so. Laertes has made some good points but i would definitely like to add some things.

Been working in the field for a while now, Project Management, SQL 2005 and up, .net and Specialised training in SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, PeachTree and so forth will get you way ahead of the game than a degree offered in trinidad.
THe university of Phoenix offers there online degree to Trinidadians via there Meridus University, i Stronglyyyy suggest people look into this.

Also as laertes said, besides uwi and costaat and Utt, tertiary education is hella expensive... but ive been to college in the states and f*&&*& SAMS and SBCS are ridiculously expensive for their level of college.

I will be going back to the states to attend Western Governors university for their IT degrees, they incorporate certifications into their degree programs, giving you college credit for previous work experience and IT certs as well as transferring any college credits from accredited universities you have attended. Its an online degree but only available in the states because all their testing centers are in America.

If you want a high level job at this point, you need a degree yes, but not a SAMS degree where you dont even know how to turn on a computer.

IT people in Trinidad lack specialisations, thats the key to good positions.
So pick a stream and get your degree and certs to support it.
Project Management and Microsoft specialisations will net you very good gains as a manager or a consultant. 

[Preston786]

What Nephilim an Crixx said but .........Crix i've been to both the US an CAN an its pretty pricey for non residents/citizens  I'm Canadian an well ill get Canadian price but since i don't permanently reside there i still have to pay extra which still comes up to more than i pay in SBCS and well dont even begin about the states unless is not ah reputable university i.e. UCLA FIT and the like.... i not even going to put a IVY League such as MIT (cuz thts roughly abt 200000TT a yr) ... the CIS or ISM BSC Hons @ SBCS kicks Major ass as its Directed by the London School of Economics an Political Science and is highly recognized overseas and well now here as well cuz ppl realising how friggin hard it is to do most of the work on your own an the level/amt or work you have to put in opposed to as UWI an ppl even the ones going UWI you know is ballz....... i kno ppl going there an they constantly complain abt the retarded lecturers they have.... and most the ppl tht went there guess what.... they went SBCS to do their MBA's /MSc's lol

OK i'm not plugging for SBCS ppl jus stating some facts of what i personally seen in the years past so if i've offened anyone i humbly apologize
Super out

[Exar_Kun]

Leartes, you may have just convinced me to persue a MBA next year.

Do you know off hand if the entrance rquirements of an MBA, generally speaking is a Bsc With honors, or once you have a BSc you good?

Generally speaking, MBA programs will require some level of work experience. While exceptions are generally made for some (especially if you have a high GPA) in general they look for 3 years work experience. Executive MBAs are meant for experienced workers and they generally want 7 years experience or so.
I'm taking my information from the requirements I know from Arthur Lok Jack GSB, the IMBA is the 3 yr exp one.

At the end of the day though, if they can't fill the class in any given year they'll probably say to hell with whatever work reqs they have in place.

[mailman166]

SBCS i going there doing my Beng in electrical engineering... This school has its fair share of problems but their its an MBA worthy of being done

MBA business management with Heriot Watt university...

Depends on who you are (experience, prior qualifications, etc) but you can get in through a method
where by you dont need a bsc or n e thing and attempt one or two subjects if u pass you are allowed to continue onto the MBA

$10500 b4 gate per subject

Website
http://www.sbcstnt.com/programme.html?id=80