Summary
Result: First Class Honours
In 2019 I acquired a foundation degree in computing specialising in telecoms. This qualification was like a CS degree but far more practical as it was designed for helping people get into the workplace.
As an example of this we managed to cover three out of four of the CCNA training curriculum available at the time, delving and working with (packet tracer) various protocols such as HSRP, OSPF, the different spanning tree protocols.
While the degree did specialise in telecoms it didn't neglect the other realms of CS, going into in good details software, databasing, systems analysis etc.
Telecoms
Aforementioned we covered most of the CCNA curriculum (at the time) in our telecoms modules. This was quite literal as we were given access to Cisco's netacad content for the first two chapters and third regurgitated via presentations written by a second tutor.
Our lessons would typically involve going through the netacad content with the tutor then engaging in packet tracer labs to cement the knowledge.
We had an interesting first assignment where we'd need to set up three networks connected by a single router. Two of the networks had their DHCP service provided by dedicated servers situated in the third. Thus we had to work out how to allow broadcast traffic from the server network to the clients, this being the use of a UDP helper address.
This practical work of course was paired with written explanations and evidence of what we did/what was was going on.
Most assignments were like this, gradually getting more complex with the introduction of more protocols such as our second, a multi-routing protocol topology (utilising RIP, OSPF & EIGRP interfacing with one another) and a later one where we'd implement layers 2 and 3 redundancy via PVST, EtherChannel and HSRP, VLAN-ing (including safety measures such as blackhole vlans and closing unused ports) and loopback addressing.
We however did have one pure theory assignment where we covered security factors where I wrote about VLAN hopping attacks, man in the middle attacks, spoofing etc.
Software & Systems
While this degree did indeed specialise in telecoms it didn't neglect software dev and systems construction whatsoever. Our programming classes covered the base concepts such as functional programming, iteration, variable types and OOP (Object oriented programming). I'd covered a lot of this already concepts wise however in a C# evening class a few years before so most classes when I'd finished I'd ask my tutor to teach me concepts not covered in the set curriculum such as inheritance (only basic OOP was taught).
For databases we were taught basic SQL, relational systems and data warehousing, in our first year we worked with MS Access which was found to be quite limited but then in our web dev module second year got to experience MYSQL.
Systems wise we were taught the tools and techniques systems analysts use for assessing existing systems and new systems clients propose to implement including diagrams such a DFD (data flow diagrams) and context diagrams, stakeholder assessment and probing/questioning techniques.
Finally the web dev module mainly comprised of learning leading up to a single assignment, this to build a WAMP (Windows Apache MySQL PHP) stack website for buying tickets to Glastonbury. The site was rather simple, with an initial home page and ticket registration page with input form, which would submit to a PHP back end, in turn processing said info after which serving a custom view for the client which displays their submitted info.
