I'm in my 2nd year in uni, and I've been wondering for a while what kind of degree Logan/anyone else would recommend for me to pursue to get a job similar to Logan's...or even...whisper Linus's...Or, what kind of experience in general would you recommend?
Thanks, Caleb
Ugh... Well... Umm...
Yeah, off to a great start... First of all, be prepared for your uni and otherwise the community not taking you seriously (depending on where you live). Most people outside of the technological world do not view Logan or, to a much lesser extent, even Linus as professionals or people to be respected. Hell, in the US people blatantly disregard what the scientific community agrees on. Global warming? Vaccines? Evolution? People don't give a shit about what a scientist says, so brace yourself if you want to essentially be @Logan. Again, this is highly dependent on your geography, but... Just bear it in mind.
Now, your education? Eh, it'll be broad. Study computers, journalism, multimedia, radio would help with broadcasting and presentation skills, etc. If you have something available that checks off several of those things, do it. Thing is, Logan is not a specialist. At all. He's a multi skilled technology enthusiast, not an industry insider. @wendell on the other hand, is. He obviously knows a vast amount more about the fine details of technology than Logan. I always understand Logan, but Wendell can go off on a tangent that reminds me just how little I know (and here I am boasting tech saviness with my shiny self built desktop because I'm surrounded by tech illiterates). But it's actually Logan who's running the show/media. And that's why they're a team.
So, point is that there's no standard of education for that because it's not typical journalism or media. Again, that's geographic. You might be at an amazing place that understands nerd jokes. I'm not. Basically, understand everything, master nothing. Experience? If there's anything local involving radio, news, etc, jump on it. Even if it's not computers. A lot of the skills are the same, merely covering a different subject.
A common mistake I see people making is that just doing the degree wont make you just fall into where you want to be. I think this applies to a lot of things out there. Just doing a degree in engineering, for example, wont allow you to just fall into a career. It takes more than just test scores to get into the game, generally.
I don't mean to dishearten you or anything. In fact, I whole heatedly encourage you to do what you love. You just need to be prepared to go the extra mile to get where you want to be.
I have to agree with @kegwash, a degree is not an apprenticeship. Best to go for whatever subject you can get the highest grade in. Remember, employers are not just looking for top grades, they generally want well rounded team people, not geeks. Think seriously about getting involved social activities a uni. Excellent advice from @Tek_Elf.
@kegwash is right about doing extra work. Doing a degree is good and I would recommend it.
Do you pick a direction after starting uni? That seems weird. Anyway, I would imagine if your interested in the kind of thing Logan does you'll want to go down the media/tech side of things.
But as has been mentioned, do more than just your degree. Be it joining relevant clubs, doing your own youtube channel, make videos of anything your interested in, or audio or animation, what ever it is you like. Do competitions (if there are any), try and get a placement for some experience.
Make sure you do things you like don't do it because you think you have to to get to a certain place or you just wont have a good experience and it'll be a waste.
Didn't Logan work with Tiger Direct doing their YouTube showcases? He started out kinda awkward, but grew into it pretty well I thought. Point is, he didn't become what he is straight away, but he did become pretty great.
Best outro on YouTube.
Haha "It's time to get off the laggin wagon so you can start fraggin" classic
@Tek_Elf Thanks, I think you've helped me down the path to choosing which major I want. Probably going to go with Media and Communications in order to do as you say, as I am wanting to head towards more of a Logan-kind of job.
@kegwash I definitely agree with you there; in that respect, in my free time I am trying to teach myself about computers and am also attempting to keep a youtube channel running, though this one is not related to technology.
@Geoff Actually, thanks for reminding me about more social involvement--I'd dropped out of most of that stuff last year due to my heavy courseload, but I'll try to get back into it.
@Eden My university is a liberal arts and is strange in that here, you don't choose your major until the end of your second year. Kinda weird, but hey. And I mentioned before, but I am trying to run a youtube channel and learn presentation as well as behind-the-camera skills, and I'm going to try to get back into clubs and stuff at my university. I think I understand what you're saying with the like to do thing, I want to do this because I actually enjoy doing it and it's the first job I've been able to envision myself doing and liking it at the same time. I definitely don't want to end up 30 years old with a job I'm only doing for the money and because I have nowhere else to go.
Thanks everyone that has commented thus far, I appreciate the ideas and suggestions you've left for me.
Take some business management classes! Getting a handle on accounting, etc... is huge for a small business (or any size for that matter).
A Communication/Media focus as far as major goes is probably the best option. Just don't skimp on Your English/Literature classes as sharpening your writing skills carries over into the communication end of things.
Good luck!
What people always recommended to me is to just study whatever seems most interesting to you. You'll have to take in mind though. You have a general idea of what you want to do now, but that might change while you're in college and learn more about that field. Maybe you'll find out about some cool niche, so just go with what interests you most.
But also kinda maybe you should look at job opportunities after. Where I live (Belgium) there's some degrees that sometimes make it hard too find a job with (e.g. philosphy and history).
What the hell did I just watch.
University should provide broad exposure to the top minded thinking across the board. Using it for skill specific training would be, in my opinion, not the best use of your time.