In my degree program, Cyber Security, I have taken a wide variety of classes. I have taken windows server courses, courses in Microsoft word, power point and excel. English, History, criminal justice, Math and ethics; they may not be directly relevant to cyber security, but they have helped me learn different methods of learning. Introduction to programming, principle of cyber security, introduction to networking, introduction to operating systems were all classes that I took before coming to ODU.

                Principle of Cyber Security was a class of fundamental concepts of cybersecurity and covers the general security concepts involved in maintain a secure computing environment. Introduction to programming is where I learned structured concepts of a high-level programming language, learned about primitive data types, declarations, constants, variables, assignment operations, expression evaluation and basic console I/O. Introduction to Networking focused on Network basics, Network communications and Network protocols and security. Introduction to Operating Systems focused on operating systems such as Linux, Windows and Mac. Windows applications focused on applications such as Word, Power Point and Excel.

                Learning programming develops structured and creative thinking, because when programmers are given a problem to solve, they think of ways to break it down in to workable pieces. Your way of thinking changes, you start thinking logically and find ways to work your way out of a structured format, and that gives rise to creative solutions. Programming makes things easier for you, a simple computer program is capable of turning things around, like being able to tap your smart phone screen and turn off an electrical appliance. When you fill out a form using google, the next time you fill out a form on google your computer will auto fill a lot of the same slots; which is only possible due to programming.

                Importance of Computer Networking & Security it is arguable that nothing has had a greater impact on modern business than the personal computer, and nothing has had a more profound impact on the computer than networking. But networking brings with its security threats which, if mitigated, allow the benefits of communication to outweigh the risks. Learning the protocols of networking was pivotal to my degree because the career I want to go into is a network analyst or systems administrator.

                Windows applications is relevant for any professional to learn. Every office in America most likely uses any of the windows applications like Word, Power Point and Excel. Excel is the best for computing data, with the formulas you are able to create or the formulas that are default setting in Excel. Power point is useful for meetings because trying to convey a thought or trying to implement a program is very difficult when you are not able to use picture or videos in slide show fashion. Word is the go to application for essay writing for college and high school students; you can write documents, newsletters, invitations and many more on Word. There are so many uses that you can get out of just those three applications that I had no clue about before I took that class.

An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a computer and computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs in a convenient and efficient manner. An operating system is a software that manages the computer hardware. The hardware must provide appropriate mechanisms to ensure the correct operation of the computer system and to prevent user programs from interfering with the proper operation of the system. An operating system is concerned with the allocation of resources and services, such as memory, processors, devices, and information. The operating system correspondingly includes programs to manage these resources, such as a traffic controller, a scheduler, memory management module, I/O programs, and a file system.

                When you have to take math in college, if you are not a math major then your first reaction is to think that it is pointless for you to take it. But mathematics if the center of life in many aspects; things you don’t even see as math like times, measurements, rates, wages, discounts, jobs, stocks, taxes, etc.. History was an important class to take because it teaches you to understand how society today, and understand on how we got to this point. Going along with understand society, history allows us to see how things change, helps us to understand how small action can effect the outcome just as much as a big action. English class at any level, teaches grammar which affects you greatly in job interviews and in your careers, because you directly convey professionalism when using the correct grammar. Using incorrect grammar makes it seem like you are unintelligent, even if you got excellent test score or have a very High IQ.

                All though the classes that I have taken are all necessary when it comes to being able to be productive in a work environment. There are several more things that I would need to achieve and or receive before becoming a system administrator or a network security analyst. A bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, or engineering is a minimal requirement, and many companies further require a master’s degree and many years of network experience. There are  a plethora of certifications that can help you learn about network security, or coding and programming, or server and network setups. They all can make you look more appealing as a new hire to any organization or company, and in some companies they can even take the place of a degree. But when it comes to being a network security analyst it is very difficult to secure a job without a degree, just because of the fact that one Information security analysts work with various departments of an organization.

                To become a network security analyst, also known as a computer security analyst or information security analyst, entails academic training and taking continuing education courses on overseeing the security level of computer networks. This includes identifying suspicious computer activities, performing software recovery, providing after-hours technical support and enforcing compliance with security policies. I think this is why computer science is one of the most difficult degree programs and career fields, because you are never truly done with learning about computers, networks and software across the board. There are innovations and studies coming out at rapid paces, there are new programs and software that are developed. In some cases, the network security analyst may help with the design and development of the computer network itself. To become a network security analyst requires a high level of technical expertise and continuous study.