Wow...this is pretty much a dream come true. Options

[*mipadi*]

As some know, I'm a computer science student. Next semester, I'll be a first-semester senior, which means I can take some pretty kick-ass CS courses. I might get permission to take a course in computer security. Why? Well, for one, the professor is the best CS professor at my university, but there's an even better reason: it's the final project for the class.

I talked to the prof about the final project. Basically, shortly after the midpoint of the semester, the class is split into small teams. Each team gets a computer. The computer is set up on its own private network. Each team gets to pick a distribution of Linux to install on its computer.

Each team gets a few "free" weeks to secure its box, and then...yep, you guessed it. A few weeks before the end of the semester, it becomes open season on the network: Each team tries as hard as it can to break into the other teams' computers and trash their machines.

This is the sort of thing geeks dream about as children.

Problem is, I don't know if I can fit it into my schedule...but I'm going to try to find a way.

[*mona lisa*]

Is this course for one or two semesters? That sounds cool, not to mention very fun!

[*mipadi*]

I'm still not sure if I'll be able to take it. It conflicts with a required course on programming language design, which is my personal area of interest, and I also don't meet the prerequisites for the security course—although the professor said he'd waive any requirements I don't meet, since I'm a genius and all. I have to talk to him tomorrow about the best course of action regarding course selection, but I might end up not taking it.

Is this course for one or two semesters? That sounds cool, not to mention very fun!

It's a one semester course... I don't think there are any two-semester courses here.

Btw, Michael, how does one break into other's computers anyway?

Well, you know...I'm not an expert.

Btw, what college do you go to? I'm looking at majoring in Comp Sci..

I go to Bucknell University. It's a small school, but it's really nice, and it has one of the top undergrad engineering schools. I love the comp sci program, though. I've had so much fun. I started off college as an English major, but comp sci is way more fulfilling to me than anything in my humanities curriculum ever was! (Maybe that's because I feel like I'm actually doing something in comp sci...)