It’s amazing what happens when you don’t spend any time writing new articles.

-Absolutely nothing!

I am on my last year of my computer programming degree and my class loads have lightened up a bit. Along the way I’ve purchased a new house with my wife, had a meager 3 week Christmas break (not nearly long enough), and managed to acquire 2 internships doing web development.

Those are just a few of the things I’ve done.

Upon reflection of where I started this journey and where I am now I’ve learned that what I want to do MORE THAN ANYTHING is web development. I love designing websites, helping people put their brand out, and along the way learning more about myself, and my capabilities. This doesn’t mean I don’t like application development, but certainly with web design/development, I have more creative freedom and it’s that freedom I enjoy most.

My computer programming degree hasn’t covered (in my opinion) 2/3rds of what I believe I need to know to become a good web developer as far as web technologies go. I’ve covered html, javascript, xml, php and mysql. Those languages are a good basis for most sites, but in reviewing what other web developers out there are covering (thinks like JSON, JQuery, MooTools, CSS) I think I am not as prepared to handle all of the requests that might come to me.

So what can I do?

My wife was amazing in that for Christmas she got me a copy of the Smashing Book which has been a good start.

The Smashing Book is chocked full of tips and ideas about good site design and characteristics that I believe will help me be a better Web Developer. But while learning this, I have this deep sense that I need to learn more.

So, this is where you come in (if you even read this): I need to find out what current market trends are in web development and determine if those tools/skills are something I can acquire by reading, or if I should continue my education and find a school geared for Web Development.

I am so fried on education that I want to suppress the college route for awhile and see what I can do before that. I realize that this market is BLEAK, but certainly some one some where can use a developer (let alone pay one)

This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so the question is, how to insure that happens.