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Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#11

Post by hga »

drRoflol wrote: post #9
hga wrote: post #4

Having a degree can make it easier to get a visa to work in the US, to governments credentials count, not real ability. Trying to do the degree you're doing is dangerous, as you've noted (although it does allow you to maintain your lifestyle and keep current in real software development). Is there any possibility that you can change to another major or school where you can get a real CS degree?

I'd have to move to get another option. I haven't done any real research into the whole visa-business, but I really should do that soon;) Is it not true that it's easier to get a visa if you already have a company that has agreed to let you work with them?

I think that's the only way to get a visa that legally allows you to work in the US (ignoring visas associated with going to schools), but being a US native I don't know; as you say, you need to research that.

One thing I do know is that the last time I checked this year's quota of H-1B visas is not even close to being used up. Normally they're all used up on the first day which is sometime in April.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#12

Post by drRoflol »

mechanical_fish wrote: post #5

If your degree in CS is too easy and feels useless study something difficult. If money up front is not an issue you want a university degree. Even if considered as nothing more than a meaningless credential, university degrees pay off over time. More now than ever. But it needn't be a mere piece of paper. If your classes are teaching you things you already know take different classes . When you've studied physics up…

I can't, my university won't let me take harder courses. I've taken the hardest courses I can. And I've talked with the councilors, and they tell me to just wait till next semester - "that's when the real fun starts" - but I don't think so.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#14

Post by nudge »

"Because I don't really need to work on things I sometimes forget that I have assignments to do, and that resulted in me only having one of the three exams I was supposed to this spring, because I missed two hand-ins."

Danger!

I got some great advice from a high school teacher once, when I was in a similar situation (questioning the usefulness of the curriculum): You only get to say it's substandard once you ace it. Any time before then, or forever if you drop out, your opinion means nothing. He was completely right.

My advice: Stop screwing around thinking all this is beneath you. If it really is, then you should be scoring ridiculously high grades, not missing entire exams. If you're understimulated, ask for higher-level work (masters level?). I think if you turn up in the USA (assuming they let you in) and say you quit because it wasn't any good, they'll assume you're a dilettante and/or lazy.

You don't realize it, but you're in an advantageous situation. You've got time, which is more valuable than most things. You can ace your degree while doing extra to demonstrate that you aren't just one of the crowd. What you choose to do in addition to the course is up to you: higher level schoolwork, freelancing, your own software, whatever. Then when you're done you'll have accomplishments to show, as well as the improved self-discipline that comes from doing something that doesn't fascinate you.

Put your ass in the chair and turn yourself into something outstanding.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#15

Post by dagw »

mechanical_fish wrote: post #5

If your degree in CS is too easy and feels useless study something difficult. If money up front is not an issue you want a university degree. Even if considered as nothing more than a meaningless credential, university degrees pay off over time. More now than ever. But it needn't be a mere piece of paper. If your classes are teaching you things you already know take different classes . When you've studied physics up…

If your classes are teaching you things you already know take different classes.

I knew a guy who was an amazing programmer. Wrote his own operating system and did projects like real-time ray tracing and speech recognition while in high school. He decided to get his degree in physics specifically because he felt he already knew most of the CS stuff, but didn't know a lot about physics. His line of thought was why go to school to learn something you already know when there are so many things you don't know that they can teach you? That always struck me as a very clever way to look at things, and I've often wondered why more people who complain about how "easy" their CS courses are don't do the same.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#17

Post by abyssknight »

To be honest, I'm not even going to read this beyond the title. The answer to your question is yes. You are 21, and there is plenty of time. University isn't 100% about what you learn, but rather how you learn it and who you learn it with. Finishing a degree also teaches commitment and endurance -- two things which are critical to making a startup successful.

Successful startups are few and far between, and you may need a fall back plan. Getting a CS related job without a degree, at least here in the States, is very difficult. Do yourself a favor; finish what you started.

You mention being bored and tired of easy assignments. What's stopping you from building a startup while you're in school? You could probably kick out a minimum viable product with all that free time.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#18

Post by fbnt »

drRoflol wrote: post #3
LaPingvino wrote: post #2

Mind that it is very hard to move to the US and start a company there if you are not a US citizen.

I know that, but I don't want to start a company, just get a job, any IT-related job.

That's naive of you. You can't just fly in the states and interview for a job. Without a green card, you can only stay in US with a tourist visa for 3 months max, or with a student visa if you enroll in some university over there and pay their thousands-dollar tuitions (but you can't get a job), they're very strict on immigration policies. Oddly enough, it might be easier to get a full permit if you start a company, but I guess you'd have to prove that you're investing (bringing in) a substantial amount of money.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#19

Post by jcl »

drRoflol wrote: post #3
LaPingvino wrote: post #2

Mind that it is very hard to move to the US and start a company there if you are not a US citizen.

I know that, but I don't want to start a company, just get a job, any IT-related job.

If you are planning to look for a job rather than start a company, you really should get your degree.

If your classes are not stimulating you enough, perhaps you could try training for programming competitions (TopCoder, Google Code Jam, ACM ICPC). Doing well on those could be a good differentiator on a resume.

Re: Ask HN: Should I get my degree or not?

#20

Post by tunaslut »

get your degree. university offers more than just learning. enjoy being young....go hang out with art students and talk late into the night with people who are striving to become the next generation of "responsible" adults....better yet take some credits in "arty" subjects - literature, music, fine art, basket weaving - whatever...it will broaden your horizons. if you are bored, bootstrap something in your spare time. heck - ask the students what things they would love to have on the internet and build it for them! universities are such rich environments full of interesting people.
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