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Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

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Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#21

I'm 31 and considering getting a degree. Wondering if I should go for a masters in CS or do a bachelor's. Coming from a non-cs background and doing a career change at this point isn't easy. Master's would be much shorter and the Bachelor's obviously would take much longer. Any suggestions?

Usually Masters degrees require Bachelors first. Maybe you mean Associates?

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#22
I wouldn't get a degree. They're not needed and you'll make far more with an extra 4 yrs of experience. There will be some jobs that will be harder to get, but it doesn't make up for the fact that you're not working for 4 years, and paying through the nose for school.

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#24

Both. An education is worth it if it is a master; I do not think, speaking from experience myself and people I have hired, a bachelor is worth much of anything. A master will give you thorough theoretical understanding, it shows you can get through difficult and boring phases but did not give up and you learn to learn and reason systematically. Outside that networking, social life and having fun should be a big part…

> An education is worth it if it is a master

ymmv here. the company I work at offers the same starting salary to fresh bachelors, masters, and phds, unless your scholarly work happens to directly pertain to the business. in a lot of cases you will have missed out on 4-5 years of raises and experience. a lot of companies will be calling your peers "senior devs" by the time you get your first job.

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#25

I'm 31 and considering getting a degree. Wondering if I should go for a masters in CS or do a bachelor's. Coming from a non-cs background and doing a career change at this point isn't easy. Master's would be much shorter and the Bachelor's obviously would take much longer. Any suggestions?

Usually Masters degrees require Bachelors first. Maybe you mean Associates?

Some programs in Canada allow you to get a masters in CS without having a CS background. It would require taking certain prerequesites.

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#26

I'm 31 and considering getting a degree. Wondering if I should go for a masters in CS or do a bachelor's. Coming from a non-cs background and doing a career change at this point isn't easy. Master's would be much shorter and the Bachelor's obviously would take much longer. Any suggestions?

Usually Masters degrees require Bachelors first. Maybe you mean Associates?

He probably has a bachelor's in a different subject.

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#28
Like others have said, it really depends. As somebody who works-to-live and doesn't particularly love software, I never would have achieved the knowledge I have now on my own. I needed the real-life deadlines and stress to learn. Additionally, I can say with quite a bit of confidence that I use knowledge obtained from university almost every day, even if indirectly. If you do decide to go to school (and are in the United States), I would highly consider the community college -> in-state public university route. I went to a top-30-ish CS program at a large in-state institution, and I don't think I missed out on many opportunities because of it. Unless you get into CMU, MIT, Stanford, etc. just pick a large, hopefully cheap in-state school, make good grades, and apply to jobs through your school's network.

However, if you're the type-A/self-motivated type, you can totally learn learn enough on your own to land an entry-level gig. I will never be that kind of person, but I work with people who are, and they earn the same if not more than I do doing the exact same job.

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually Masters degrees require Bachelors first. Maybe you mean Associates?

He probably has a bachelor's in a different subject.

Yea sorry should have mentioned I have a Bachelor's in Finance

Re: Ask HN: Is a computer science degree worth it or should I learn on my own?

#30

I'm 33 years old and have been programming professionally for 11 1/2 years, and I'm self taught. I'm considered "senior". I founded and lead a user group and I've spoken at a conference. I don't say this to brag, I say this to state that despite my success and that a piece of paper won't advance my career, I've always regretted not having my degree. I'm married with a kid and I just started going back to school to fu…

How do you deal with classes like "intro to web development", where you will learn what a GET request is, when you've been a senior web developer for 10 years? (Just as an example, maybe you've worked in something other than web development?) Is cleping classes realistic?
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