Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News • Hacker News Board

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#61

Post by ultrasounder » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 8:55 PM UTC

50something wrote: post #32

wikibob wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d love to hear more about this. You feel it was worth the cost? Did you do all classes online or did you go in person for some / all? Did you work in technology previously?

>You feel it was worth the cost? Harvard Extension is a bargain compared to most colleges. $1500-$2500 for most 4 credit classes. Don't tell those smart college students that you are getting the same class for less than half the price. I tried the online thing (Coursera, edX, Udemy, etc.) but was never as motivated as competing against real students in a real class with deadlines that have consequences. Fear of failu…

Thanks for sharing your experience. I myself on a new quest to self-teach CS and change my career. I have been in the Technology field for the past 13 years or so but am pivoting to a software engineering career. CS50x is my first stop. I am intrigued by your experience with HarvardX. THe CS50x path now offers 3 more courses beyond the CS50x which i hope to take over the year or so to build my portfolio. Very inspiring to see someone achieve the impossible.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#62

Post by dominotw » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 8:56 PM UTC

AIX2ESXI wrote: post #46

Hi, I'm longtime lurker and was compelled to create a HN account for this topic. I'm in a similar position in my mid thirties; currently struggling with a heavy course load while working full time. Most weeks I seem to get most of my work done on the weekends and a occasional week night, struggling with the math classes though. I think I'm about thirty units away from transferring to the University I work for tuition…

That's great. I suggest keep going and finish it. Not sure if you already have a family but free time evaporates once you decide to have one.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#63

Post by pure_ambition » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 8:59 PM UTC

50something wrote: post #13

I am finishing my bachelors in CompSci at Harvard Extension and just got hired by Google. And I've got about 20 years on you. So yeah, absolutely, this can work! It was fun and challenging competing with top computer science students. In the long run, my organizational skills, focus, determination and world experience outweighed their raw brainpower and better memory. It's an ultramarathon, not a sprint.

Awesome! I’m considering doing the same - Harvard Extension.

Is there a reason you chose to do the bachelors program over the masters?

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#64

Post by zamalek » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 8:59 PM UTC

veza wrote: post #60

Being in a similar situation (before degree), I totally agree that I need a solid CS education. BUT, given that resources like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ are available for free why should I waste money and time and energy on courses of a probable lesser quality, at least at my local university. The way I see it the problem is not the education itself but your credentials or reputation in front of a possible employe…

That worked for me until I wanted a visa. Now I am getting a CS degree.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#65

Post by tezzer » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:01 PM UTC

austincheney wrote: post #24

Is this age and sex bias a silicon valley problem? I am nearly 40 and most of the developers I have worked with in the past 10+ years have always been older than me (aside from college new hires). They have also been 20-40% female. I have spent this time working in the Westlake, Irving, Plano technology corridor of north DFW. I would like to hear what kind of demographics people encounter by geographic location. I al…

46 here, well employed and not worried. There are a lot of positions in Silicon Valley for older engineers. On the bias- most of the engineers who are my peers are men. The female engineers I've worked with in my 15 years in California have mostly been in project management, product management and test. Over 40 you may not get hired by any underfunded startups, but the 'old money' is still here and values experience over alma mater and 'dumb enough to work cheap'.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#66

Post by chrisweekly » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

westoque wrote: post #58

WilliamSt wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any tips on finding a good mentor?

Personally, the best mentor I had was my first manager at my first job. He did really well for himself now and probably could retire (he's in his mid 30's). But how I found mentors naturally was hang out at a place called Hacker Dojo here in Silicon Valley. Since they often had free JavaScript classes and meetups, I took advantage of that to make connections and eventually found mentors/friends and people in general…

Cool! Hacker Dojo was created by my brother David. :)

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#67

Post by hi41 » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:08 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #53

For all intents and purposes, I "restarted" my software career in 2008 when I was 34. I had been at one company nine years and stop learning in 2001. When I went back on the market in 2008, I basically had to look for junior developer jobs even though I had 12 years experience on paper - and a degree. Fortunately(?), by then I waa so underpaid, even junior developers were making more than I was so it was still a slig…

This is my story too. I dropped learning and got laid off. I spent 4 months looking for a job. I joined a team that did j2ee but couldn't handle the complexity of it. Got laid off again. Spent 4 months looking for a job. Now I got production support job. I want to get back in programming but I find all the new technology so hard.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#68

Post by veza » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:10 PM UTC

zamalek wrote: post #64

veza wrote: post #60

Being in a similar situation (before degree), I totally agree that I need a solid CS education. BUT, given that resources like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ are available for free why should I waste money and time and energy on courses of a probable lesser quality, at least at my local university. The way I see it the problem is not the education itself but your credentials or reputation in front of a possible employe…

That worked for me until I wanted a visa. Now I am getting a CS degree.

fair point, something to think about for me

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#69

Post by 50something » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:11 PM UTC

pure_ambition wrote: post #63

50something wrote: post #13

I am finishing my bachelors in CompSci at Harvard Extension and just got hired by Google. And I've got about 20 years on you. So yeah, absolutely, this can work! It was fun and challenging competing with top computer science students. In the long run, my organizational skills, focus, determination and world experience outweighed their raw brainpower and better memory. It's an ultramarathon, not a sprint.

Awesome! I’m considering doing the same - Harvard Extension. Is there a reason you chose to do the bachelors program over the masters?

I didn't have any prior degree so I couldn't go straight to masters. Not even any transfer credits. But I was able to test out (via CLEP) for the equivalent of 4 classes including the language requirement, which saved me a semester.

Re: Tell HN: I just wanted to say: thank you, Hacker News

#70

Post by ccajas » Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 9:17 PM UTC

I'm 35 and have been working in web development since 2007, but I feel like my career has went completely off the tracks since 2015. You see, I have been under-employed or unemployed for three years and I cannot convert any interviews into job offers anymore.

I also have a non-STEM degree and the prospect of going to grad school for CS or Math related courses seems tempting. I don't want to work for local small web shops forever, and prefer to see myself in the long run working at a big semiconductor firm or aerospace firm. However, time and financial issues are holding me back from trying out college again.

If OP's experience is more the norm, where tons of doors open for you simply for having the right degree and preparation, what should I do to make ends meet in the interim? How can I get a job to support myself while I'm attending college, when I can't interview worth a damn? I'm hoping I can get by with a campus job, waive part of my tuition (I've also worked on campus last time I was in college).