A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
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A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
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Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#2Not all degree programs are equal.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#3I think the best path is to learn to code, and then learn CS. The concepts are so much more concrete at that point.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#4Everything here can be earned elsewhere for far less money. In fact, if you get an entry-level job you can learn all this while getting paid!
IMO the advantages of CS college are this:
- You can reach a higher salary.
- It's easier to learn hard math/CS ideas in school than on your own.
- It's easier to make friends in college than elsewhere.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#5You'll likely deal with each of these no matter which route you go; these things just occur naturally. School provides a little safety margin, but at a cost. And there's a different cost to not going to school. Choose your own adventure.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#6That isn’t compelling as far as a CS degree goes. You could change the title to “learn to code and get a degree in literature” and the same time pressure, communication, networking, etc. points would stand true.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#7Why teaching yourself to code is better than a CS degree
* Far cheaper, no debt accumulated
* Follow your bliss in learning what you want, but still with the option to absorb the best of the CS textbooks.
* Not compelled to learn languages and platforms behind the curve.
* Less able to lean on teammates, you learn to solve problems more independently.
* There's no illusion that your education has an end date, and that you can stop. Ever.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#8I am sorry but no.
All of that can be learned during your first internship where you get paid instead of paying.
I would argue college delays maturity and does not foster it. Hanging out with a bunch of people that are the same age, same life stage, etc. doesn't exactly add life experience. Continuing to do "hoop-jumping" work just like we all did in high school also doesn't seem to be novel. Perhaps its the keggers and binge drinking that bring the maturity the author references?
As for prestige, if its a top 10 program sure, otherwise (and often even then) don't waste your money.
Disclosure: Current engineering lead with multiple Degrees (1 Summa Cum Laude) and a bootcamp CS education at one point (which wasn't all that valuable).
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#9"College degrees far outweigh teaching yourself to code (Or coding bootcamps), as they provide you more skills than simply knowing how to code."
But the majority of the skills listed are not intrinsic to computers, computer science, or software at all.
"There are many skills that Developers now require besides just coding. They need time management skills, organisational skills, people skills, translating skills, negotiating skills.. the list goes on. These skills are often gained through completing an undergraduate degree."
Most people will get experience in exercising and developing those skill sets with almost any degree program.
"Certainly there is some level of prestige that comes with having a degree... it is, in a way, a validation stamp that says… “Yes - you have the skills to be a Software developer”."
Umm... not really. We've probably all met people with CS degrees who were not really all that capable of doing day to day development.
Re: A CS degree is better than teaching yourself how to code?
#10Everything here can be earned elsewhere for far less money. In fact, if you get an entry-level job you can learn all this while getting paid! IMO the advantages of CS college are this: - You can reach a higher salary. - It's easier to learn hard math/CS ideas in school than on your own. - It's easier to make friends in college than elsewhere.
Many self learners have no clue about processes, threads, memory allocation. Nor do they care about algorithmic complexity.
They end up using a list for a map etc.i.e. there are foundational gaps in their knowledge. A CS program ensures that there is at least an attempt to build a foundation.