Show HN: I spent 2 years building Tablane as a 17-year-old

+1 on this. Left school at 16 to do an apprenticeship, then went straight into industry. As a result, my social life is like a withered plant. Don't waste time and money on education you don't need, but also don't grow up too fast. You only get one life and one chance to be carefree.

> I decided to look for open Developer positions, to work with a team of experienced developers so I can learn even faster.

Hey Marcus! I'd like to pitch 3 alternate experiences to skipping college completely. One of these is an option I did, the other two are options I've seen other ambitious people do:

1. Try college, and quit after the first year if you don't like it. The first year of college where you meet other like-minded people is probably the most formative. If you really don't think you can do another 3 years, just walk. You'll join a long line of others who have made this decision and benefited from both. Also colleges often give you the option to come back if you change your mind.

2. Do college in 3 years instead of 4. If you're doing this level of work, you should be able to test out of a lot of classes. Do that, then pick and choose exactly what you need to get the experience you want. Use that time to meet others who do similar work and meet faculty who can materially help your journey. Then leave and get a head start on your career.

3. Take on other genuinely challenging work during your 4 years. Pack them to the gills with other things you are passionate about but you know are hard. Are you interested in nuclear energy? chemistry? nanotechnology? quantum computing? abstract algebra? a complete history of the logistics of the franco-prussian war? sitting a L1 constitutional grad course? grad-level proof writing for surface theory? do it. Try it. See if you like it, and show your ambition to faculty who can help you. Then leave after 4 years knowing you can do anything.

In the meantime travel, meet others, etc, and find out if this is actually what you want to do with your career. You'd be surprised you might change your mind, or just find something better. Or if anything, become that much more sure.

Good luck.

As a counter-point, I'm glad I didn't skip out on college. Sure it's mostly a waste of time but I was taught a lot of non-programming related stuff there that has been immensely valuable since.

Thanks!

You can do both.

I'm almost the same age as you.

I work full time with university (both remote and in separate timezone). There are partial remote options for CS which didn't exist before pandemic. You may only need to attend for semester and in-between exams in person and rest you can run it on your own pace.

I don't spend much time on university since there is no mandatory lecture or attendance. I know a lot of the course work already so I can do fine on submissions, exams, etc without having to attend remote lectures and watching videos.

It can be tough especially with maths and there is no campus lifestyle.

Daily meeting is with people in 40s instead of 18-20 year olds but I love that, some may not.

I only need the degree and some formal framework so I'm not super picky about the university ranking. Most options available are not "elite" so that's something to consider.

They are also paid out of pocket unlike germany where university is free. It can be expensive but since I work, I don't have to worry about it.

You need to watch out for accreditation. There are few authorities in each countries with specific rules with regards to whether the degree will be recognized if done part time or partially remote.

You can also get an equivalence certificate for immigration purposes.

The trade offs made sense for me. It may not for you or someone else. I'm happy with my current position.

Feel free to email me (in the profile) if you want to discuss or learn more. Throwaway for privacy reasons.