Ask HN: Help me solve a dilemma, study in the US or take a job in the EU?

> The traditional wisdom that I'd read repeatedly until last year was job experience triumphs college and the opportunity cost is not worth it.

If you were taking on loans that might be the case. But in your case, you have a scholarship that tilts the opportunity cost.

To take a swipe at some conventional wisdom, yes experience does trump college eventually. But like a lot of things involving experience, people (like employers) only value it after you have it. Our profession is unique in that you can hack your way around college, but that is itself experience and you are competing with many others that are hacking that as well.

It is true that after a decade your college degree won't stand out as much, but when you don't have much experience a degree gives you a boost.

> startup

That's all you had to say. That is a large risk in these economic times even for experienced developers. I would look at this job with the same jaundiced eye as Silicon Valley equity options, and have a backup plan when things go sideways.

FWIW, I dropped out of college, worked for a while, and then went back to college. From my perspective it was worth the cost.

I'm a foreigner also living in Berlin, I have moved from a third-world country here almost a decade ago, but already had graduated and had worked a few years. Back then, having a recognized university diploma helped me get my visa processed. With the new German immigration reform, this shouldn't be a problem anymore. Nowadays I'm waiting on my citizenship, it feels great!

I've also tried to get into the States, but oh boy, the work visa, the lottery, and the COST suck. My wife wouldn't be able to work there. Healthcare and public services are utter garbage. There are much better immigration laws here in Germany, and you are already on your path to citizenship (in case you want to live in the EU).

You need to decide whether you want to shoot big and hopefully win big (US). I'm supposing you don't have rich parents and kind of need to do most things on your own and support yourself, so failure on those plans would be a big setback. If it isn't the case, I'd favour going to the US.

But if you are kind of just scraping by (like I was), Europe. Europe is the best.

Building a successful life in the US supposes the job market will be good when you graduate as if you can't find a job there, you'll be out. Europe will still accept you, but you'll have wasted some money and time.

In your situation, I'd continue working and attending a Berlin university while you work at night. Go to a private one that offers it in English (I'm supposing you aren't fluent in German), those that you pay some bucks and get a degree.

Take good advantage of this time while you are young(20s) and build yourself a life, it may be 4 years that you need to only work/study, but it will be worth it. It's time to "build your base", doing this is much easier while you are in your 20s, later on, you'll likely meet with people and end up with your routines etc. Take advantage of this time to develop yourself.

People like seeing you have a degree when reading your CV, trust me. And in Europe not so many care if you graduate from a top university, unless you are from Harvard.

By choosing this, I'd sincerely consider asking some help from your parents to foot the bill of living in Europe and studying.

Traveling in Europe for a South Asian also isn't necessarily easy either. The wait times for getting a Schengen visa are pretty ridiculous right now. They are also much stricter about granting the visas these days than they used to (source: colleagues who've had months-long waiting times for visa appointments, and getting denied multiple times).