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DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

devdegree.ca

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Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#141

Post by rchaud »

greenie_beans wrote: post #127

This is cool. But very conflicting for me personally. Here I am, deciding whether to apply to the Mississippi Teacher's Corp, which would give me a free Master's degree while getting paid to teach. Probably like $35k per year. And then here is this program, which is very tempting to apply to, partly because of the salary. It should be the other way around. Teaching is so much more valuable than coding.

I don't know about the pay differentials between Toronto and Mississippi, but I'm very sure that the cost of living is a lot lower in the latter. Developer salaries in the Toronto area are also lower than the US-centric numbers you see bandied about on HN.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#142

Post by abdulmuhaimin »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #57
cmwelsh wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know you’re downvoted for saying something that’s basically unethical, but I’m interested: how do you propose to buy a home using this strategy? All cash? In my area, I’d need around $200,000 cash. I know there’s trailer parks and etc. but they may not work for everyone.

I know you’re downvoted for saying something that’s basically unethical It was unethical for the system to push an 18 year old down the route of taking on huge loans. I'm not sure that finding a way out of that is.

Its not like you have gun pointing to your head when making the decision to take the loan.

Be responsible. At 18 you're not a kid anymore

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#143

Post by rchaud »

gigatexal wrote: post #21
swyx wrote: post #3

i am wishing i could go back 15 years and do this now. i was dumb enough to go to an ivy league for an unrelated degree, then change careers and go thru a bootcamp, and i'm now still 100's of thousands in debt. if i was growing up today i would absolutely drop everything to do this. kudos to shopify but it really feels a little bittersweet.

While my debt load is not nearly as much I did the same thing. I studied economics even though when I got home from class I would spend hours and hours tinkering with hardware, Linux, and programming. Everyone I talked to thought I was silly for not sticking with my CS major and doing Economics. They were right. I am learning on the job and it’s been kicking my butt but I am learning and it’s been good though I would…

Don't put yourself down too much about past decisions. I also went to school for Econ, and did IT support and web design jobs on campus. But I wanted to set my career up for finance and did summer analyst internships. Then, 2008 happened and all the finance jobs dried up with some companies skipping campus recruitment entirely.

A decade later and I'm working in UX research and digital strategy and the finance stuff feels like a lifetime ago. Everyone's journey is going to be different.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#144

Post by greenie_beans »

reuseman wrote: post #139
greenie_beans wrote: post #127

This is cool. But very conflicting for me personally. Here I am, deciding whether to apply to the Mississippi Teacher's Corp, which would give me a free Master's degree while getting paid to teach. Probably like $35k per year. And then here is this program, which is very tempting to apply to, partly because of the salary. It should be the other way around. Teaching is so much more valuable than coding.

Wait is this for Master's degree too?

Master of Arts in Teaching. https://www.mtc.olemiss.edu/about-us

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#145

Post by greenie_beans »

reuseman wrote: post #139
greenie_beans wrote: post #127

This is cool. But very conflicting for me personally. Here I am, deciding whether to apply to the Mississippi Teacher's Corp, which would give me a free Master's degree while getting paid to teach. Probably like $35k per year. And then here is this program, which is very tempting to apply to, partly because of the salary. It should be the other way around. Teaching is so much more valuable than coding.

Wait is this for Master's degree too?

Oh. No. The DevDegree looks like a bachelor's degree

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#146

Post by abdulmuhaimin »

blahbhthrow3748 wrote: post #91
erland wrote: post #86

Great idea, it's a shame that they had to add this 50/50 nonsense. I know a lot of guy that would kill for that opportunity.

And I know a lot of women who have been successful graduates of the program, what's your point?

I dont understand these split of opportunity based on something(race/sex etc). Its more PR move than anything

If people truly want equality, it shouldnt even be a factor. No prejudice. Just treat all as of us one thing, human being.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#147

Post by rchaud »

matwood wrote: post #113
imtringued wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it is unethical. If people get overwhelmed by student debt because their degree doesn't actually result in job opportunities that allow them to pay that debt back then they have no obligation to pay the debt back. It was the lender's decision to invest their money into such an obviously money losing strategy and yet they did so despite the high risk. The word "undischargeable" made the lender blind but…

> It was the lender's decision to invest their money into such an obviously money losing strategy and yet they did so despite the high risk. I have 100k+ of unsecured credit available to me at any given time. If I go and spend that on hookers and blow is that the lenders fault or mine? I believe the lack of personal responsibility is problem that will not be fixed by absolving even more responsibility.

You're conflating "fault" with "responsibility". The second you signed up for the line of credit, the manager who evaluated your application became responsible for what happens afterwards. If you squandered it, it might be your fault, but the manager is the one who'll be getting grief for giving it to you in the first place.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#148

Post by rchaud »

JDiculous wrote: post #60
swyx wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not hyperbole. there were some compounding factors i didnt mention, but the bulk is quite literally college tuition. i dont need to put my screwed up financial life on display but it's the single worst decision of my life, all for imagined prestige. i'm lucky enough that i will earn my way out of it, but it is quite literally preventing me from starting any businesses right now, which is what i actually want to do. t…

I made the mistake too, going $128k in debt to pursue a unrelated master's degree at an Ivy only to end up pursuing software engineering. Are your loans from the government? If so, you can likely qualify for the Pay-as-you-earn program where your payments are capped at 10% of your disposable income, and debts are forgiven after 20 years (though you have to pay taxes on the amount forgiven I believe). Of course it sti…

$128k for a master's degree? Surely it had to be an MBA or a business school degree (MFin etc) of some sort? Most other Master's programs are research-oriented and paid for with grants, stipends and TA work.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#149

Post by Dirlewanger »

erland wrote: post #86

Great idea, it's a shame that they had to add this 50/50 nonsense. I know a lot of guy that would kill for that opportunity.

They probably just put that on there for marketing. I highly doubt it will happen in practice. It's as ridiculous as stating that a nursing problem will be 50% male, it's just not going to happen. People are slowly starting to awake up (again) to the fact that men and women are biologically wired differently and will generally pursue different things in life, and that that is OK.

Re: DevDegree: Work at Shopify and get a free CS degree in parallel

#150

Post by blahbhthrow3748 »

abdulmuhaimin wrote: post #146
blahbhthrow3748 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I know a lot of women who have been successful graduates of the program, what's your point?

I dont understand these split of opportunity based on something(race/sex etc). Its more PR move than anything If people truly want equality, it shouldnt even be a factor. No prejudice. Just treat all as of us one thing, human being.

If everyone starts from the same place it's fine to say "give everyone equal opportunity". If you really want to have equal opportunity given the historical and social background you have to acknowledge that everyone doesn't start from the same place.
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