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ANYWAY, question: Would dropping college for a full time job in the industry of my dreams be a terrible life decision?
Yes, don't do that. You might change your mind in the future and might need the college degree. Things tend to get more interesting on CS courses over the time. Also, if you're learning nothing from your CS classes, research on your own and ask questions to your professors beyond the regular program. They might like that and invest special attention to you.
Yes.
Because otherwise, you will spend the rest of your life looking at job adverts for really cool jobs. Jobs that everyone else wants as well. And which hence have a "must have computer science degree" pre-filter on them.
And you can rail about how it's unfair or try endlessly to convince gatekeepers that you're just as good as someone with a degree...
Or just go and get the degree.
It's expected you get it. Google has only just stopped regarding with suspicion people who didn't stick around for the doctorate. And even those people who will interview you will ask why no degree and you'll need a good story for that. And "couldn't be bothered" won't cut it. And you'll have to tell that story every time you go job hunting until you're 60.
" it's worth mentioning that I have a full-ride scholarship to my University"
And you're thinking of not taking that up? If you don't take an opportunity like that, you're an idiot.
Other reasons to go to uni;
- Everyone else you work with will have. So if you don't, you'll always be the lone one who didn't and doesn't have stories from that time to share.
- You'll meet interesting people. Where do you think Sergey met Larry? FB started on a campus. I met my husband at uni. I met people who I hired a decade later, I got hired by people I've known since uni days. It's a massive networking opportunity.
- You'll learn a lot more than you think you will; including the ability to study OTHER subjects. Take those opportunities because they'll make you a more rounded person.
- You'll get to do random stuff. I helped run the student cinema. I failed the technical test as a projectionist, but I did learn how to manage a door team and how to do crowd control. And once again, that's building a character. And free movies for years.
- You'll be at work for long enough. If you can put it off for three or four years of good times, do so.
Hi,
I created an account just to reply to this post (long time lurker etc etc).
Please don't drop out of your course. You've only done 1 year of it. I dropped out of my CS course during the 2nd year of it. The 1st year was easy, not very challenging at all. The 2nd year seemed to be when things got more complicated.
I was uninterested and spent more time to other things in life (i.e. partying) and got lazy with coursework and studying. Fast forward 10 years and I'm looking at interesting jobs that require CS degrees, and I know that almost certainly my resume is going to end up in the trash because I don't have a degree. Not only is it an unfortunate part of the recruitment process for most companies, but most employers want to know that you have the skills they require (i.e. things that have been covered in the course). The degree is good proof of that. Recently I got back into programming as a hobby (I too had been doing it from a young age) and was discovering all the things that I'd been too lazy to study up on in university. I wish I'd known all the content before doing the course, it would've made it all a lot easier, albeit uninteresting as you say. Surely knowing more of the coursework frees up more time to devote to other things (projects, work etc, not partying all the time)
In conclusion: the piece of paper they give you at the end is worth it. I seriously regret not devoting more time to studying and working on coursework. Now I'm reconsidering going back to college, but it's a lot harder to do that and hold down a full time job at the same time (as I'll have to pay for it somehow too). You seem to have all the requisite skills to do well in your course - you should use them, the piece of paper will serve you well.
Author
Alright, thanks for knocking some sense into me, guys.
I created an account just to reply to this post
I appreciate that!
And thanks, Katie, you have a lot of very persuasive points. That image of me looking at a shiny poster board :'( Haha.
I do not like this CS-degree-required filter, but I suppose I will just have to roll with it. At least I'm all done with the required math :D Now I just get to take the Math that I want to take.
That is part of the reason it exists.I do not like this CS-degree-required filter, but I suppose I will just have to roll with it.
A degree by itself provides evidence that you can do the job well.
That evidence is not just that you know the topics to a minimal level. One bit of evidence is that you can stick with a project that you may not always enjoy.
And it seems nowadays anything you don't already know can be found on Google.
Sure. Just like everything you don't already know has always been available at libraries. The medium doesn't change the fact that unless you know what you need, you're not going to have a lot of success looking for it. Prepare your mind.
Author
And it seems nowadays anything you don't already know can be found on Google.
Sure. Just like everything you don't already know has always been available at libraries. The medium doesn't change the fact that unless you know what you need, you're not going to have a lot of success looking for it. Prepare your mind.
But all the information is absolutely not available in a local library. You might be able to find a handful of books on C programming, 9 out of 10 of which are outdated. On the internet, you can find tutorials, videos, open source projects, etc. I don't agree that you can't find knowledge without someone telling you where to look. I didn't learn to code with a professor holding my hand and telling me where to look for 8 years, I learned by doing projects and searching Google when a problem came up. I think we live in a new age where anyone can learn to code as long as they have half a brain, a bunch of spare time, and an internet connection.
That is part of the reason it exists.I do not like this CS-degree-required filter, but I suppose I will just have to roll with it.
A degree by itself provides evidence that you can do the job well.
That evidence is not just that you know the topics to a minimal level. One bit of evidence is that you can stick with a project that you may not always enjoy.
I feel that a portfolio filled with completed projects proving hands-on experience is a lot more valuable than a piece of paper saying that I memorized a bunch of facts for a few exams. All a degree proves is that you passed a few tests - and they're not very hard tests. Out of all the senior CS students at my University, maybe 2 can code at a professional level. One of them has terrible grades because he crams himself with 24 credits.
Anyway, just my humble opinions, I won't drop my schooling.
I feel that a portfolio filled with completed projects proving hands-on experience is a lot more valuable than a piece of paper saying that I memorized a bunch of facts for a few exams.
Your "feeling" is correct, in this case. But the portfolio may not get looked at, if your resume doesn't include experience and/or a degree.
http://www.igda.org/games-game-march-2010
http://www.igda.org/games-game-april-2010
How are you going to get through the HR resume filters, if you have a great portfolio but no experience and no degree, DrSuperSocks?
Author
I accept that the without a degree you will below the majority with a degree, but doesn't the portfolio imply work experience? What I mean by a portfolio IS work experience. I do work half-time as a programmer at a biology lab to pay my rent. (I've hated biology so, so much ever since my high school biology class). Isn't having hands-on experience and no degree better than having a shiny degree with no hands-on experience? From what I've gathered from my first year here at my university, it seems like all of the graduating seniors have a ton of theoretical knowledge regarding math and computers without the slightest idea of how to apply it to create a functional product.
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