Advice on university, if you please...

[Horizon88]

Hey everyone. I'm just starting out my first year of college and I really don't like it. :( I'm hoping I can get some advice from some of the people here that have maybe been in similar positions - how 'required' is a degree to get a decent job in the web development/programming industry?

Right now, I'm 18 - I've got a part-time job at the college I attend doing web-development work and they've said that if I were interested in full-time work it would be a "very real possibility" for me. I've not checked with them if it would require a degree or not, but they're happy with the work I'm doing now.

I just don't know what I should do - stay in college and gripe through the next four years of tedious boredom, writing papers and taking classes that won't help me in a career; maybe just taking classes that would be relevant to my work but not getting an official degree; quitting the thing entirely and just working where I can; or what.

Any suggestions?

[Weedpacket]

What's sad is when people think "University = place to get job skills".

http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?t=10290937&highlight=degree
http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?t=10340591&highlight=degree

[Horizon88]

Yeah, I've hit that second thread you linked before. I've heard all the same things, I suppose, I'm just kinda fed up with it. :(

And I know there's not much in the way of actual skills I'm going to learn here, which is kind of why I'm considering calling it quits and just getting a couple courses in here and there and picking up the rest on the job or at home. I just don't know.

Gah.

[troybtj]

I went for 5 years for Electrical Engr/Computer Science, In 20 years, I have NEVER been asked for my degree (which I kinda missed out on, took a semester off senior year, never went back because I landed an awesome job).

The degree thing was big a while back, but now employers (in the US, anyway) are realizing that experience trumps degrees, and many ads are "Requires Masters in related field, or equivalent job experience".

All but one of the people I know have "some college", usually 2-3 years, and have all gotten fairly high end jobs without a degree, but with a solid resume. I know in one case the guy with the college degree lost out to a guy without one in the interview, I know this since I know both of them.

Job market is getting tight, however, companies are starting to realize the value of Certifications in specialized areas where they need to fill the job, and won't budge on that aspect. Best Advice: If you currently have a job, have them pay for getting certified in as many things as possible, because it is quite expensive, you need to sell them on it as "Return on Investment". That's how I've gotten all of mine.

--ETA: We're neighbors! I'm in Sioux Falls, Omaha has quite a few openings, but I don't want to move away from my kid. You should have a good chance!

[NogDog]

If all you ever want to work on is typical web store back ends and such, a 4-year degree is probably not a great asset. But if you want to get into more technical and/or specialized types of programming and work on larger, more complex projects, you'll probably need a degree to even get past the first line of screening. However, that degree does not necessarily need to be in computer science. For instance, to get a job working for NASA on a satellite guidance system, they'd probably be more interested in someone with a degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science. So my suggestion would be to major in something that you are truly interested in studying in depth, and then take a few computer courses along the way and maybe get that minor, too. This will also let you pick and choose a bit more as to which computer/programming courses you take, getting input from other students as to who are the best instructors and which classes taught them the most. (Remember, professors are not hired for their teaching ability and as a rule are not required to have any education-related learning or experience; their main employment attribute is how much they publish and how much grant money they can be expected to attract to the school.)

[Horizon88]

Okay. Thanks you guys. :) I'll kick it around some more with a couple of the advisory staff and some guys I work with.

[Elizabeth]

Horizon, I know that many people disagree with me, and I've said this before. But what the hell, I'll say it again. Going to college is not just about getting the piece of paper, nor is it about learning something practical and useful. It's about the experience. It makes you a broader person in many intangible ways and you're better off on the other side. Kind of like traveling ... you could save a lot of money and time and just look at pictures of the mountains or desert and read all there is to know about them... but there is no replacement for going through the sheer experience of seeing it first hand.

If I were you I'd stay there. This is really your only chance to experience college for what it is. And you still will have 40+ years of working ahead of you, so don't worry. :)

[NogDog]

Or as Chef in "South Park" said, "There's a time and place for everything. It's called college." :)

[Horizon88]

Hahah. Thanks, you guys. :)

[Weedpacket]

Going to college is not just about getting the piece of paper, nor is it about learning something practical and useful. It's about the experience. Ditto for University (which is inherently more subversive with it). Some of the most fascinating things I experienced there I learned of from reading the flyers people had stuck up in the elevator cars. And don't ask tricky questions about the unusual fragrance of the Upper Common Room (questions like "What's that smell?"), or the ... dispensation ... granted the campus pub wrt underage drinking.

[troybtj]

The posts between my last post and this post are the reason I went 5 years. :D

[dougal85]

I love being at university. I finished my honours degree and I was thinking 'what can I do now?'

So now I'm doing my masters.

It really is all about the experience. You also get some valuable tech skills and prove your ability to learn.

I guess after my masters I can hand around for the PhD - that's another 3 years I don't need to worry about my future.

[r.smitherton]

If you are serious about getting a degree. . . study Mathematics. You will have no problem getting a good computer science job || getting into a graduate computer science program.

[piersk]

I think this post (http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2007/11/a-degree-is-not.html) nicely sums it up for me (difference between degree and education, which is not completely OT here)