Ask YC: Why the degree?

Re:Ask YC: Why the degree? by jeff_college on Saturday May 24, 2008 @11:03AM (#198806)

A Bachelor's degree (even in CS) isn't just job training. At least half the classes required for a degree are not related to your major. When you graduate with a CS degree you've (hopefully) learned some CS theory and some practical skills but also you're more well-rounded from learning composition, speech, math, history, science, etc. If being a developer meant pounding out code all day long then a college degree shouldn't be a factor in the hiring process. Most developers I know spend more time doing other things - planning, estimating, communicating with other teams, etc. - than coding. This non-coding workload increases as you move up the ranks so most HR departments hire with an eye toward the future as well. So given what you know to be true - that most companies require a degree - you have two options: 1. Get a degree 2. Work for a company that doesn't require a degree

And one more thing - the plural of degree is degrees not degree's. I learned that in school.

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Re:Ask YC: Why the degree? by matthewking on Saturday May 24, 2008 @11:25AM (#198825)

Interesting points. However, you seem to be assuming that people without degrees disappear into some kind of a time warp while everyone else is at university.

Team work, communication, planning and organisation skills can be picked up in real life environments too, if anything in a better fashion.

When you enter employment at a young age, your employer and your colleagues are more willing to show you the ropes and give you time to learn on the job, considering you usually start at a low position. Then you proceed to learn real world experience for a number of years, depending on how quickly you dropped out of education, and how quickly you landed a job.

I had been working as a developer for 5 years by the time my friends of the same age finished their degrees. Put that into perspective and compare to people fresh out of university.

I'm not saying people with a degree have wasted their time, or that it wasn't the right thing to do. Just give those of us who chose a different path some credit too.

As far as my options go, I'm now self employed and loving it.

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Re:Ask YC: Why the degree? by xirium on Saturday May 24, 2008 @08:24PM (#199206)

> I had been working as a developer for 5 years by the time my friends of the same age finished their degrees.

I knew a fellow who didn't go to university and was managing a team of 12 developers within his first five years of work. He was richer than the average graduate too.

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