Is there any value to a CS degree at 50?

Re:Is there any value to a CS degree at 50? by brudgers on Thursday December 19, 2013 @09:11AM (#6934691)

After reading through your statements and responses, what pops out is that the metric being applied in valuing a CS degree is vocational. For some people that might be the right choice. But having waded into the world of CS MOOC's already, it appears that metric might be the wrong one for you.

If you're interested in studying CS, then it's o.k. to indulge yourself when you're in a position to do so. It is not as if it will hurt your career prospects. I'll go further and suggest that at our age, we're going to make the rest of our careers ourselves, and because you seem to have a passion for learning and teaching, that may be where you wind up.

Or not. Why not a degree in mathematics and a Master's in education?

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Re:Is there any value to a CS degree at 50? by random_user on Thursday December 19, 2013 @04:18PM (#6937972)

> Why not a degree in mathematics and a Master's in education?

Well, mathematics is a tool for me. I couldn't see going for a degree in mathematics at all. Frankly, it'd bore me to death. Probably the same with a MS in Education.

I am a maker. I love to create. Not engaging in the creative process would just kill me from the inside. Of course, not being a useful member of society is probably killing me from the inside as well. Choices.

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Re:Is there any value to a CS degree at 50? by brudgers on Friday December 20, 2013 @05:31AM (#6940773)

If unconstrained for resources, what would you passionately make?

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Re:Is there any value to a CS degree at 50? by random_user on Friday December 20, 2013 @10:29AM (#6941819)

That's easy to answer: Intelligent robots.

Humanoids have fascinated me since childhood. I went to school to get an EE because I wanted to work on robots. Life took me in a different direction. And that's OK.

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Re:Is there any value to a CS degree at 50? by brudgers on Friday December 20, 2013 @08:05PM (#6945203)

Clearly something you are passionate about. Let the constraints be part of the design challenge. We can't all be Elon Musk. But we can all try for a little Chuck Moore or Donald Knuth - doing what we're passionate about and letting the chips fall.

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