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A college degree is the new high school degree. You pretty much top out in the upper teens per hour without a degree: and that's if you're lucky. I've been on

A college degree is the new high school degree. You pretty much top out in the upper teens per hour without a degree: and that's if you're lucky. I've been on both sides. Since getting my undergrads in Comp Sci and MIS I make more money than I ever thought I would. Before this I got a job driving buses for the city making ~$10.50/hr and I thought that was all the money in the world.

some-guy 10y ago
Same boat here. High school dropout, semi-professional musician / food-service worker, then got my CS degree at age 27. Being on both sides is interesting, and in some ways I'm thankful I lived off a low without even a high school degree just for the life experience. I still ride the same bicycle, drive the same car, etc. I try not to forget how much a dollar is worth but it can be hard sometimes. My life back then was far harder and far more stressful. It's hard being in front of people (food service worker) and dealing with customers for a lot of us -- it takes an emotional toll. I have a fairly lax schedule now and make almost eight times as much money. I hope that someday anyone can make a living wage if they work hard, whether they flip burgers or write enterprise Java spaghetti code.
- askyourmother 10y ago
  Surely flipping burgers is a step up from Java coding? Asking if they want fries with that is better than having to endure the shit-fest of eclipse, and the horrors of Java development
  - strictnein 10y ago
    To be fair, if you get to use IntelliJ it's on par with working at Olive Garden, or working as a garbageman.
  - some-guy 10y ago
    I'm lucky enough to love the people I work with, have a consistent 40-hour work week, and get paid a decent wage. It's GWT development so it's a mixture of Java / Javascript / Sass. And yes I use IntelliJ which makes Java very very bearable.
darkengine 10y ago
> A college degree is the new high school degree This is right on the money. Going to uni felt like an extension of high school -- same students, same teachers. Nobody ever seemed like they wanted to be there; they just wanted to grind out their Bachelor's: an educational milestone no longer seen as optional. Of course, it goes without saying that things are a little different in technology. Many job listings I came across required a BS, but an equal amount did not (or added the caveat 'or equivalent experience'). I'm currently happily and gainfully employed with no degree from a university.
azurelogic 10y ago
This isn't entirely true. People have been making good money for ages in specialized trades (electricians, plumbers, etc). However, it's arguable that their apprenticeship is equivalent to a degree. In addition, there are plenty of people in technical fields who manage to make up for education with self-teaching and real world experience. This probably becomes an obstacle when applying for jobs through automated HR systems, but I've noticed that those aren't nearly as useful as networking and knowing people anyway.

some-guy 10y ago

Same boat here. High school dropout, semi-professional musician / food-service worker, then got my CS degree at age 27. Being on both sides is interesting, and in some ways I'm thankful I lived off a low without even a high school degree just for the life experience. I still ride the same bicycle, drive the same car, etc. I try not to forget how much a dollar is worth but it can be hard sometimes. My life back then was far harder and far more stressful. It's hard being in front of people (food service worker) and dealing with customers for a lot of us -- it takes an emotional toll. I have a fairly lax schedule now and make almost eight times as much money. I hope that someday anyone can make a living wage if they work hard, whether they flip burgers or write enterprise Java spaghetti code.

askyourmother 10y ago
Surely flipping burgers is a step up from Java coding? Asking if they want fries with that is better than having to endure the shit-fest of eclipse, and the horrors of Java development
- strictnein 10y ago
  To be fair, if you get to use IntelliJ it's on par with working at Olive Garden, or working as a garbageman.
- some-guy 10y ago
  I'm lucky enough to love the people I work with, have a consistent 40-hour work week, and get paid a decent wage. It's GWT development so it's a mixture of Java / Javascript / Sass. And yes I use IntelliJ which makes Java very very bearable.

darkengine 10y ago

> A college degree is the new high school degree This is right on the money. Going to uni felt like an extension of high school -- same students, same teachers. Nobody ever seemed like they wanted to be there; they just wanted to grind out their Bachelor's: an educational milestone no longer seen as optional. Of course, it goes without saying that things are a little different in technology. Many job listings I came across required a BS, but an equal amount did not (or added the caveat 'or equivalent experience'). I'm currently happily and gainfully employed with no degree from a university.

azurelogic 10y ago

This isn't entirely true. People have been making good money for ages in specialized trades (electricians, plumbers, etc). However, it's arguable that their apprenticeship is equivalent to a degree. In addition, there are plenty of people in technical fields who manage to make up for education with self-teaching and real world experience. This probably becomes an obstacle when applying for jobs through automated HR systems, but I've noticed that those aren't nearly as useful as networking and knowing people anyway.