Programming isn't rocket science...there are elegant ways to solve problems and brute force methods, but in the end the only thing that matters is that it works

Programming isn't rocket science...there are elegant ways to solve problems and brute force methods, but in the end the only thing that matters is that it works and the client is happy. There isn't much they will teach you in school that will really make you that much "better". The biggest difference between school and work for me was the process and the environment. Some of the big things I saw: * version control and development process * rapid bug fixes and changes * managing your own ego * testing your own code * working in teams, dealing with other people's code These things are almost impossible to learn on your own. They are all things that can inherently only be learned in teams. Which I think is the big difference between school and your career...school is about you, your career will be about what you can produce with others. You need to find a project, anything, and get some experience working with a team (even a two person team). That's my two cents