At some point the performance of your code (in time and or space) will really matter. Solid knowledge of algorithms and data structures are essential to getting

At some point the performance of your code (in time and or space) will really matter. Solid knowledge of algorithms and data structures are essential to getting that right. Early in my career, actually before my career, I taught myself the available language on our department's mini-computer (don't remember the language or the computer), so I could automate parts of my and my colleagues' job. I had to sort something, and I innocently "invented" bubble sort to do it. The system administrator visited me the day I first ran it, and told me to stop doing that. Soon after, I quit and went to school. :)