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Ask HN: Would you get a degree in something you know or something new?

• mattbgates 10y ago
  I always said this to people thinking about college and what to do: Study something you want to know more about, do what you love. I could have gone to college for programming, computer science, etc. I would've ended up hating it. Why? Because there were class requirements that I knew I wasn't good at and I know have nothing to do with programming [at least, the programming that I do]. Sure, taking those classes may have made me a stronger person and made me understand things in a different way, maybe think logically different, but I was completely turned off by some of the course requirements. I'm still a programmer even if I don't understand calculus, trigonometry, discrete models, and I suck at statistical analysis. I couldn't do any of it if my life depended on it. But I totally get data arrays, multidimensional arrays, and databases, and I can pick up programming languages fairly quickly via comparison of syntax. I studied something I wanted to know more about: psychology. Earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. I had absolutely no intentions of ever becoming a programmer, a web developer, a web designer, a software engineer, whatever name you want to give. I wanted to get as far away from computers as possible. I wanted to help people discover their career paths and figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. What happened to me? I ended up desperate for a job to pay my student loans, and so I applied for any and every job across the board. Who responded? A software company. I had to use the knowledge of programming that I taught myself when I was 12 to get a job because no one seemed to want to hire a recent graduate with a psychology degree. The software company hired me and the rest is history. I mean, I've moved on since then, but I've remained in the programming world, as a web developer. I have yet to go back for my Master's Degree, but I've been using the combination of what I learned and what I love to start my own business and trying to develop web apps that are useful to the world. Did I give up psychology? Not at all. In fact, I just found another way to help people: I created a website dedicated to understanding jobs, careers, and the workplace with the intention of helping people find their path in life. Confessions of the Professions: http://www.confessionsoftheprofessions.com http://www.confessionsoftheprofessions.com You can predict life as much as you want. You can make all your plans. Dream. Set goals. Have an idea of what you want to do. But the possibility that it can change and go in any direction is always there. Embrace wherever life takes you. The choice is up to you. Always learn things. Gain experience. Never forget: enjoy your life.
• sky_projektor 10y ago
  Naturally, my choice would be something I do not know or wish to learn more. But at the same time there can not be an entry into some course module if you do not have the requisite basic degrees in the field you want to study. Eg, I want to study Astrophysics/ Aviation by my qualifying degrees are no where near the field I wish to study. Whatever is hot, especially in disciplines such as computer science or IT can be learnt through self study. But when the choice is something beyond available technology can offer? Good question! Made me reconsider my aspirations & dreams versus my capabilities & priorities.