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Will you want to move to California at 32? It's kinda old to be starting over in a brand new place with no friends, high cost of living and terrible traffic (as

Will you want to move to California at 32? It's kinda old to be starting over in a brand new place with no friends, high cost of living and terrible traffic (as well as about zero dating prospects). I mean usually 32 is the kind of age where you care about more than money. OTOH there are plenty of places in Canada where you can go to university in-province for not a lot of money, most of the classes are online, and Canadian employers care more about degree than US ones. (But... if you eventually want to move to the US... does that matter?) There are ways to achieve the move to the US part without the degree part, of which the two easiest ones are probably find a job at a multinational, get transferred, apply for green card and start vacationing in the area you eventually want to live, meet a nice girl, marry her, go join her family. Both would take years but so would getting a degree, so really, the only advantage of the degree is with it you can apply to FAANG internships. > Can I both get a CS degree and work full-time? Yes. > How likely am I to complete the degree, given that things in my life could change (opportunities, disease, motivation, depression, passion, love, children)? > What's the opportunity cost, in time/money/experience? >Should the excuses I attribute to my lack of degree be attributed to something else (mental barrier, low confidence, imposter syndrome)? That's something only you know. > Is there a shortcut to get an accredited Master's degree without getting a Bachelor's degree? Not really. There are ways to get a MS degree is a different field than your BS, or to get a MS degree if your BS GPA doesn't meet the degree program requirements, but I don't know anyone who'se done it with no degree. > Are there different career paths in which I won't have to worry as much about my lack of degree (i.e., freelancing)? Are they sustainable? I know people who freelance and have no problem making a living doing so, including some people who have always been freelancers. It depends what your professional network looks like.

miguelrochefort 8y ago
> Will you want to move to California at 32? It's kinda old to be starting over in a brand new place with no friends, high cost of living and terrible traffic (as well as about zero dating prospects). I mean usually 32 is the kind of age where you care about more than money. It was extremely appealing at 21, and I still would not hesitate to do it today, but I'm not sure I will at 32. I now see it as a get-rich-quick scheme, so that I could retire earlier. I still can't believe the salaries people are earning there. > There are ways to achieve the move to the US part without the degree part, of which the two easiest ones are probably find a job at a multinational, get transferred, apply for green card and start vacationing in the area you eventually want to live, meet a nice girl, marry her, go join her family. Both would take years but so would getting a degree, so really, the only advantage of the degree is with it you can apply to FAANG internships. These almost seem more problematic than getting a degree. > I know people who freelance and have no problem making a living doing so, including some people who have always been freelancers. It depends what your professional network looks like. I've considered freelancing, but I'm not interested in marketing or sales. Working for an employer that takes care of all the paperwork seems like an overlooked luxury. A lot of people are happy to go back to a stable full-time job after freelancing for a few years.

miguelrochefort 8y ago

> Will you want to move to California at 32? It's kinda old to be starting over in a brand new place with no friends, high cost of living and terrible traffic (as well as about zero dating prospects). I mean usually 32 is the kind of age where you care about more than money. It was extremely appealing at 21, and I still would not hesitate to do it today, but I'm not sure I will at 32. I now see it as a get-rich-quick scheme, so that I could retire earlier. I still can't believe the salaries people are earning there. > There are ways to achieve the move to the US part without the degree part, of which the two easiest ones are probably find a job at a multinational, get transferred, apply for green card and start vacationing in the area you eventually want to live, meet a nice girl, marry her, go join her family. Both would take years but so would getting a degree, so really, the only advantage of the degree is with it you can apply to FAANG internships. These almost seem more problematic than getting a degree. > I know people who freelance and have no problem making a living doing so, including some people who have always been freelancers. It depends what your professional network looks like. I've considered freelancing, but I'm not interested in marketing or sales. Working for an employer that takes care of all the paperwork seems like an overlooked luxury. A lot of people are happy to go back to a stable full-time job after freelancing for a few years.