Do it because at some point you'll apply for a job that has 100 candidates applying. And the person behind the recruitment process won't be able to read the cov

Do it because at some point you'll apply for a job that has 100 candidates applying. And the person behind the recruitment process won't be able to read the cover letter and CV of 100 applicants, and so to cope with the deluge they will click the radio button on their application that says "Has Degree"... now they only have to look at 50 applicants and you'll be one of them. Do it because the people you're working with will be your first and perhaps most permanent network. One of them will help you get a job later or set you on the way with a promotion when they recall you're a solid programmer or something. Do it because if you learn on your own, even if you succeed, you'll always doubt whether you are as good as someone else who got a degree. You'll always wonder if they know something you don't and how to learn it (my answer from that: they probably don't, but it's still very good to have a rigorous grounding in compsci theory for completeness rather than just having discovered most of it along the way... which is much slower than being taught it). Don't do it because you believe it will suddenly make you employable or teach you everything... it won't. You remain the person in control or your learning and your chances of getting a job, doing a degree didn't absolve you of this responsibility to yourself.