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I was a self-taught programmer for about a decade before I went back for my degree. Mostly to satisfy my own curiosity rather than to help my career. I was rat

I was a self-taught programmer for about a decade before I went back for my degree. Mostly to satisfy my own curiosity rather than to help my career. I was rather shocked by the amount of gaps I uncovered in my understanding. Sure there were some boring classes, but developing an understanding of the whole system from the logic gate up was hugely beneficial. Being forced to work through the details of operating systems, compilers, automata, and algorithms, as well as the history, theory, and formal structures of all the major families of programming languages, gave me very nice framework to build on over the years. Even studying the academic side of software engineering was more useful than I thought it would be. I also learned a lot more than I would have had I done my degree when I was 18. If it were more practical, I'd recommend everyone take a few years working as an apprentice programmer before immersing yourself in the theory. There's nothing magical about a degree. You can learn everything I did by reading, watching youtube videos, and practicing. But I never would have, and I clearly didn't in nearly 10 years of working at it. Having access to professors, TAs, and a peer group studying the exact same thing you are is a huge force multiplier. The tight feedback loop kept my understanding from straying off course and let me build accurate mental models much quicker than I could on my own. I've known many engineers who were smarter and probably better programmers than me who didn't have CS degrees. The best engineer at my current company doesn't have a CS degree, but I'm almost completely certain that if he had a stronger theoretical background, that he'd be even better.

wil421 5y ago
Did you get a masters or bachelors? I don’t have a CS degree but I do have a BS in Information Systems due to the lack of an SE degree at my school. CS never really interested me, I wanted the to learn Web dev and IS started me down that path. Post graduation the IS degree went into the Business school. Anyway the school I went to absorbed a smaller technical school with a Masters in Software engineering that I’m debating on getting. One prereq I’d have to take is Algorithms and Data structures and that’s a gap I’d like to fill. Debating on Masters in SE or join an IT Consulting firm and build off the self solutions for customers. I really like building web service apis.
- learc83 5y ago
  Bachelor's. I also have half of a Master's from Georgia Tech, but I was only talking about undergrad above. I've been too busy to finish (married, baby, building a house, and a new job in the same year), but I can definitely recommend the online program.
  - wil421 5y ago
    I’m actually not far from GaTech but not that it matters for an online program. I have 2 kids under 2 and I’m not sure now is the time for a masters.
    - learc83 5y ago
      Hahaha maybe not the best time. Minimum enrollment isn't too bad if you ever do decide to do it. I believe it's just 1 class every other semester as long as you finish within 6 years I (10 classes total).
    - slipperlobster 5y ago
      My wife and I actually just wrapped up our OMSCS degrees and had a kid during the program (and the pandemic, but that's another thing). Not sure about your situation but it was definitely doable.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  > Anyway the school I went to absorbed a smaller technical school with a Masters in Software engineering that I’m debating on getting. One prereq I’d have to take is Algorithms and Data structures and that’s a gap I’d like to fill. Seeing some unrelated degree or a "weak" version of a CS/Engineering one (now at a business school) and a cash cow masters[0] is a red flag on a resume. [0] https://ozwrites.com/masters/ https://ozwrites.com/masters/
  - Lamad123 5y ago
    Yes, those half-CS/half-metaphysics degrees are mostly "scams"
culopatin 5y ago
I took this path. Unfortunately I couldn’t get myself into programming and ended in IT. I’m pretty decent and now I’m boxed in IT because I have no “real” experience developing software, but I have a great deal of IT experience. So I’m being offered management positions in IT when what I want is entry level dev lol! I totally agree with having a different perspective when studying vs when I was 18. I see professors as other adults and not as “the guy I’m afraid of/I want to please/I hate”. I see school as something I chose and not something that life just put in front of me. However I wish I could find that apprenticeship programming position you mention. I have enough savings to take a pay cut and dedicate myself fully. I feel like now that I’m more mature, if someone were to put me under their wing I’d take off rather quickly, but I haven’t found that yet.
Lamad123 5y ago
Without the degree, you will need 10 years to through all the material you'd go through in a typical CS program!

wil421 5y ago

Did you get a masters or bachelors? I don’t have a CS degree but I do have a BS in Information Systems due to the lack of an SE degree at my school. CS never really interested me, I wanted the to learn Web dev and IS started me down that path. Post graduation the IS degree went into the Business school. Anyway the school I went to absorbed a smaller technical school with a Masters in Software engineering that I’m debating on getting. One prereq I’d have to take is Algorithms and Data structures and that’s a gap I’d like to fill. Debating on Masters in SE or join an IT Consulting firm and build off the self solutions for customers. I really like building web service apis.

learc83 5y ago
Bachelor's. I also have half of a Master's from Georgia Tech, but I was only talking about undergrad above. I've been too busy to finish (married, baby, building a house, and a new job in the same year), but I can definitely recommend the online program.
- wil421 5y ago
  I’m actually not far from GaTech but not that it matters for an online program. I have 2 kids under 2 and I’m not sure now is the time for a masters.
  - learc83 5y ago
    Hahaha maybe not the best time. Minimum enrollment isn't too bad if you ever do decide to do it. I believe it's just 1 class every other semester as long as you finish within 6 years I (10 classes total).
  - slipperlobster 5y ago
    My wife and I actually just wrapped up our OMSCS degrees and had a kid during the program (and the pandemic, but that's another thing). Not sure about your situation but it was definitely doable.
908B64B197 5y ago
> Anyway the school I went to absorbed a smaller technical school with a Masters in Software engineering that I’m debating on getting. One prereq I’d have to take is Algorithms and Data structures and that’s a gap I’d like to fill. Seeing some unrelated degree or a "weak" version of a CS/Engineering one (now at a business school) and a cash cow masters[0] is a red flag on a resume. [0] https://ozwrites.com/masters/ https://ozwrites.com/masters/
- Lamad123 5y ago
  Yes, those half-CS/half-metaphysics degrees are mostly "scams"

culopatin 5y ago

I took this path. Unfortunately I couldn’t get myself into programming and ended in IT. I’m pretty decent and now I’m boxed in IT because I have no “real” experience developing software, but I have a great deal of IT experience. So I’m being offered management positions in IT when what I want is entry level dev lol! I totally agree with having a different perspective when studying vs when I was 18. I see professors as other adults and not as “the guy I’m afraid of/I want to please/I hate”. I see school as something I chose and not something that life just put in front of me. However I wish I could find that apprenticeship programming position you mention. I have enough savings to take a pay cut and dedicate myself fully. I feel like now that I’m more mature, if someone were to put me under their wing I’d take off rather quickly, but I haven’t found that yet.

Lamad123 5y ago

Without the degree, you will need 10 years to through all the material you'd go through in a typical CS program!