4 ms·

You're right, and I think you made the right choice. I'm beginning to regret my decision to go to university. The intellectual grade of my colleagues is shockin

by highace 15y ago

You're right, and I think you made the right choice. I'm beginning to regret my decision to go to university. The intellectual grade of my colleagues is shocking, a significant proportion can't even write a paragraph properly, and I'm constantly carrying all the slack on group projects. I'm a final year student on an Information Systems degree, and one of the modules I'm currently taking, "Web Application Development", is nothing more than an introduction to HTML and CSS. In fact we don't even have to produce anything aside from a few snippets. I feel like I've wasted my time and been ripped off, if I'm ever in the position to hire I would never employ someone based on a degree alone.

k-mcgrady 15y ago
That sounds pretty bad. Only time will tell which decision works out though. At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree so it would be difficult for me to find a decent 9-5 job. University still works well for some courses too (e.g. law, medicine) but it needs to stop being presented as the only option. In schools now you are told to either pick a trade (plumber, electrician etc.) or go to University but there are other options.
- frou_dh 15y ago
  > At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree so it would be difficult for me to find a decent 9-5 job. If that's really the case, even when applying direct, then it's messed up. In interviews I've been in or conducted, someone walking in with a computer and demoing some of their creations is vastly more persuading than I-went-to-X-university-and-my-CV-claims-I'm-expert-proficiency-in-every-subject-I-completed-a-module-on.
  - ams6110 15y ago
    That "someone walking in" is pre-screened by HR in many places, and won't even get invited if they don't meet the basic criteria (educational background and experience).
    - CamperBob 15y ago
      Anyone who possesses anything resembling "hustle" will not rely on HR to establish relationships inside a company where they want to work.
- ams6110 15y ago
  I've often thought that a lot of software development as it is practiced in business is more like a traditional "trade" than not. It's about knowing how to use tools to build things.
  - UK-Al05 15y ago
    That describes almost every engineering job, which is not a trade. Trades build, engineers/architect design which the trades then build. Software can't be separated like that because the software is the design and implementation.
- xenophanes 15y ago
  Good programmers are in demand in lots of places, University degree not required at plenty of places if you have something else to show them (like a history of writing working code).
- boothead 15y ago
  > At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree This is actually a good thing, it's and excellent flag of someone you wouldn't want to work for! I don't have a degree in anything - I dropped out of an engineering degree in the second year and joined the marines :-). I taught myself to program and I now work in a small team in a hedge fund. In my opinion experience trumps education anywhere that's worth working - if they won't even consider someone without a degree run the other way!

by highace 15y ago

k-mcgrady 15y ago

That sounds pretty bad. Only time will tell which decision works out though. At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree so it would be difficult for me to find a decent 9-5 job. University still works well for some courses too (e.g. law, medicine) but it needs to stop being presented as the only option. In schools now you are told to either pick a trade (plumber, electrician etc.) or go to University but there are other options.

frou_dh 15y ago
> At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree so it would be difficult for me to find a decent 9-5 job. If that's really the case, even when applying direct, then it's messed up. In interviews I've been in or conducted, someone walking in with a computer and demoing some of their creations is vastly more persuading than I-went-to-X-university-and-my-CV-claims-I'm-expert-proficiency-in-every-subject-I-completed-a-module-on.
- ams6110 15y ago
  That "someone walking in" is pre-screened by HR in many places, and won't even get invited if they don't meet the basic criteria (educational background and experience).
  - CamperBob 15y ago
    Anyone who possesses anything resembling "hustle" will not rely on HR to establish relationships inside a company where they want to work.
ams6110 15y ago
I've often thought that a lot of software development as it is practiced in business is more like a traditional "trade" than not. It's about knowing how to use tools to build things.
- UK-Al05 15y ago
  That describes almost every engineering job, which is not a trade. Trades build, engineers/architect design which the trades then build. Software can't be separated like that because the software is the design and implementation.
xenophanes 15y ago
Good programmers are in demand in lots of places, University degree not required at plenty of places if you have something else to show them (like a history of writing working code).
boothead 15y ago
> At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree This is actually a good thing, it's and excellent flag of someone you wouldn't want to work for! I don't have a degree in anything - I dropped out of an engineering degree in the second year and joined the marines :-). I taught myself to program and I now work in a small team in a hedge fund. In my opinion experience trumps education anywhere that's worth working - if they won't even consider someone without a degree run the other way!