I understand what you mean. Everyone’s path is different though. I went to an affordable state school around 2010 and my first job in the workplace was not glam

I understand what you mean. Everyone’s path is different though. I went to an affordable state school around 2010 and my first job in the workplace was not glamorous. It was a big manufacturing company that happened to have a small software division lol. I earned $60k in a HCOL state but that’s OK. You learn quickly when you’re a junior, and if you job hop a few times, it’s easy to land at a respectable software company after 4-5 years. I now work at an employer that is a household name, and hires new grad computer science students from stanford, MIT, etc. Those new grads are a little smarter than me, but we still work at the same place. It’s OK…i’m not complaining. :)