Absolutely. When hiring, i'm much more inclined to take someone straight out of school (or someone currently, I dunno, working in a bar or not working at all)

Absolutely. When hiring, i'm much more inclined to take someone straight out of school (or someone currently, I dunno, working in a bar or not working at all) who has some good code up on github or some personal side projects over someone who has a degree and no other apparent interest in coding.