[advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

nur · 2016-03-02 07:09:26

I understand programming =/= software engineering.

Since I am at this forum I hope it tells that I am passionate about software.

I am in the middle of a Udacity course and software professionals on Quora said it is not sufficient for a career change and land me a job and I still need a degree.

I found out about this tuition-free degree and wonder what you guys think? (it's probably the best option I have with my current commitments)

http://www.uopeople.edu/programs/cs/deg … e-catalog/

Programming Fundamentals
Programming 1
Programming 2
Computer Systems
Databases 1
Communications and Networking
Calculus
Web Programming 1
Operating Systems 1
Software Engineering 1
Comparative Programming Languages
Data Structures
Discrete Mathematics
Analysis of Algorithms
Web Programming 2
Software Engineering 2
Databases 2
Operating Systems 2
Information Retrieval
Advanced Networking and Data Security
Mobile Applications
Computer Graphics
Data Mining and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence

Last edited by nur (2016-03-02 09:49:08)

dot|not · 2016-03-02 07:31:38

I can't vouch for the quality or the acceptance of this very university. I only have a counter-question: Why shouldn't he/she?

nur · 2016-03-02 07:40:40

dot|not wrote:

I can't vouch for the quality or the acceptance of this very university. I only have a counter-question: Why shouldn't he/she?

because it might be irrelevant and a waste of time and energy (can't land a job - no career change;try it in another life).

Last edited by nur (2016-03-02 07:41:04)

brontosaurusrex · 2016-03-02 07:41:24

If the question is if 30 year old person is too old for new tricks, then the answer is NO, just do it.

pros
- Subjective: The programming (scripting in my case) is one of those things that can make person uber-happy (Obviously I'am no more that bad weekend scripter, so take it with some salt).
cons
- They say that nowadays is more about constructing blocks of things than actually programming (Probably that's why I like bash the most).

p.s. Professionally: Even if your work has little to do with actual programming the knowhow will/may still give you the edge. For example when Blender runs out of buttons to press I'am not particularly afraid to copy paste some python found on web.

Last edited by brontosaurusrex (2016-03-02 07:46:37)

ohnonot · 2016-03-02 07:42:57

i cannot say anything about these particular courses, because i'm not an IT professional.

but as someone whose path to finding a vocation was not straight and somewhat delayed, i can say this:

- getting a proper degree is worth 4 years, at any age. say that again:
- getting a proper degree is worth 4 years.

make sure it is a proper degree, something that is commonly (and i mean potential employers, not fellow 'nuxers!) accepted. i'm not sure uopeople.edu counts in that respect.
i'm speaking from experience; i spent years collecting all sorts of know-how on my favorite working area, sort of putting together my own professional profile, only to find out that nobody's interested, because it doesn't fit the lockers. i was like a complete zero, and after another year or so i decided to bite the bullet (again) and get a normal, commonly accepted vocational training.

Eraph · 2016-03-02 07:49:40

Yeah, they look like solid topics but I'm not convinced that qualification will fly in the job hunt. That said, I know plenty people who've landed amazing jobs without degrees, but theirs is more a case of who they knew, not what they knew.
If you have any developer buddies who could get you a job, and you can prove that you have the basic skillset to get started, this might be a good start - once you've got experience, the qualification will start to count for very little. Lord knows when I started developing professionally, I didn't know a fraction of what I know now. You'll learn a lot more on the job than you will in any course. It's just getting that first job that's the tricky part.

--Edit
But no, 30 isn't too old. I'm 31 myself, and I reckon I would smash a uni degree if I did it now, compared to when I was 18.

Last edited by Eraph (2016-03-02 07:51:08)

nur · 2016-03-02 09:48:35

thank you everyone for the advice

KrunchTime · 2016-03-03 03:32:40

I think it depends on where you plan to work or whom you plan to work for.

I once worked with a guy who was code guru. He easily could whoop any degree'd coder's butt we had on our team. We worked for a U.S. DOD customer. My boss brought him on under the company, with the understanding that my boss would work to bump up his salary. HR dug in their heels because the guy didn't have a degree and didn't care how good he was, so he left. The guy was a genius when it came to coding or computers.

Getting certifications might be more beneficial than a degree.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2016-03-03 03:35:15)

nur · 2016-03-03 14:27:39

KrunchTime wrote:

Getting certifications might be more beneficial than a degree.

are you saying in the foreseeable future getting a certification e.g udacity,coursera is more beneficial than a 4 year degree program? I mean this field moves super fast OMG...

ohnonot · 2016-03-03 16:36:35

i say it again, i'm not in the IT business at all-
but i think you should look for advice in the country you also want to get a job later.
things might be different in the us of a or in europe.

KrunchTime · 2016-03-05 02:07:21

nur wrote:

KrunchTime wrote:
Getting certifications might be more beneficial than a degree.
are you saying in the foreseeable future getting a certification e.g udacity,coursera is more beneficial than a 4 year degree program? I mean this field moves super fast OMG...

Certfication meaning a certification in a development language. I don't know the official title but one can get certified in Microsoft .Net technology, there's Java, etc. You have to take a test and from what I've read, they're not easy to pass. I know the federal government in the U.S. is really big on official certifications in addition to CS degrees.

#1 2016-03-02 07:09:26

[advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#2 2016-03-02 07:31:38

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#3 2016-03-02 07:40:40

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#4 2016-03-02 07:41:24

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#5 2016-03-02 07:42:57

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#6 2016-03-02 07:49:40

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#7 2016-03-02 09:48:35

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#8 2016-03-03 03:32:40

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#9 2016-03-03 14:27:39

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#10 2016-03-03 16:36:35

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

#11 2016-03-05 02:07:21

Re: [advised] Should a 30 year old commit 4 years for a CS degree?

Board footer