Shortly after my Master's graduation, I was lucky enough to have landed a good job as an analytics consultant for a large company. I have great colleagues and growth opportunities.
My first university degree is in Economics. I even finished a Master in Development Economics, which was my big interest back then, and still is. But after graduation a few years ago, I ended up working as a data analyst and now am geared toward a data science/ software engineer career. Gradually I took into serious consideration the option to obtain a university degree in Computer Science. I would need to work and study part-time.
It was a difficult decision. Maybe I was getting crazy!?
Besides the fact that it would cost me all of my savings, the idea of spending at least 3–to 4 years studying scared the sh*t out of me. Not to mention if I’m not careful enough I might burn myself out and jeopardize my relationships along the way. And most apparently, I would have to say goodbye to the few extra hours curling in bed in the morning which I so much love! I read up hundreds of articles, posts, forum threads that I could possibly find online in the hope of finding some guidance.
There are several contradictory opinions about the value and the need for a Computer Science degree if you are already working in the field. After all, a lot of people who are self-taught have become successful engineers, developers, and tech leaders. Furthermore, there are plenty of learning resources online and boot camps. I have also self-taught myself a lot of important computer and programming skills. If so, what is the point of getting a degree?
Here is my own take on the value of a formal program in Computer Science from a learner’s perspective.
1. The unknown-unknowns: You don’t know what you don’t know
We tend to live in some sort of “bubble”, professionally and personally. We hang out with people we know, people similar to us. We work with colleagues of a similar background. Even recommendation systems on apps we use would recommend things to you based on your historical behaviors and that of people like you. Unless you have diverse enough networks and expose yourself to many different roles and challenges, we are subject to limiting our mindset to this bubble.
Even though I have gained some experience and skills from my jobs, I still have the feeling of falling into this “bubble” trap. There are still so many valuable insights, knowledge, and skills outside of this bubble I don’t know about. While there are many ways to get a better picture of what you don’t know in the vast area of computer and technology, I chose to take an undergraduate education. I personally believe it is a good way to fill in the unknown gaps in my foundation.
2. Your learning style matters
If you are a very principled and organized person, it’s more likely you will succeed with the self-learning path (given that you already know what you need to learn and how exactly you should learn them). However, for a majority of us, this is difficult. As an example, I’m one of those people who are very good at procrastinating things that are not urgent. Finishing another chapter of a technical book or an online course would be the last thing on my to-do list in a busy day, and a not-so-busy day!
However, I thrive in a learning environment where I’m not all on my own. Having like-minded people to interact with, a little pressure and competition really give me that extra bit of motivation along the way.
In addition, a systematic approach to an education program will help you structure your study. It might take you weeks or even months to put together a curriculum on your own. With a reliable curriculum, I can expand it the way I like. I usually take the official study curriculum a step further — a little extra reading, looking up some more advanced concepts, tools, and applications. This is one of the best ways to get the most from any education.
3. Are you curious about “useless” things?
Studying at university usually involves a bunch of theories and concepts that you would probably never use in your whole life. But they can be fun to learn. These “useless” ideas might one day come together and help you make sense of important things in your work, and even your life. Understanding the seemingly trivial basic stuff can help you get up to speed with new technologies easier, connect the dots and generalize your knowledge much better.
I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
- Isaac Newton
In the end, I didn’t find a very satisfying answer in my help search online. All I know is that my whole body and mind said “Just do it”. And I’m glad I did! I’m enjoying learning and absorbing every piece of knowledge like a sponge while trying to keep a balance among other life commitments. After all, we are students any point in our lives one way or another, aren’t we?
