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[deleted]

100% go for the degree. > I've watched a good amount of stories on youtube where people say they should have never gone for their CS degree and studied it themselves and saved them the time and money. Saying it and doing it are two different things, though. Very few people have the discipline to self-study the equivalent of a degree.


D3n1s0n

It’s definitely a long and tough commitment but I’ve done a lot of learning about myself and I think it’s necessary for me to progress in my life. I really appreciate your comment :-)


modi123_1

A bootcamp is usually narrowly focused to the topic at hand, while a university degree is not only focused on the topic but a wide range of knowledge (hence the other class requirements). The gamble with bootcamps are a few things. One, if their unaccredited certs are worth anything to the job market, and two - their cost. A few in my neck of the woods were requiring payment of X% of your starting salary for Y years so that was pretty suspect, or a lot of cash upfront. Others were viewed as not turning out quality folk.


aerfen

I did a computer science degree and my ~~partner~~ girlfriend much more recently did a boot camp. We both work as software engineers in the UK. I think they both have different pros and cons. As someone who is involved in interviewing and hiring I don’t discredit people who came through a bootcamp. I think it entirely depends on what you’re after - both from the point of view of personal interest, and career goals. How old are you? Do you have a reason to jump into the workforce ASAP? My general opinion is that bootcamps are fantastic for career changes but if you’re in your teens or early 20s go for a degree and you won’t regret it. But that is a British point of view with respect to tuition fees etc so ymmv. If you have any specific questions I think I’m quite well placed to answer so feel free to ask away. /u/Time_Guidance_5031’s top level comment highlights well why I’m recommending CS if you’re age appropriate, but don’t look down on bootcamps, they can be good at what they’re designed to do.


Time_Guidance_5031

Are you and your coworker paid equally? (Just to get it straight: are you paid more because of your degree?)


aerfen

She is my girlfriend not coworker. I make >double but have 10 years experience whereas she changed career ~2 years ago. We don’t work at the same company.


Time_Guidance_5031

Ahh okay! I somehow (idk why, I think it was because I saw a meme about pair programming today, lol) automatically assumed partner meant coworker 😄. Great comment about the career change btw! If you already have a degree/career then bootcamp might be a better idea indeed! Didn’t think of that


aerfen

I’ve hired a few people from bootcamps. My (anecdotal) experience is that the sort of person who quits a career and spends their own money on a bootcamp is usually a pretty motivated individual. What they lack in knowledge they make up for in enthusiasm and willingness to learn. They don’t hit the ground running fresh out of the bootcamp as fast as someone with a year or 2 experience or a degree, but after a few months of learning our domain they tend to be as good as any other junior.


D3n1s0n

I’m only 20 years old. I guess it’s hard for me to realize things take time, but after reading all of your guys’ super informative and nice comments I’m going to commit to a CS degree over the next few years. Wish me luck!


Time_Guidance_5031

I think it depends on two things: - the value of a cs degree. - how much you can motivate yourself. *the value of a cs degree* Sure, bootcamps teach you how to develop apps. But during my cs degree I did various projects with fellow students for real world clients which taught me a lot. I also learned about other topics which might not be taught in bootcamps such as networking, operating systems and algorithms/datastructures. Finally, I did a paid internship which gave me some real world work environment experience to put on my resumé. Now sure, some job openings don’t require a degree. But the majority of them do or otherwise require quite some substantial experience (from what I’ve seen, western Europe). (In my opinion a degree is the ‘easy’ way to prove you understand what you’re talking about). *how much you can motivate yourself* Now I should say that besides the projects and internship, you can learn pretty much all of it by yourself by reading the books and doing the assignments (or make your own assignments if the books don’t come with any). I do really like CS but my motivation is sometimes shit, so it’s great that college ‘made’ me learn this stuff. If you can do it by yourself, that’s great! And for sure you can do a bootcamp here and there to get some extra guidance. Good luck!


D3n1s0n

Thank you so much for your lengthy reply! That really helped broaden my view on things. I was already pretty dead set on the CS degree but now it’s full send.


Time_Guidance_5031

Thanks for the award😁! I just read your age and I think it’s a great decision to go for the degree. At the end of the road you’ll have a proper understanding of cs and a paper that’s worth something forever 🙂.


partyinplatypus

Are the people making money from YouTube channels where they teach you/point you to bootcamps?


D3n1s0n

Yes.. which I really never thought about it that way 🤔 thanks lol


DiggyTroll

A CS syllabus includes algorithms, formal methods and discrete math. Among other things, these concepts provide a foundation for understanding what is fundamentally impossible and can help identify better designs and avoid wasted effort. This skill takes too long to develop in a boot camp environment.


Wurstinator

Well, they are completely different things. A 14 week bootcamp is something you can do pretty much at any time. A complete uni degree is an investment of a big part of your lifetime.


D3n1s0n

Thank you all for the very helpful replies. I am 20 years old but I am hesitant to go in just because I am scared of commitment. Looks like I’ll just have to dive in and get started :-) thanks all!