So /g/, did any of you go to school for Computer Science or are

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>>59743398
>Be me, a 17yo Slav who just moved into Europe
>Need to learn 2 languages since it's an official requirement in this particular EU country
>Be 18, go to local school
>Fail almost all classes due to poor language proficiency
>Bad news for ministry of education, I'm demoted 1 grade so need to stay in school till I'm 20
>Fuck. This. Shit.
>Drop out of school and start learning from any possible source (library and computer cafes are my second residence now)
>To poor for computer
>Work occasionally and illegally since no work permit
>Saving money for computer parts
>Assemble my first computer
>Learn ins and outs of Windows
>Get to know GNU/Linux
>Find a job as a junior helpdesk assistant in local company
>8 years passed
>I'm the only person with no degree (didn't even finish a highschool, lol)
>I'm a senior ICT system engineer who survived many layoffs, financial crisis of 2008 and 2 company merges
>Currently unemployed since I quit my job to enjoy neet bucks and concentrate on programming and personal projects.

Now to answer your question: No you don't need a degree, you just need to love the thing you do and go for it no matter what anyone says and does. It will be hard and painful but it's doable. Degree will only enable you to get your foot in the door past the HR cunts.
However, if you can get a degree then go for it. I couldn't, because of the system in place to keep "undesirables" away from high level jobs (which in the end I got).

Best of luck

Get a degree. At the very LEAST get some certs or a good portfolio and resume. At some point higher ups will look at your qualifications on paper. Computer fields are maturing. People with degrees will have options open up. Sadly, that's how it works now. This isn't the 80's anymore.

go to uni, dont do any work (or do some if you want)

spend the entire time being sociable, making as many friends as possible

youll get a job from your network of cronies regardless of your education

>>59743398
Last month of graduate school in cs. I fucked up tho cause I slacked off like crazy as usual and now I have a 3.2 GPA, no internships, no real professional experience and the job hunt seems next to impossible with all these fucking pajeets

>>59743398
Being motivated makes it easier to get a job. Being motivated makes it easier to move up in that job. Being motivated gets you earning more money.

School helps, but in the end its just a peice of paper and motivation is how you actually get there.

How long does it usually take to get good at a programming language, I already took 2 classes of pure JS, I still think I'm a beginner-intermediate programmer, I still have some problem with logic thinking, I'll have to go into engineering soon..am I fucked>>59744333

CS seems like a smart degree to do in the States especially right now, and I think I'll major in it at an okay school next year. Can anyone weigh in?

>>59744676
What school?

>>59744688
I'm actually not sure yet. I can get into "better" schools for CS but I don't want to fuck myself with debt, so I was thinking University at Buffalo (in-state).

>>59744650
>programming language
>javascript
Pick one.

>finished bachelors
>no job
>finished masters
>no job
>doing phd now
>likely end up NEETing again

>>59743398
I am self taught and currently have a job working for a talent based organization within a fortune 50 company. In my opinion, the self taught people who actually get hired tend to be better overall compared to people who received degrees. Not always, but usually. The main disadvantage I faced was that I did not know when I was ready. I had no event or milestone that made it clear that I was ready to start applying for a job. As a result, I spent a lot of time jobless when I didn't need to.

Here is what I would recommend doing if you have the means:
1. Teach yourself to code in C
2. Teach yourself to code in C++
3. Teach yourself to code in Java
4. Teach yourself to code in Ruby or Python
5. Put at least 2 projects in 2 different languages on a public Github. Make sure one of them is at least medium sized and show screenshots in your README.md files.
6. Make a "skills based" resume. Do not mention your educational level on the resume. Instead, include a small section for each of your 2 Github projects.
7. Post your resume on every job website you can (ie. careerbuilder, monster, linkedin, etc...)
8. Apply for any job you are willing to do. Literally ignore requirements asking for degrees or prior experience. Apply anyways. You probably won't get a job immediately. Keep applying to other jobs no matter how many times you are rejected. (this strategy works for women also).

Also, you will most likely be called or emailed by recruiters. These recruiters will help you obtain contracts. They will help market you to companies who might not otherwise give you an interview. Contracts might be a good option in the beginning (it's how I started). The downside to contracts is that they can be terminated without warning and you don't get the same benefits as the actual employees of the company you are contracted to work for.

Feel free to copypasta this anyone who wants to... It's just what worked for me.

>>59743398

No I went to school for Electrical Engineering and got a job before I graduated.

Went for CS graduated with a Math. Mobile app/web developer. Seattle. 968. 22 y/o.

>>59744650
>takes 2 classes in JS
>intermediate programmer
Kek, please leave this board.

>>59745167
Thanks Anon

>>59745179
>got a job before I graduated
How do I do this?

>>59743398
kill yourself

>>>/biz/
>>>/adv/

>>59743398

I went to school for CS but I run my own business now (3 employees and me). To be quite honest, sort of mad I never studied business or accounting stuff which I've unfortunately learned by some bad methods (trial and error). I already knew how to program and could of done this business without anything I learned while studying CS.

>>59743398
I started messing around with HTML when I was 14/15. This was in 1998 or so. I'd play around with it on and off, eventually became the editor of my high school's webpage. (We had a class for it, similar to a school paper setup).

Didn't have many other chances for computer courses for a bit after that, but I picked up a CCNA course, and eventually when I went our state University I took up compsci proper.

While self-teaching gave me a LOT of the mental structure to take in concepts, going to school took what I taught myself to new heights and gave me the opportunity to be exposed to a lot more information. CompSci is one of the few things still worth going to school for IMO - as long as the school / teachers are good.

>>59743398
Self-taught cause lower-middle class whites are in the sweet spot for no grants, no scholarships, and no ability to pay. Couldn't convince anyone to hire me so I started making websites to sell. Couldn't make much doing that so I tried android dev. Couldn't make anything special there either so I tried iOS...

Pretty much failed at making anything particularly profitable but I amassed a decent portfolio along those two years. So when I went back to job hunting I got hired right away. Currently working for a financial company's mobile division, doing fairly well for myself.

tl;dr: Self-taught. It's going to involve lots of failure and learning from mistakes but you can do it.

if you have the initiative to teach yourself and can't afford the cost then go for it.
If you decide to go to college then go with the purpose to learn, not the paper. Practice with personal projects so you don't end up like pajeet desu

>>59744543
This is pretty accurate. I did this and dropped out after a couple of semesters.

I'm now a software engineer because one of my friends I made during my brief college experience recommended me for the position. It got me past the HR filters, which is pretty much what the degree is supposed to do anyway. From there it's just a matter of Being Good At Your Job (TM).

College is a half meme.

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>>59744650
Slavic ICT system engineer back here.

Funny you've mentioned JS.
After years of trying to understand programming concepts and rewire my mind to think like developer, JS was the welcoming language for me too.
That breakthrough I've had was 2 years ago and even now I would not say that I'm even at the intermediate level.
Programming/coding/developing (whatever cool kids call it these days) is hard. Very hard. Some people will not get it right away (like me for example) while other are able to get into it right away. Do not be discouraged, do not pay attention to cunts who say that language X is meme or shit. Get your shit together and press on.

If you want to learn, find a junior position anywhere they're willing to take you (forget the good pay for now) and learn on the job. You'll be forced to push your boundaries like never before.

In my experience you need 2 things to succeed.
1. Motivation - this will get you started
2. Discipline - this will get your ass pass the finish line when motivation fails you.

P.S.
Get to know Pomodoro technique, it will help.

Best of luck

This thread is godsend.
thanks anons.

>>59743398
22, currently unemployed. Never had a job.

Went to a Automatics and Applied Computer Science spot at a Construction University. Gave up that shithole after a semester.
Went to a Computer Science in German degree, failed my first year.

Currently a NEET waiting for admission again in the same place.
Doing the Pro/g/ramming Challenge 3.0 for the sake of learning C++ properly. Will get some books in the near future for various optimizations that I should be learning.

All throughout high school, all I ever did was program on my TI 84 in class. I got my dad's compaq nc6400 my senior year (which was last year) and all I ever did was Java in Bluej. I didn't want to program for the rest of my life, but I thought it was cool because it's what my dad does for a living.

My first Semester of college, I thought I wanted to be a pre-med major, cause I graduated with a 4.0, 29 ACT, NHS, all the goods, and I thought I was smarter than I am. Now in my second semester at UW, I realize that all I want to do for now is code, and get high/drunk.

If (you love coding){
go to college and fuck off;
boolean getDegree = true;
return getDegree;
}

else if (you just want to make money){
go to tech school and learn to code in 2 years;
boolean getJob = true;
return money;
}
null pointer exception beyotch.

>>59744913
What country are you in?
Can you tell more about yourself?

>>59745167
Solid advice anon, thanks a bunch!
P.S.
Can you tell me where you're based (EU, US, etc...)?

>>59746757

College career fairs.

>>59748682
Australia
I'm a low functioning autist

You may become the programmer without the school, but you may never know the "basics". On computer science they teach a lot of useless, but sometimes noteworthy stuff. For example how does your WiFi works with ARQ codes, or what happens in the computer when you make a system call, or how does processor work inside, or what is difference between list, vector, set, map. When to not use them.
Some of this stuff is really important if you wish to write good code. You can't write good programs without understanding how REALLY they work. Play with Assembly, look into compiled program, reimplement some std containers, play with threads, mutexes, semaphores. Make your own server with sockets...

Sure, you can read the books they require at uni and you will know more than most of the students, but there will not be anything to join it. Teachers make you do a little of everything and sometimes require to learn new language in a month. In fact we didn't do any PHP or JS webstuff as it was not enough technical.

Me? Finishing my bachelor at computer science in Slav country.

Oh, and don't do algorithmic things, I did my whole middle school and didn't even learn what pointer was. Trains your mind, doesn't teach anything and you will never need it.

>>59748824
Good luck to you anon, keep on going.
We're all gonna make it, brah!

>>59744676

Yes it's a great field you will have a solid career for the rest of your life. Thinking very carefully about the positions you accept and don't underestimate yourself. Most programmers are shitty programmers even at big 5.

>>59743398
>School for CS
Yes
>was it worth it
Yes. Good grades and a relevant bachelor-project got me my current job. If not for school then I would have nothing due to zero connections and experience.

As long as you're above average (preferably top 10) in your class, then you'll be hired. Only average/bottom percentage of class end up in jobs that a monkey could do thus spout about how it isn't worth going to university for it.

Finishing CS degree. Learnt mainly c (algos and data structures, networking and multiprocessing), Java(AI), python (AI and ml) and games in unity. We also do a bunch of maths and computer science theory.
I definitely needed uni and i doubt I'd have learnt as much self taught. I'm now working in an alright data analysis company doing mostly SQL and excel with a bit of front end bullshit. I regret not shopping around as it was the first job i applied for.
Honestly i think being white and relatively normal got me the job over the tons of pajeets and Asians i heard applied (Aus)

People without degrees are usually stuck in shit tier positions for way longer than people with degrees. That means that people with degrees rise in rank and responsibility way more quickly than someone without.

Everything you do is to "get a foot in the door" of any company as they will most likely train you anyways, but a solid backbone and experience will go far. If you don't have a degree then you better have something else to show them like several certifications. If you have neither then you're fucked and should just consider something else or start working towards getting a degree or several certifications.

>>59743398
Doing a masters in CS. I can't say everything I learned is useful, but I learned about so much cool/interesting/useful stuff that I would never have come across on my own that I would say it has been worthwhile for me personally.
Yes, doing CS may very well give you an edge, perhaps even a major one, but I don't think it's necessary for everyone that wants to get into programming.

>>59743398
Went to school for Computer Science.

A motivated, reasonably intelligent person can learn much more in four years through self-study, and it will cost far less than a university degree.

>>59749308
if you came out of university thinking that, then you were either in a pretty poorly designed curriculum, or you're lumping a lot of tangentially related ideas into the one word "motivated".

let's ignore for the moment the network effects of meeting people and developing contacts for four years, the leg up you have by having access to prestigious references if you work in professors' labs, etc... and just focus on taking classes. this is the bare minimum "mom and dad are making me do it" college experience. it's high school++

i've interviewed self-taught people and people that came out of universities, and the consistent trend seems to be that self taught people have no sense of the content they don't know. some people will fundamentally not understand recursion, for instance, and being self taught they'll just never bother to spend more than 20 minutes reading about it. maybe they'll even think they get it (which is worse), but often enough they'll just decide it's not a topic worth learning.

university graduates at least know if they got a C in a course because they couldn't fucking grok recursion, then they either recognize that or they go back and retake the course and do better.

there's this retarded notion that autodidactic learning is easy — just open a book and start reading — but the rigor of external assessment is extremely difficult to replicate on your own. i'm sure most people are reasonably intelligent. but nobody pushes themselves to an uncomfortable degree. that's just human nature. that's why someone else does it, by being the instructor. if that's what you mean by motivated (both motivated and capable and self-aware enough to push yourself beyond what you want to do), then sure, any motivated, reasonably intelligent person could learn more content in four years through self-study for less money. but that's not how people generally work.