I never finished undergrad. I went for a little over a year at a shit tier state university when i was 22 before I got a job as soft eng and I’ve been doing okay ever since. At the time, I couldn’t afford school, I lived on my own and worked full time, so i was using loans and struggling to make time for everything. At 33, I make ~190 TC, have ~270 in savings, and live in a mid-size, non-SV city. A few years ago I applied to an online CS masters program but was rejected outright, despite having good recomendations. The reason I was given was that having a BS was a hard requirement. In regret not having had the uni experience. most of my peers have friends and connections from their school days, and i struggle to make friends and connections elsewhere. I also feel like the work I do is very mundane and that I could be smart enough to work on more than boring web stuff. I’m recently single and for the first time in forever, not interested in jumping back into the dating game immediately. I want to do something very deliberate for the next decade. Would it be pointless for me to cut back my work and spend 4 years getting a BS? I make decent money so I’m not sure this is exactly an investment for better job options. I could probably skirt by on savings with a little freelancing here and there. I dont have a clearly stated question, just interested in hearing thoughts or similar experiences.
I would say do an online BS, but if you’re doing it for connections idk if that would help. Aside from that, what would you want out of it? If not a degree on your resume, I’m not sure a degree would help with harder work? Either way, you’re in a fantastic spot in life and have options no matter what you do. A lot of devs that are in a place where you are quit and travel, or travel and work remote. Also a great way to make connections and have an interesting experience.
If you want a masters than yea, a bachelors is definitely needed. But, why go through all that you seem to be doing fine right now. 190k TC in a mid-size non SV city is good enough to accomplish just about anything. You can certainly get better job opportunities without a bachelors.
Where you are right now I don't think it would make any sense to go back. You clearly are doing well for yourself without the degree. Unless you absolutely hate what you do and want to change to an area that requires an advanced degree then don't. People make connections in school because of the friends and roommates they have and you being 33 wouldn't be able to connect with your classmates in the same way.
Part of BS is the experience of being in school when you’re 18. Make sure that’s not what you really miss because this is gone and cannot be gotten anymore.
You should look into WGU online bscs. It well probably take you less than 2 years while working full time and cost less than 15k. It will tick the box for an mscs program and hr department if you need it for some reason in the future. At your stage making connections in an undergrad is probably not that valuable. At the Masters level it will be more so. At your age you're not going to get the 'uni experience' if you go back full time to a brick and mortar 4 year... And you probably wouldn't even enjoy it now, your not gonna have a lot in common with people who can't even legally buy a beer and are still mostly supported by mommie and daddy. I'd get a bscs as cheap and quick as you can and then go the grad school route, your will have a much better shot at making lifelong connections and friends there.
Agreed, It’s not necessary to go back to school. You obviously have what it takes to move up. The degree thing is becoming less of a thing as people are swimming in debt.
Congratulations. Sounds like you’ve done well. It reads like you want this as an opportunity to right your history so go for it. Are you thinking of going full time or part-time? How many credits will need to have a BS? Many universities (US) now make it easier to also work towards a MS, especially if you’re going full time (4.5 years to get BS & MS). Good luck!
I think I’d be starting over completely. Pretty sure you can’t just resume a degree you were working on 10 years ago. I think you’ve captured the idea with “righting my history.” I believe a degree is less and less important, especially in CS, but degree-holding people are generally cut from different cloth, and it feels like no matter how far I get, I repeatedly have to prove I’m not some kind of flunky because I didn’t go to school. Mostly talking about the dating game here. I’d also want my children to go to school, and I’d hate for them to use that I didn’t as an excuse not to, because I just happened to get extraordinarily lucky without a degree.
Speaking from experience, the 'uni experience' is gone for you. I took some time off and then went back to school. I finished when I was in my late 20's and I I was considered the 'old man'. It was nothing like my experience when I was in my teens living in the dorms. While I made some friends, they were either non traditional students like me or I worked with them on campus. Even then, I was not hanging out with the under 21 kids outside of work. You're not gonna get invited to any of their dorm parties. None of the girls are going to be interested in you unless they have severe issues and they look and act like children anyways so if you're not a borderline pedo you won't be interested either. Grad school is a completely different ballgame. I continued to grad school and can attest that you can still have a great grad school experience. I would aim for that if you're looking for an experience not just an education.
Yikes. That’s what the uní experience is? Maybe it’s best to let the dead bones rest. RIP college experience.
Congrats, you have done well in life! I think getting a degree is not a bad thing but since it requires effort and resources, idea should be to learn something rather than just a resume point.
Thanks!