RE: Experience vs College Degree

["Wills, Mike N. (TC)" <MNWills@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I HATE that... it takes a stupid piece of paper for you do anything.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Langston [mailto:jlangston@celsinc.com]
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 6:23 PM
To: 'midrange-l@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: Experience vs College Degree


>From my experience:

Year: 1989.  I'm 25 years old, have been programming since I was 10, never
professionally.  Couldn't get a programming job to save my life, did data
entry, inventory control, etc..  Got fed up, went to Control Data Institute,
6 month course, $7000.  Got a few student loans, found the classes boring
and didn't learn a thing, but I went twice a week for 2 months and
completed.  Ooops, government wouldn't pay student loans unless I went at
least 5 months.  Took every class they had, C, ASM, and learned a little,
still going 2 days a week.  Before the 5 months was out I had a job
programming professionally.

I didn't know anything more, really, then I did before I took the course,
but now I had a $7000 piece of paper saying I knew what I was talking about.

A degree helps, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I've been considering going back to college and get a 2 or 4 year degree on
weekends or whatnot.

Regards,

Jim Langston

----- Original Message -----
From: "Justin Houchin" <justin@RELIATEK.COM>

> I know this is off the topic, but I need to ask the programming
> community. I am 21 years old and have been programming in RPG and E-RPG
> for about 1.5 years. I love it! But I do not have a degree. My question
> is do you all feel that I could get turned down for a job over someone
> that has a bachelor's degree? This has never happened to me but I do not
> want it to ever happen. I am very seriously thinking about starting back
> to college at night to get my bachelors in CIS. This is a very hard
> decision to make because of the amount of money it will cost to go to
> college. That is why I'm am trying to see if job experience would
> triumph over a degree. Please give me some pros and cons on this
> situation.
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