Computer Science Degree?

[Hollow Squad]

I haven't graduated yet but I'm done my computer science degree (have the credits, just have to apply for graduation). If I had to do it again, I wouldn't. I would either find an actually Software Engineering program (they exist) or go the bootcamp route. When I started I didn't really know the difference between computer science and software engineering but they are very different. Computer science is more of the theory behind computers so if you know for sure you want to be a software engineer you will probably find a lot of the courses in computer science a bit pointless (stuff that is most likely required in a computer science degree like studying how the CPU works for example the MIPS architecture or OS programming might not ever benefit you in your software engineering future unless you want to work in the OS). A software engineering program or a bootcamp on the other hand, has a much better-curated course path for you to take if you know you want to be a software engineer. With these there would be a much larger focus on developing larger projects and working on a larger team. You would also learn the frameworks you need and build a portfolio while you are in your program. In computer science, when you graduate, you need to do a lot of self-learning to catch up to what other software engineering graduates would have learned. In my computer science program we don't have any classes for web technologies outside of html and css.

Just for perspective.. my friend dropped out of our computer science program a few years ago just to graduate with a degree in psychology. He knew he wanted to be a web dev so he enrolled in one of those intense bootcamps in California that don't actually charge you until you get a job. He's now a software engineer at Yahoo and I haven't even graduated yet

No matter what you do there isn't really any way to avoid some math. You at least have to have a good grasp on algorithm design and analysis (a lot of job interviews will even have you demonstrate this knowledge).

What do you mean by bootcamp? Is it like a shorter version of college?

 

[kmjt]

What do you mean by bootcamp? Is it like a shorter version of college?

It is not really college or university since you don't get any official degree. You are usually recognized at the end though and a lot of them try to hook you up with a job (especially if they don't make you pay until you find a job). It can be pretty expensive though. I think my friend's bootcamp was about $12000 for 12 weeks (I forget exactly). If you are going to do a bootcamp you need to be sure it is the path you want though since it is extremely specialized content which is why it can fit in 12 months (I think it was 40 hours a week though for 12 months). My friend knew he wanted to be a web developer so a web developer bootcamp seemed right for him and it payed off in the end. If you don't know what kind of software engineer you want to be yet it might be best not to take a bootcamp. Are you interested in web development? Mobile development? There are bootcamps for a lot of different paths.

One of the greatest things you will come out of a bootcamp with is connections (you are networking with a bunch of other people in your field and you are forced to be with them for 40 hours a week) and you will build your portfolio. By the end of the bootcamp you should have a good enough portfolio for anyone searching your linkedin to be impressed. Thats how my friend got his job at Yahoo with a degree in psychology. They were impressed with the projects he built in the bootcamp. With this being said, he was fairly competent in computer science before he quit to pursue the bootcamp.

 

[Hollow Squad]

It is not really college or university since you don't get any official degree. You are usually recognized at the end though and a lot of them try to hook you up with a job (especially if they don't make you pay until you find a job). It can be pretty expensive though. I think my friend's bootcamp was about $12000 for 12 weeks (I forget exactly). If you are going to do a bootcamp you need to be sure it is the path you want though since it is extremely specialized content which is why it can fit in 12 months (I think it was 40 hours a week though for 12 months). My friend knew he wanted to be a web developer so a web developer bootcamp seemed right for him and it payed off in the end. If you don't know what kind of software engineer you want to be yet it might be best not to take a bootcamp. Are you interested in web development? Mobile development? There are bootcamps for a lot of different paths.

One of the greatest things you will come out of a bootcamp with is connections (you are networking with a bunch of other people in your field and you are forced to be with them for 40 hours a week) and you will build your portfolio. By the end of the bootcamp you should have a good enough portfolio for anyone searching your linkedin to be impressed. Thats how my friend got his job at Yahoo with a degree in psychology. They were impressed with the projects he built in the bootcamp. With this being said, he was fairly competent in computer science before he quit to pursue the bootcamp.

Wow I haven't heard of anything like this, thank you so much! I'll take this in to consideration but I at least want a 2 year degree in case something does happen so I can fallback on it.

 

[kmjt]

Wow I haven't heard of anything like this, thank you so much! I'll take this in to consideration but I at least want a 2 year degree in case something does happen so I can fallback on it.

Yeah in the end having a degree will definitely help you get a job because there are some places that still don't even consider those without one. Try to find a degree that will help you the most though. Like I said if you know you want to get into software engineering, enroll in the software engineering program, not the computer science program. That way when you finish your degree you will probably know everything you would have learned in the bootcamp anyway.