Is it worth getting a degree?

Well, I'm in my first year of university in business administration. Honestly, it's basically all common sense stuff, and anything that isn't can quickly be looked up online, because that's the kind of world we live in now.

I'm a web developer and designer, and can easily make hundreds a day doing it (which I have when I had spare time from school), but the problem is I rarely have time since I'm busy with school work. I've never once in my 2-3 years doing web development jobs (although only recently started PHP, I did HTML/CSS and basic stuff in the past) been asked if I had a diploma. On the internet, no one really cares. That is, as long as I run my own business.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of research lately in my spare time and am on the verge of a new project, which will be very large and take a lot of time, and will also potentially make me a lot of money. Basically it'll be a type of software, a very unique one. I'm also transforming my "company" Recois into a software development company, where we develop software and sell licenses, instead of a website development company where we do personal websites.

The only problem with this is that if I ever want to work at another company that does web-related stuff, I may need a degree.

What are your takes on this?

 

[Fendle]

Experience pisses all over a degree, but its up to you.

 

[Purple PartyHat]

Experience pisses all over a degree, but its up to you.

^ Very true,

If you do want a job elsewhere you'll need the degree, that's just what society is unfortunately... We care not for skill, but a piece of meaningless paper...

 

[FireZ]

Nobody cares about a degree on a computer as long as you can show what you can do, experience kills a degree all day anyday

 

[Divine_God]

You without a degree<with a degree in most peoples eyes.


I get the feeling that you think that your "career" and "education" different things. This shouldn't be the case and you should chase what you want to.

Going to school to simply get a degree when you don't need one makes total sense when you don't think about it at all.

 

What I'm wondering is why you're doing business administration. If you want to make your own web dev business, do a web dev/comp sci program at school and take a couple entrepreneurship classes. You probably only feel that your current degree program is useless because it isn't at all related with what (I gather) you seem to want to do.

You're also right in the sense that credentials don't really matter when you have your own business, as long as you have the experience to show for it. However, starting your own business is hard and not often successful. If you had to end up working for a company, sure, they'd like you to have experience, but you'll get paid that much more if you have credentials to back that experience up.

In short - always a good idea to get credentials, whether it's a degree or diploma. Just do it in something that's relevant to what you want out of life. If you want to do web dev, get a comp sci degree or a web dev diploma. It's NEVER a good idea to rely on experience alone, I learned that the hard way.

 

What I'm wondering is why you're doing business administration. If you want to make your own web dev business, do a web dev/comp sci program at school and take a couple entrepreneurship classes. You probably only feel that your current degree program is useless because it isn't at all related with what (I gather) you seem to want to do.

The reason that I'm in business is because I'd like to run my own business. I already know a lot about web development, so I don't feel like I need to take the courses. I took a computer science course this year on HTML, CSS, and basic PHP, and I can honestly say that I knew more that my professor about the subject matter.

You're also right in the sense that credentials don't really matter when you have your own business, as long as you have the experience to show for it. However, starting your own business is hard and not often successful. If you had to end up working for a company, sure, they'd like you to have experience, but you'll get paid that much more if you have credentials to back that experience up.

In short - always a good idea to get credentials, whether it's a degree or diploma. Just do it in something that's relevant to what you want out of life. If you want to do web dev, get a comp sci degree or a web dev diploma. It's NEVER a good idea to rely on experience alone, I learned that the hard way.

Note that I'll probably be minoring in computer science, while keeping a major in business administration (if I do decide to continue).

I'm also not paying for my education. My parents are paying for all of it. If they weren't, I can tell you right now that there's no way I'd be there because it's just not worth it to me. I've tried telling them before that I feel as though they're wasting their money because I don't need one online, but they seem offended when I tell them that.

 

[S]

Experience pisses all over a degree, but its up to you.

Um... no. If you go out into the real world, and are aiming to get ahead, experience will only take you so far. You will never land some CFO/CEO/any respectable well paid position in a company if you only have experience in this day and age. Maybe 20-50 years ago yea, it would have been plausible. Highly unlikely in todays day and age.

 

[kill dank]

Well, to a new or potential employer, they need proof that you know and can do what you say you do. That's where the degree comes into play... As with CS things, there are plenty of certifications you can earn that may even say more than a degree in some cases...

As for every other field.. a degree doesn't make a difference if everybody has a degree. In that case it's experience. But no matter what experience you have, without a degree, you're still a step below the people with one in an employers eyes.

Just my opinion

 

[david493]

.........

 

[kill dank]

if you want a useful degree major in something in science/engineering. and dont do biology unless you want to be a high school teacher. take like molecular biology or something. look up a book "worthless" and what STEM majors are. also business degrees are "worthless" unless you go doctrate. you just dont become a business man by getting an undergrad degree in administration.

I'm working on a degree in a geology subfield. i am nearly finished in my undergrad degree and i actually have a potential employer that will pay for my first two years of grad school (once i finish those two years taking the classes they want me to i'll be employed by said company)

so yea science or engineering

Biology and chemistry can open up a lot of doors, not just teaching high school.. Either of them are desirable degrees when applying to med school and there are tons of things you can do aside from that.. It's probably one of the most marketable degrees you can have, granted you specialize in a specific area such as microbiology, biochemistry, bio-engineering, organic chemistry, etc.. Most people, hopefully, would have enough common sense to not simply get a BA or BS in Biology.. Also, if you wanted to teach, you still couldn't just have a degree in Biology without a degree in at least secondary or primary education.

 

also business degrees are "worthless" unless you go doctrate. you just dont become a business man by getting an undergrad degree in administration.

This has to be the stupidest thing stated on this thread.

business man
Web definitions
A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically, someone...

You're saying that it's worthless because it doesn't automatically get you employed? Please, tell me what degrees guarantee you a job, all the time, no matter what. Teaching? Computer science? No.

I want opinions, but people really need to think before they post.