Drop Out Or Graduate?

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Drop Out Or Graduate?

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Grant Parks Old Hand Points: 364 More actions · Answer 1

Even though the only programming languages taught when I was in school were COBOL, FORTRAN, C and Assembler, college taught me to *think* like a programmer, especially C and Assembler; breaking down the overall objective and layering functionality for modular reuse. I learned to create application specific structures with contained data and function pointers, essentially doing object-oriented programming before it was called that.

Sopheap Suy SSCertifiable Points: 7893 More actions · Answer 2

As a 1st generation of immigrant to the US, I have no clue of what I wanted to do after graduating from high school. I have no choice but to go to college because I don't want to work like my parents getting paid $5.00 an hr (1992 minimum wage). As a daughter in low income family I was actually getting paid $1000 per term to go to college .... the money left over from state and federal grant and scholarship. I stayed at home, go to college in town and saved every penny I could.

To me college teaches me to be a responsible person, it teaches me patients and hardship of what life is like and to work hard to achieve your dream. In the school of business, all my classes has group project, and I realize that it was the best of all experience because I had 5 group project with 3 to 4 person per group per term for the last 2 years in college. This is a lot of time I spend with my group and we learn better to do our project as well as our individual asignment.

mom

Mary Stumpp SSC Enthusiast Points: 155 More actions · Answer 3

There are many fine, dedicated, heads-down, hard-working non-degree holding employees out there. I salute them. But they're just not suitable guests for a cocktail party.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736188 More actions · Answer 4

There is definitely discrimination against those without degrees. However, I don't toss resumes and I ask HR not to if there is significant experience. To me, the interview is still the main place to make decisions.

College isn't for everyone, but it's for most people that want to move forward in this business. My one big complaint, and one that I didn't mention in the editorial, is that it seems many colleges are moving closer to trade schools and teaching techniques, Java, .NET, Cisco IOS, etc. People are learning the language and not the skill of programming. I too often see people that have graduated in the Internet era, the last ten years, without fundamental programming skills. Hardware that is too fast and tools that do too much of the work are dumming down many people. There's still lots of good programmers coming out, but it seems to me that there are more below average ones.

wodom Hall of Fame Points: 3813 More actions · Answer 5

Thanks so much to everyone who posted to this thread! My son is in college right now, interested in computers, and making decisions about whether he will stay in or not -- and I'm making sure he reads ALL of it.