I'm a (mostly) self taught developer but I have taken some software related courses (assembly, C, data structures), so I have some semblance of a foundation. Still, I constantly feel 'behind' in my foundational knowledge compared to my peers because I majored in something other than CS/SWE.
That's why the rise of edtech startups have been of interest to me: online courses like Algorithms: Design and Analysis from Coursera have been a godsend, at least when I have the time and energy to do it. It's not easy playing catchup with a full-time job, but there's even less time (and money) for me to go back and get a degree in CS.
"but there's even less time (and money) for me to go back and get a degree in CS."
It seems like many don't understand that not having pursued a CS degree is often a pragmatic one dealing with money, not because self-taught people are too lazy or unwilling to learn at a university level.
They have already obtained their degree and invested a lot of time and money. Or they're far enough along in life where they're giving up a lot more than a teenager or person in their early 20s if they take 4 years off to pursue a degree full-time.
I think these are articles are useful for people who are learning on their own, or who come from that direction. But if you're starting out at a self-taught person, from my experience, no one seems to care if you understand algorithms. You're better off building real things, and it doesn't seem close.
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I'm a (mostly) self taught developer but I have taken some software related courses (assembly, C, data structures), so I have some semblance of a foundation. Still, I constantly feel 'behind' in my foundational knowledge compared to my peers because I majored in something other than CS/SWE.
That's why the rise of edtech startups have been of interest to me: online courses like Algorithms: Design and Analysis from Coursera have been a godsend, at least when I have the time and energy to do it. It's not easy playing catchup with a full-time job, but there's even less time (and money) for me to go back and get a degree in CS.
"but there's even less time (and money) for me to go back and get a degree in CS."
It seems like many don't understand that not having pursued a CS degree is often a pragmatic one dealing with money, not because self-taught people are too lazy or unwilling to learn at a university level.
They have already obtained their degree and invested a lot of time and money. Or they're far enough along in life where they're giving up a lot more than a teenager or person in their early 20s if they take 4 years off to pursue a degree full-time.
I think these are articles are useful for people who are learning on their own, or who come from that direction. But if you're starting out at a self-taught person, from my experience, no one seems to care if you understand algorithms. You're better off building real things, and it doesn't seem close.