I kind of fall in between the two streams of responses here.
On one hand, I feel that most of what I've REALLY learned about CS came after graduation. To be sure, I memorized a lot in school, at least long enough to regurgitate it on tests or briefly apply it in contrived class projects. However, I didn't permanently ABSORB that knowledge until entering the workplace. Working on non-trivial projects, enduring code reviews with very smart senior people, etc.
Perhaps having gone through a CS curriculum left marks on my subconscious, and made it easier to learn in the real world. I don't know. However, I certainly felt like a babe in the woods at my first job after graduation. A CS program did not equip me for the brass tacks I needed as a junior level programmer. By the time I reached the point in my career when I was making design decisions and needed strong CS knowledge, I was years out of school and was learning (or re-learning) those concepts through other means.
On the other hand, I would say that it's foolishly short-sighted to forgo the credential on your resume. It is less important when you're young, and working for startups or small shops. However, with age you will eventually find yourself working for larger and more conservative companies (yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but how many 60-year old coders to you meet at the typical startup?). You simply MUST have a degree in order to get past the H.R. drones in those environments. Hell, this is still OFTEN the case even in small shops.
You can get around this glass ceiling by going into business for yourself. Running your own startup, or consulting practice... building a network, drumming up clients, and bypassing H.R. However, not everyone is made for that life. It's really more of a business career than it is a technical one. Also, what sounds exciting in your 20's might be a completely different story when you're in your 40's with a family... but at that point you're still 20+ years from retirement!
To sum it up, I don't know that you need a degree to be a strong software developer... but it IS a really important credential for the long-haul, which is easier to get under your belt when you're young. I should add that there's NO need to spend $100K or more on this. Although you need a degree to get past many H.R. drones, no one cares where your degree came from (or oftentimes whether you majored in CS even!).
If I were 18-years old now, in today's climate of crazy tuition costs, I would go route of spending two years in community college knocking out my core, and then transfer to a university for my major. Only the university shows up on your resume anyway, and no one cares. At the very least, I would attend a state school rather than a private institution. You might even consider pursuing your degree through night classes, while working by day. That's a PAINFUL lifestyle, but much more doable when you're young and don't have a family yet.
Comments
I kind of fall in between the two streams of responses here.
On one hand, I feel that most of what I've REALLY learned about CS came after graduation. To be sure, I memorized a lot in school, at least long enough to regurgitate it on tests or briefly apply it in contrived class projects. However, I didn't permanently ABSORB that knowledge until entering the workplace. Working on non-trivial projects, enduring code reviews with very smart senior people, etc.
Perhaps having gone through a CS curriculum left marks on my subconscious, and made it easier to learn in the real world. I don't know. However, I certainly felt like a babe in the woods at my first job after graduation. A CS program did not equip me for the brass tacks I needed as a junior level programmer. By the time I reached the point in my career when I was making design decisions and needed strong CS knowledge, I was years out of school and was learning (or re-learning) those concepts through other means.
On the other hand, I would say that it's foolishly short-sighted to forgo the credential on your resume. It is less important when you're young, and working for startups or small shops. However, with age you will eventually find yourself working for larger and more conservative companies (yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but how many 60-year old coders to you meet at the typical startup?). You simply MUST have a degree in order to get past the H.R. drones in those environments. Hell, this is still OFTEN the case even in small shops.
You can get around this glass ceiling by going into business for yourself. Running your own startup, or consulting practice... building a network, drumming up clients, and bypassing H.R. However, not everyone is made for that life. It's really more of a business career than it is a technical one. Also, what sounds exciting in your 20's might be a completely different story when you're in your 40's with a family... but at that point you're still 20+ years from retirement!
To sum it up, I don't know that you need a degree to be a strong software developer... but it IS a really important credential for the long-haul, which is easier to get under your belt when you're young. I should add that there's NO need to spend $100K or more on this. Although you need a degree to get past many H.R. drones, no one cares where your degree came from (or oftentimes whether you majored in CS even!).
If I were 18-years old now, in today's climate of crazy tuition costs, I would go route of spending two years in community college knocking out my core, and then transfer to a university for my major. Only the university shows up on your resume anyway, and no one cares. At the very least, I would attend a state school rather than a private institution. You might even consider pursuing your degree through night classes, while working by day. That's a PAINFUL lifestyle, but much more doable when you're young and don't have a family yet.