These are great tools to learn foundational computer science from outside of a classroom, but not an adequate substitute for a computer science degree (and I say this with no formal CS background myself). One could reasonably pace themselves through the class materials presented here, attempting the homeworks and tests while honestly assessing oneself, but employers especially want to see proof, and a degree carries far more weight than doing the same work but without the degree to show for it.
Pedigree and pedantics have taken precedence over hacking and creative problem solving, particularly in the Silicon Valley where a Stanfordcal degree and Googfacetwit work experience is expected.
When going for a CS degree, the usual rule of thumb is one should spend three hours studying for every hour in the classroom.
To get the education you'll get at a college, you'll have to spend those three years studying any how. So college is really like three years of independent study and one year of class time.
Why not just spend that year of time going to classes, learning things from professors (some of whom are quite knowledgeable, and doing cutting edge CS theory research), learning things from classmates and making social and networking connections? Perhaps private schools are expensive, but UC Berkeley, UIUC, UWashington, Georgia Tech are more affordable, especially with Pell grants etc. Especially part-time.
Also - people doing self-study tend to go right for the immediately useful stuff - how to make web pages in PHP and the like. How many people spend eight months studying calculus, then four months studying discrete math, then four months on graph theory, then four months on theory of computation, then four months studying logic gates and processors, then four months studying data structures etc.? What kind of code is someone who has not studied concurrent programming going to write when an application needs threading?
A degree is also a sign someone can stick with something for four years.
Of course a degree is no guarantee they know anything in and of itself.
Is this what the job listings (of what there were) said during the 2008-2009 recession? Is this what they said in 2001 after the dot-com crash?
They may not say them now, they may not have said them in 1999, but they certainly are requirements companies can (and do) put up during the years when people need a job most.
Passing basic HR filters is necessary for most job listings, and "equivalent experience" is harder to quantify than having a degree in the field from a name brand university. Also it is hardly a selling point to claim that one took an online class and did not receive credit for it.
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These are great tools to learn foundational computer science from outside of a classroom, but not an adequate substitute for a computer science degree (and I say this with no formal CS background myself). One could reasonably pace themselves through the class materials presented here, attempting the homeworks and tests while honestly assessing oneself, but employers especially want to see proof, and a degree carries far more weight than doing the same work but without the degree to show for it.
Pedigree and pedantics have taken precedence over hacking and creative problem solving, particularly in the Silicon Valley where a Stanfordcal degree and Googfacetwit work experience is expected.
When going for a CS degree, the usual rule of thumb is one should spend three hours studying for every hour in the classroom.
To get the education you'll get at a college, you'll have to spend those three years studying any how. So college is really like three years of independent study and one year of class time.
Why not just spend that year of time going to classes, learning things from professors (some of whom are quite knowledgeable, and doing cutting edge CS theory research), learning things from classmates and making social and networking connections? Perhaps private schools are expensive, but UC Berkeley, UIUC, UWashington, Georgia Tech are more affordable, especially with Pell grants etc. Especially part-time.
Also - people doing self-study tend to go right for the immediately useful stuff - how to make web pages in PHP and the like. How many people spend eight months studying calculus, then four months studying discrete math, then four months on graph theory, then four months on theory of computation, then four months studying logic gates and processors, then four months studying data structures etc.? What kind of code is someone who has not studied concurrent programming going to write when an application needs threading?
A degree is also a sign someone can stick with something for four years.
Of course a degree is no guarantee they know anything in and of itself.
Really? This has not been my experience at all. Nearly all tech job listings I've seen mention "or equivalent experience" somewhere.
How far back is this experience?
Is this what the job listings (of what there were) said during the 2008-2009 recession? Is this what they said in 2001 after the dot-com crash?
They may not say them now, they may not have said them in 1999, but they certainly are requirements companies can (and do) put up during the years when people need a job most.
Passing basic HR filters is necessary for most job listings, and "equivalent experience" is harder to quantify than having a degree in the field from a name brand university. Also it is hardly a selling point to claim that one took an online class and did not receive credit for it.