[jimmierock]

Can I ask what you are doing instead and how you picked up programming skills? I have tried doing algorithm and data structures myself in depth. It honestly feels hopeless at times. And did you ever think about detouring into law again?

[logical42]

I did not get a CS degree because it turned out that I didn't need to (I am a software engineer at one of the 'big' Silicon Valley companies and have upward trajectory in my career). However, learning algorithms/data structures is not easy (as you mentioned) and if you aren't the type who can sit down with a bunch of textbooks over the weekend and bulldoze through them, then a structured setting which forces you to do exactly that may benefit you. And getting formally schooled will help you from having 'gaps' in your CS education which can (and probably will) happen if you opt not to get a degree (getting a CS degree doesn't mean you won't have gaps either, actually).

And no.. I don't think about going back into law. That field is horrible.. you get saddled with debt and then you make mediocre money (even at big law firms) with insane hours. It makes me sad that people feel desperate enough to even consider it. The only type of law that is probably economically worth pursuing is patent law (in terms of work life balance) but that's really some scum of the earth type stuff, especially with software patents..