[stiggz]

I slogged through a 3-year Software Engineering degree in Canada (nearly as snowy & cold), but I don't think it was worth it. Getting a good job is more about timing and skill, all the best programmers dropped out of college. The goal of any educational institution is to make money, they don't really care whether you get a job when you're done or not. You can't work at Google (tm) without a Batchelors degree in Comp Sci or relavent experience, but TONS of Bay Area startups are eager to hire the best & brightest. If you can prove your coding skills, then you don't need the piece of paper to go to work for a startup.