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by toomuchtodo 2248 days ago
I have no college education because decades ago, I was in the same situation as OP: had a job in hand, so I went to work instead of college. It was the best choice I ever made. I never worked somewhere that required a degree, three years into my career was making six figures, and have made at least that for the next ~20 years of my career. I had no student debt, or school expenses. I have had employers offer reimbursement to go get the the undergrad checkbox, which I’ve passed on (more important things to do IMHO).

YouTube, online material, and actual experience of trial and error will take you a long way without a degree. You probably also don’t want to work someplace that prioritizes a degree over experience. Don’t forget to network: that’s the biggest ROI you’ll ever have. It’s who you know, not what you know. Two cents from 20+ years.
2 comments
non-entity 2248 days ago
> You probably also don’t want to work someplace that prioritizes a degree over experience.

No but I want to work on the things they're working on.

As much as I despise the absolute scam that's peddled by universities, and dont think they're for everyone, they can still open up a lot of opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible or highly difficult to access. OTOH If all you're worried about is money, then yeah no, you probably don't want to waste your time there

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toomuchtodo 2248 days ago
Money buys options. Options are freedom. Don’t let others gate you unnecessarily. We all operate in a physical world that doesn’t care about credentials as long as you adhere to the laws of physics (caveat aside for professionals that require credentials by law, such as the medical profession and such).

Going to school in another country that’s more reasonable about costs (Europe comes to mind) is also an option.

Consider more efficient paths to the end state you desire is all I’m suggesting.

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t-writescode 2248 days ago
Or honestly state colleges. There's some really great state colleges in the US and they're far less expensive than some of the other options out there.
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electriclove 2248 days ago
Do you feel not having a degree has slowed your career progression?
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toomuchtodo 2248 days ago
Not at all. I’ve worked for startups, enterprises, the US government, and provide guidance to Congressional representatives on an ongoing basis on technology policy. No one worth working for has asked for a degree.

I still get inquiries from Amazon and Facebook for roles. Not Google, but I’d never work for them anyway (nor Facebook or Amazon, for completeness).

I also intend to run for public office, which has age constraints, but no educational requirement.

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