[adrianp]

"degrees are not accomplishments"

Is this really true? Will I be wasting at least five years of my life by taking various CS degrees? I have some professional experience (web dev for a startup) but that's really everything beside school I have time for, and I'm not the only one in this situation.

Some parts of the article were spot-on, but certain assertions seem rather drastic and biased.

[tomjen3]

No you won't. Academia thought me how to be a better programmer, about compiler construction, functional programming the theory behind OO programming, prolog, how databases actually work (IE not just some random subset of the sql language) how 3D graphics work (including how to compute light and how you go from a mesh of triangles to an image on a screen), Haskell, SVN and how to work on large projects with others (including many of the issues that are not just technical, etc). While there were a few classes that was a waste of time (how to design enterprise systems and usability comes to mind, since the first is just a matter of ticking of enough boxes and the second is do what the user expect) most of them wasn't.

There is a real bias against CS degrees in certain circles, which I suspect is fueled in part by a couple of bad experiences with no-good hires (which exist in all professions) and in part by a feeling of inadequacy some who never got a degree might feel.

[nupark2]

As a hiring manager, my 'bias' against CS degrees, such as it exists, is that they don't actually tell me much of anything.

Individuals have the capability to learn "compiler construction, functional programming the theory behind OO programming, prolog, how databases actually work", et al, independently of a degree, and yet, having that degree doesn't seem to actually guarantee that a potential hire understands any of the above.

[shaggyfrog]

Then you shouldn't have a bias against CS degrees; you should simply see them as zero-information attributes.

(Which, I think, is correct in a general sense: a resume should get a candidate to an interview, not earn the job on its own.)

[nupark2]

You're not wasting the time if you're learning something, but don't expect the degree itself to be generally considered a notable accomplishment.

Additionally, whether or not 5 years and $X dollars is worth the reward depends heavily on you, and where you go to school. Some people might find more value in spending that time and money elsewhere.

[andreaja]

It's hyperbole to make a rhetorical point, don't read any more into it than that.

Whether or not a degree is a worthwhile activity is an interesting discussion, but it is not one that begins with 'degrees are not accomplishments'.