[vectorpush]

You're me almost a decade ago. A couple semesters into college, I picked up a part time role as a junior developer. Since, like you, I had already been programming for years, I exceeded expectations and became highly valued by my employer. Part time became full time, and I started to make a lot of money for a college kid. At the same time, I was learning so much from my work that school seemed to wane in utility, really only complicating my work schedule where I was being paid well to enrich the exact skill-set I wanted from the beginning. Finally, I decided to quit school.

I continued in that position for a total of four years. Another five years and several positions later, I am doing quite well for myself, especially compared to my peers, graduates and non-graduates alike.

With all that stated, my only regret is that I didn't finish that damn degree. Get your degree. What I omitted from the above is the unending doubt and disrespect you will face as a professional without a degree. It was only after I was making tons of money that my peers stopped endearingly regarding me as a lazy drop out. Despite the wealth of prospects available to me as an experienced developer, I have faced numerous professional rejections simply because I did not have a degree to show.

Returning to school never gets easier for anyone, but you're facing a double whammy in that not only is the cost of tuition going up, but so is the cost of the hours you'll spend at school instead of working.

[coolsebz]

Yes, that's exactly like it was for me too! Thanks for the advice!