Was My Computer Science Degree Worth It?

I recently completed my computer science degree. Was it worth it? Would it be worth pursuing for you? Times are changing and there are many factors that go into the question of college education.
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Timestamps:
0:00 - I graduated!
0:38 - Two (of many) options
1:10 - Self taught before college
2:28 - My experience in the system
4:20 - Trying without a CS degree
6:15 - Getting the degree
8:00 - Comparison time!
10:14 - The future trends
11:26 - Final thoughts
Some of the sources (note that I looked up things I already heard, so it's confirmation bias):
www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.axios.com/2023/10/11/act-...
#computerscience #softwareengineer #career

[@DaFluffyPotato]

EDIT: The comments about a continuous academic decline are purely speculation (separate from the decline from covid, which is supported in the studies and anecdotally). We'll have to wait and see. What are your thoughts on college degrees? Did you get one (and was it worth it)? Are you considering getting one? Oddly enough, my most useful classes in terms of the actual subjects studied have been my math classes. I've used the electrical concepts from physics and various mathematical concepts that I wouldn't have bothered studying on my own. I really didn't get much out of my actual CS classes.

[@Just_Code444]

I am not that good in maths 😅

[@walkingpuppy3282]

No because I'm not in college

[@that_chipmunk-ip3he]

Thank you, this actually makes a lot of sense

[@kelsierii4747]

I am in my first year and I feel the exact opposite as you. I like the programming classes because they're most interesting and I'm good at it (compared to other students). I'm bearing with the math and physics, and while I sometimes find it interesting it's mostly a task which I can't see applications for

[@MilesWilander]

I agree a lot with this. I know most of the things the CS classes can teach me, but the math and physics classes are letting me make better games and other CS projects.

[@mpmedia6735]

my cs degree allows you to pick from a slew of hard science courses. For example, you can take physics instead of biology or geology

[@DaFluffyPotato]

Yeah, that's how I ended up taking Bio 2. It was that, Physics 3, or Chemistry.

[@mattywitt3866]

@@DaFluffyPotato I just got a 39% in Physics 3

[@BobaFett12357]

I had to take all 3

[@Ndo01]

I envy your ability to self-regulate your time.

[@mubashirhussain3885]

What do you mean self-regulate?

[@Ndo01]

@@mubashirhussain3885 To consistently work on something productive without someone else structuring his time.

[@krishvids608]

@@mubashirhussain3885 I guess he means he is able to motivate himself to constantly learn rather than needing an educational institution to pressure him

[@MintGlitch]

@@mubashirhussain3885he means using his own time efficiently and not wasting time

[@jeanmakesgames]

I globally have a different path: drop school at 12 (because i was dirt poor, broken family and living in bad area where the school was just terrible), worked as a baker then chef, learn programming on the side (python, javascript, c#, and now godot) with any resources available, got back to university and got a degree (not related to programming), worked and get bored, then got serious about programming and started a youtube channel for making tutorial and small mobile game on the side, and making a living of it now (still with no education, but in my case i don't want to work for someone or for a company, i prefer be alone doing what i like). Thanks for sharing your journey! :)

[@lunarpacer2834]

where do you live? also what device did you use to code back then? omfg this must be interesting to hear from you since i stopped practicing how to code and then i thought i ran out of excuses anymore when i read this comment. (Actually my only excuse was that i dont have a pc to code efficiently)

[@jeanmakesgames]

​@@lunarpacer2834 Hi! I grew up in the suburb of grenoble (in an area called Villeneuve), France in the 80s/90s, I started to code back in 1999 when i was 15 after I saved four month to buy my first computer (a potato pc) and got into programming with python because that was the only resource i was finding. I struggled a lot for years because i was finding no resources anywhere that was solving the problem i was meeting (youtube wasn't existing back then), so i was stopping / going back to it several times a years, while working as a baker to be able to just live. In 2016 I was living in Edinburgh, scotland, bought a pc that was good for that time but become a potato pc after, I got serious into programming and I have learned gamemaker studio, unity, then after an ssd accident i lost most of the project i was about to released which depressed me a lot, i restarted again but this time in an engine that was way easier to handle (godot), at that time it was the version 3 and in some month i've started to make game and it worked a bit more, and now i'm making tutorial, working on small game, my actual commercial steam game and making courses. In other words: the only good path is your own, so just find something you are interested programming and go for it everyday, no need to go for 6 hours straight, you make a list of thing you wanna do and you try to focus 1hour on it everyday. That's the cheat code :)

[@naistor]

I am in a kinda similar situation (tho im still learning), I'm from Venezuela, and it's honestly impossible to attend college, I'm currently working full-time in an absolutely unrelated field whilst practicing code on my own, being a software engineer is my lifetime dream and goal, ever since I was a child, if only the situations i live in were a little different.

[@joyfulfishman5445]

Wishing you the best, I can't wait to see what you accomplish!

[@hahayes1122]

bro you have 3k subs only, hope u mean you have different income sourcea

[@CloudlessStudio]

I got a software development job with an art degree. Aside from a Python class I took in my junior year, I learned everything else by myself. What really helped me was making my own games. I did almost everything, pygame, opengl with C, Unity, and now I work as an Unreal Developer. We do mostly simulations for underwater robots, and if I didn't have my coding knowledge from years of making games, I would have had no chance.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

Oddly enough, I've heard that the companies that require degrees often just require "a degree". It usually doesn't matter what kind. Having an art degree and teaching yourself software on the side seems like a surprisingly viable path. It certainly helps to have the related degree, but I don't think that's usually the hard requirement.

[@quackzilla5971]

​@@DaFluffyPotato its so annoying tho most of the companies need the degree as a requirement when self education path is a lot better

[@ugib8377]

Thanks for taking the time to put this video together. Covid made me a lot less confident in my previous career, and I have been eyeballing CS for about half a year now. Know python pretty well, dabbled in some Rust and Java too. This confirmed some suspicions I had, and answered questions as well. It is a dauntingly broad set of subjects that need to be learned, and then as you said. The looming threat of AGI. Keep grinding, and thank you once again for sharing your experience.

[@JD-vj4go]

As you get older and farther along in your career the degree will be worth it. There are so many tech jobs that you can't even apply for without CS or EE. There are promotions you won't be eligible for without a degree. As you age you're going to face a lot of discrimination. A lot of older developers I know ended up with the government or companies that mainly work with the government. Those jobs usually require a degree. Unless you are some sort of genius that can just avoid the HR because everyone wants you or you get lucky with a hit game or app the degree is going to pay off.

[@xaf15001]

Yeah, since companies at larger scales can't screen interviewees one-by-one. Even if you don't plan on joining one, it's nice to have the option.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

There are options (of an increasing number) that don't require degrees. The pay gap between them is closing over time as well. For people that have to make larger sacrifices to go to school, it may not be the right option. In my case, I was paid to go, which is why I was fine with it.

[@erictrinque6513]

Thanks for sharing kid. This is Very helpful, im 36 in Florida self learning for a career path change. Nice to see younger people with propper work ethic and drive to better themselves.

[@Skeffles]

Really interesting video! I love hearing your perspective on this. First, congratulations on graduating. I hope you have a great career now. Second, I've been working in the industry for about 7ish years now and I've worked with people with both degrees and not. Generally speaking everyone has the ability to pick up the skills but sometimes being able to talk about university projects have helped people I know gain a new role. Even when I recently interviewed, some companies were asking what grade I got at university (that being said I took that as a red flag for many of the companies) I'm not sure where I'm going with this comment...Have a great day!

[@Chadderbox]

Interesting seeing the overlap here - I think the key is learning how to program and knowing how to work on stuff in your spare time (home-schooled or not). It does seem that even though a degree might not be financially worth it (even in the UK where student loans are much less serious), it is required if you wish to progress through the industry for now - you also passively take home some subtle skills that aren't often talked about while getting a degree (such as writing/communication). Great video - I agree with everything you said that I have experience to relate to :)

[@CoruscationsOfIneptitude]

This was interesting and informative. Thanks!

[@PokeShadow77]

I still feel like a freshman as graduate

[@TayoEXE]

I have a Computer Science degree, but I feel like I've barely done anything. I've sort of gotten into the industry and sort of haven't, but I do get to work on XR projects like I wanted to for the most part. I never was able to get an internship despite going to a university, so I never felt confident in any of my skills. I got into every job via networking, which is in part thanks to going to university at least.

[@chenlucy4103]

me2

[@willaxesawian9242]

I like how you could talk about entering the industry both through self-learning and via formal education, its a interesting perspective

[@eirgel38]

I came across your channel a while back and we're about the same age so cool to see that journey. best of luck man

[@mistadude]

This was pretty interesting to watch because I’m homeschooled and dual enrolled as well, I can 100% relate to your experience.

[@Scriabinfan593]

I live in Florida too. Wasn’t expecting you to be from Florida for some reason.

[@S0ggyW3tW4t4r]

I was homeschooled up until 8th grade then switched to a hybrid homeschool school thing. We’re changing to a college campus next year, and doing the dual-enrollment thing. So cool to know there’s people with similar interest and backgrounds, just on the other side of the country lol

[@rentonl]

I think ultimately my CS degree was worth it. It really helped me get my foot in the door when it came to my first job, and even though I didn't absorb everything during the time, it helped me build a good foundation. I always say there are three types of knowledge: "what you know", "what you don't know you don't know" and "what you know you don't know". Having a degree really can really help you round out that third type. My only regret is not trying harder and taking more in. I was pretty young at the time and I feel I didn't get the most out of the time period as I could have. My knack for self-learning didnt come until much later in life.

[@erkiiiiiiiii617]

I’m a rising senior in CS, I kind of don’t like programming but I like tech. It’s been hard to find internships and I think I am bound to graduate with none. I’m thinking of doing a masters in business or engineering because I’m worried it will be hard to find jobs in tech. What do you think?

[@rentonl]

@@erkiiiiiiiii617 I don't know your location, but I imagine finding a job should not be too difficult. If you have programmed a lot and still don't enjoy it then i'd say don't focus on it, cause life is just too short to do something you don't enjoy. Have you considered pivoting to ITOps, QA or DevOps? Big demand for devops these days and could be a good fit for your skillset.

[@tgpapy538]

Yo, I was homeschooled too and also taught myself programming! Great to see another HS out there and making great content like this 😊

[@christiancaliendo6875]

I don't regret my cs degree as its what i wanted to do and still what I want to doubt I haven't had any luck finding a paying job for a year since graduation. So far I've been lucky enough to get an unpaid internship which might help me out getting a job but that remains to be seen. From what I'm able to tell that's average as all my friends who are cs majors can find a job and they know other friend groups of cs majors with no jobs. I enjoy making projects as least with my friends that's been the silver lining of my life so far. I haven't gone a point where I haven't been practicing my craft or gaining new skills even tho I don't really see to much reward for it. I still wish I could do skills like what you do in your videos. Always wanted to do game dev but considering my situation I cant really afford to spend that time rn. After my current projects ends tho I do wanna do some passion project.

[@jademonass2954]

i think stuff like the "rule confirmation cognitive bias" (see the veritasium video for a better explanation) is one of the things that helped me the most during CS they also made it so you do stuff youself a lot, like making games in pygame (while only being told about the library and the incentive to work with a gameloop function)

[@jasonproctor9896]

I graduated high school at 17. I became an apprentice electrician because my father was in prison and I couldnt afford school and lifebwas crasy for me then. A year and a half later i joined the Army and did 10 years in the Army. I got out and became a firefighter. I am now going back to school for computer science. The one thing that always held me back was not having a bachelors degree. If youre fine with just being self taught thats perfectly ok, just know that you will only get so far and there's a ceiling on that. The degree gets you in the door and the certifications/experience you have after that get you the salary that you desire. Anyone reading this, go to communtiy college first and knock out your associates for cheap and then after get your bachelors. You will save so much money and it will give you time to mature. You also need to learn how to interview and write a resume. It's all the little things that add up.

[@SquirrelTheorist]

1:30 Those books are so nostalgic to me. Tutoring is a dream!

[@SquirrelTheorist]

Also, how is it we both live in Florida?! I have you to thank for the pygame tutorials and for LMMS and Gifcam, those have changed my life for the better!

[@uberboat4512]

My cs program general requirements are 3 courses in each division. Div 1 is arts and humanities (music, english, language), Div 2 is Social Sciences (history, econ, political science), div 3 is math and lab sciences (filled by cs). I didnt specialize in my first year, but I took several physics, math, stat courses, and will be able to finish a double major in math and compsci while also taking nearly all the elective courses (Deep learning, OS, cybersecurity). Also we require a rigorous algorithms course that is heavily proof based. I could never learn this amount of theory or math on my own.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

There are people who learn it on their own and resources to do so. It usually ends up being a question of knowing about it and being motivated to study it in your own time.

[@raydin9485]

I can't say too much about com sci but my degree was really useful in helping me network in my field. I really think that educators should put more emphasis on the importance of being able to network as being educated often doesn't cut it.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

Yep. There are a lot of people who don't bother with networking or internships during uni and wonder why they can't find work afterwards.

[@kloa4219]

​@DaFluffyPotato i didn't network and i couldn't get a job for a decade lmao. i tried applying for internships but i got rejected because i scored poorly in engineering courses. 😅

[@costelinha1867]

@@DaFluffyPotato Honestly, I'm considering going for a degree more for the socialization and networking aspect. (And also because I have zero experience in any kind of teamworking endeavors in CS.)

[@algogeminus]

I'm so jealous about people that are homeschooled or can take an alternate path in middle/highschool education. I'm going to do everything in my power to provide this to my children. Montessori and Waldorf schools, moving to another country, hiring tutors, teaching them myself, whatever.

[@Andres-gq3zp]

Trust me waldorf is not something you want to get into.

[@youreyesarebleeding1368]

Would you be willing to give some more insight into how you framed your freelance work on your Resume? I'm graduating with my CS degree this december, and I've been doing freelance for the same client since last June. The pay is pretty good, I've built some software, and I have done (many, many) hours of writing technical specifications and design documents for other developers that he has hired. I opted to do this rather than an internship, because now I can say that I have 1 YoE, but at the same time it's been a very informal arrangement and I can't help but feel like it "isn't a real job"

[@RugbugRedfern]

What was the reasoning behind being homeschooled until college? I imagine that would feel incredibly isolating, at least for me. I used to have the opinion that Liberal Arts colleges were a waste of time and that colleges should focus entirely on your field of study, but over time I've changed my opinion and now believe it's necessary to produce more well rounded people. I'm glad that I'm required to take classes I wouldn't necessarily choose myself, because it introduces me to concepts I never would have experienced otherwise.

[@soggy_dev]

With college already being overpriced, being forced to take credits entirely unrelated to the career you've chosen is annoying at best and infuriating at worst. Intro to music, sociology, and geology are just three courses that serve me in absolutely no way except for a handful of trivia factoids I still remember. Knowing the hardness at which glass scratches or the difference between a minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scale contributes virtually nothing to my life now and having to take those "worthless" credits created a lot of unnecessary stress for me in college

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I grew up in a Christian community, so I could socialize through that instead of school. I also have 3 siblings (also homeschooled) and a lot of extended family nearby. I definitely still got way less peer-level socialization, but I think it worked out fine in the end. I probably benefited from the non-CS classes more than most since I knew most of the CS stuff already, but I do still think that CS degrees aren't spending enough time focusing on applicable skills for the average person. Everything is a tradeoff and I think that (job wise) it's better to have someone more experienced in CS than well rounded in humanities and history. Making people pay tuition for things that aren't the bare minimum needed for work seems unnecessary when people are financially struggling.

[@_Cfocus]

i disagree with this, although well rounded people is a good thing, all of these years wastes your life, most people are studying for the job you are wasting their time.

[@symonbezerra9523]

​@@DaFluffyPotato may I ask which denomination? In my country, Brazil, there's been a growing homeschooling movement led by Christians, especially Roman Catholics.

[@SXZ-dev]

I think it depends on the person, for some people that mentorship and guideance is an absolute godsend because they don't have the discipline and/or experience to self-learn, it can be challenging to teach yourself things, to even know what you need to learn can throw some people off. Formal education will give you guideance, but in either case the only people who do really well in either case are those who eventually learn how to self-learn. CS is a lifelong learning process, you never just know it and are done, you have to keep learning

[@felixabbott126]

This was super interesting. Personally I went to Champlain for a game programming degree specifically, and I totally think it was worth it. Because of the game program they have we got the experience of working on a proper team and everything, plus companies often come to us senior year to grab seniors. My technical skills probably would’ve been better through self study but my knowledge of working on a team would’ve been missing. It’s what allowed me to do freelance straight out of college. I was also wondering, do you think you’d ever just work freelance full time one day or do you plan on always working for a company? I’ve thought about working for a company but I’m not sure I want to give up the flexibility that comes with freelance.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I like the stability of companies. If I'm losing that stability, I'd rather just do solo gamedev. The main exception would be if I could make $200/hr+ from freelancing so that it dramatically outperforms normal work. I charge around $100/hr at the moment.

[@Jaryt]

My route in the industry was slightly different. Started off programming before I was even 10, got serious about it over the next 5 years, doing lots of personal projects. Made a bit of cash. Didn't really have good economic opportunities for going to college/uni, but went anyways since it seemed like the main route to take. Ended up dropping out a couple of years in bc got lucky with meeting someone who was able to get me a job at a medium sized startup. Did learn some interesting things in college, but would've been much more enjoyable if there wasn't all that other shit that I did not care about.

[@ca2longoria]

Been in the industry for ten or fifteen years, and my degree is the reason I program at all. I mean, I went to college shooting for the school of music, but didn't get in, and picked CS because at the time computer graphics - or arts - wasn't really a thing and computer science had the word "computer" in it, which was halfway there at least. Well I fell in love. With programming, that is. So if not for that happy happenstance within the scope of formal education, I'd never be in the career I hold near and dear. I think what I got most out of my university was the environment. All the extra general classes only really got in the way, but there were plenty of times I'd head over to hang with friends and we'd just talk shop and code. I'll agree with the video in that personal projects are what got me ahead in the end. I had two to three times as many lines of code written for random crap I thought up and pursued on my own time than what my classes called for. But if not for that place chock full of people just like me, shooting for some fancy future or the other and geeking out about whatever crazy new algorithm or idea someone had, I'd never have developed the skills I needed out of college to be worth a damn. To an employer, at least. I mean it took me years after graduating to make the kind of salary the older generations sold the idea of college on, but then I've never hit the hiring or promotion walls FluffyPotato brings up, so... I think I came out ahead for having gained a degree for sure.

[@potato8236]

And that exactly reinforces my opinion on US comp sci programs. Learning the fundamentals should not be the goal of a degree, the should maybe cover the first 1-2 semester and then start into advanced computer science topics and specialization. We had a phd student from the us at my institute and he lacked many of the basics that I expect every CS student to at least know. Be it computation models like lambda calculus, Turing machine or knowledge of computations in time vs frequency domain. We couldn't even let him teach the first semester students since he couldn't answer any questions that involved any kind of transfer of knowledge from a different domain. And he was a graduate student from a pretty well respected university. I really hope this was an outlier, but from my experiences and videos like this I get the sense that the title that you get when graduating is more important than the knowledge and skills in the US Education system.

[@centripetal6157]

I just graduated from CS less than a few days ago and i don't feel ready at all for a job. I have literal years of textbook knowledge on CS but i have very limited technical skills and barely worked on projects. I feel screwed... Partly due to me being lazy and not seeking internships or working on side projects... Oh well, i guess i will have to practice and "self teach" myself in the next few months.

[@typoxz4838]

I started watching your tutorial, it's for getting the feel of the language. Wish muck

[@ilikegeorgiabutiveonlybeen6705]

did you have a subject like "analysis and development of requiremebts" where you learn how to transition from your most basic requirements for a system (like "i want to have snakes in my game") to actual all out business schema and final system template (not architecture, not as in "REST API DOCKER KUBERNETES this and that")?

[@perfectum-perfectyourself2762]

I'm currently in my first year of college in CS, and I have yet to learn from any classes more than I've learned on my own from the Internet, truthfully I decided to go to college just for the degree and the opportunities my uni provides for internships. Most people in my year share the same mentality, and frankly, I think more and more people attend university not to learn something, but to get that "important paper" (degree).

[@erkiiiiiiiii617]

dual major then

[@BurroDevelops]

I would say all the things you can learn from a degree, you can learn as a self-taught individual (literally). However, obtaining a degree means that you followed a predefined path, which made it easier, and that's a good thing. Many people get lost or can't even find a starting point (this becomes even more apparent when you delve into low-level concepts). Nevertheless, there are a plethora of free resources available out there, you just have to search for them. Additionally, having a degree means you probably created many networking opportunities along your journey, which means you know more people than a self-taught engineer does. A degree can also provide you with better prospects when seeking employment with companies. In conclusion, when comparing self-taught versus graduate individuals from a learning/knowledge perspective, a self-taught individual can be on the same level as a graduate (if not more advanced). However, from an opportunities perspective, obtaining a degree would be the preferable route to take (especially if you are inclined towards CS differently than a person who just chose CS and that's it).

[@astty1074]

Hey, I'd like to hear more insights about your job if you have any. Things like the requirements and stuff. Thanks!

[@saimeraversestudios9644]

Hi @DaFluffyPotato. Can you please give us a tutorial on how you do dialogue systems?

[@realElzie]

I am about to graduate with an Associate's Degree in Computer Programming from a community college, then I will be going to a university for 2 more years for a degree in Computer Science. All in all, I will have a Programming Certification (Also from community college), Programming AAS, and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. I started with just the 1 year certificate program, and after completion I felt that I had not learned enough and I was not confident in my skills to land and hold a job. So I decided to continue, and get an associate's degree. As mentioned, I am about to graduate with that degree and I feel so much more confident in my abilities. I love learning about programming and computer science, I figured I might as well learn more. Having a Bachelors Degree would make me qualified for 90 percent of the programming jobs near me. I understand that I could stop, making some projects and prove my skills, but I prefer a structured learning process. My goals are to own land, start a family, live happily ever after. Modern day America just keeps getting more competitive and expensive, I think a degree will help me complete my goals. I should note that I have good grades which earn good scholarships. My university costs are almost completely covered and I should be able to graduate with no debt (or very little debt). If I had to take out a lot of loans it would likely affect my choices. EDIT: It's also worth noting that I am homeschooled and I also taught myself programming before going to college for it. I did very well in my first year of college because of this. Also you mentioned that your community college classes were easier than your university classes. I don't think that is a pre or post covid thing. The classes I am taking right now in community college are difficult and time consuming. Whereas my girlfriend is going to a university, she has 2 more classes than me, and has about 1/4 the assignments and time required to complete the classes. I think community colleges provide more strict classes than university in general.

[@DREAMDEV43]

how do you make this games 😮😮 it is so cool with the animations and the other things. You even made a circle as a loading screen😭

[@DREAMDEV43]

Can you rate my game out of ten?🥹

[@Harald723]

I hope your happy for the home schooling because normal school is quite bad

[@rerere1569]

I guess it also make sense if you were born in a 3rd world country (like I am) and wish to move somewhere nicer, having a degree is a huge pro for immigration. It's not impossible to move without a degree but it makes it much harder in some cases. But also education is often free or quite cheap in those places, so it's only a matter of time. Thank you for the video

[@overratedprogrammer]

I dropped out after my first semester in CS, just wasn't for me. IMO it all comes down to your actual abilities and aptitude. It is harder to break through those major companies that a real human doesn't even consider your application without a degree, though.

[@rezashir3873]

you are amazing.

[@theconstanttraveler903]

"homeschooled my whole life" AH.. thats why you were able to get things done at 12... most of us in public school spend so much time doing stupid busy work that by the time we finsih, we only have enough energy to veg out in front of a tv. def homeschooling my future kids.

[@user-ek2jc1xf3y]

homeschooling only works if you have capable parents that will make sure you're actually learning things... If you're left alone on your own, well..

[@costelinha1867]

It's not that I don't see value in a CS degree/certification outside of getting a job... it's just that I really wish I had a job. I don't have a degree, but I did get a CS50x Certification.... so that's something to put on my linkedin at least. Honestly, I feel I need to sort out my difficulties with constant burnouts before I even consider trying to get a job on the field, It's been months since I last opened my code editor, and these long burnout phases are very frequent actually.... At first I was envious because from the description you put on your streams, you're younger than me, yet so much better.... but not only did you start much earlier than I did with coding, but you are clearly much better at... well.. LEARNING, than I do... I'm still trying to learn how to learn... or learn how to learn effectively...

[@AFollowerOfCanti]

i have my CS degree and it is not worth it lol

[@Zuranthus]

the CS50 has a game course too, you should give that a go

[@costelinha1867]

@@Zuranthus I know.

[@xaf15001]

One advice I could offer is to just not stress it as long as you're doing something. Try doing Advent of Code, small game jams, or even just other hobbies like gardening or gaming. You don't always need to make a finished project, just one in a year, but always try to do something. Sometimes I just play card games or scroll reddit for a while, then kick back into gear.

[@chigstardan7285]

This really hit me in the feels.

[@TomasLima-rx7ji]

Hey bro can you do a toturial of Pygbag for more big projects I want put my game on internet to run in web pages but with big projects like your games plspls

[@prestonschumacher1314]

I have a question about networking in college. Where are you supposed to network? Through LinkedIn? Handshake? How does this process work?

[@user-ek2jc1xf3y]

You'll know! Just keep attending classes and talking to people (even the janitors), always look out for announcements for things like events, competitions, volunteering work, etc. I didn't believe it back then, but most opportunities are not posted on linkedin, they're presented to you in the most unexpected situations through people you'd have never guessed.

[@not8533]

How did you start learning computer science for you to enjoy it so much you start making videos and finally get a degree in it?

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I got bored and just started learning it as I made things I wanted to make.

[@evaander]

Wow that much experience at 18, any advice for us starting from the beginning at a much older age?

[@pilginmmm2575]

he has a lot advises in his videos )

[@DaFluffyPotato]

It's definitely harder, but still worth it imo. I'm working now and still picking up new skills, so it's never really too late. Just be financially responsible in any major transitions. 👍

[@ivannasha5556]

College university is mostly useful for the social/networking aspects IMO. It was a great time in my life. With how infested those places have become. With rabid ideologists trying to brainwash everyone. I doubt they are a place where any free thinker wants to spend time these days. At least until things change and they become focused on actual learning of real things again.

[@walkingpuppy3282]

sir I learned all my coding knowledge, python c++ from internet but I think you need a college degree to get a job in a company like Google , what do you think?

[@DaFluffyPotato]

Google doesn't require degrees

[@walkingpuppy3282]

​@@DaFluffyPotatoSo it should require radians then😂

[@MisterConscio]

Could you talk more about your freelancing experience?

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I might make a video on it some day

[@that_chipmunk-ip3he]

Do you think there's a big difference when looking for a job between a masters or bachelors degree or something else entirely? I've always thought that at least in stem, a masters was pretty much necessary, but this video makes me think otherwise.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I can't speak for non-software jobs, but only some jobs will use your degree to determine your pay. Even considering that, you can make plenty with just the undergraduate degree. Lots of people start over 100k with it.

[@ididntaskverified3663]

This video funny af, you talk about social skills pushing the sterotype

[@LimitedWard]

I'm a bit confused by your assessment that education standards will continue to decline post pandemic. Neither of the articles you cite seem to support that claim. The Axios article mentions that ACT scores have dipped post-pandemic. But standardized test scores have always been a poor proxy for how well students will perform in higher education. The NIH study shows that students have not yet caught back up on their learning, but I'd expect that to really mainly impact students immediately graduating high school. The younger the student, the more time they'll have to return to the baseline. But even beyond that, most universities have strict accreditation requirements. Short of the accreditation boards moving the goalposts, universities cannot lower their standards significantly without risking losing their accredited status.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I know teachers (plus many online say the same thing) who have mentioned things getting worse year after year in the academic level of their students. Presumably because having the pandemic at a younger age is more negatively impactful. I didn't look for studies on that since it's inherently speculation still. As for university standards, I witnessed them being dropped in real time first hand. The curving I've seen makes a lot of classes an absolute joke in terms of academic standards.

[@electricimpulsetoprogramming]

could you make a video reviewing portfolio websites of your subscribers? I'd like for you to review my portfolio but I can't put the link since youtube would ban this comment

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I'm not involved with hiring in the industry, so I wouldn't be able to judge that properly.

[@mathijsfrank9268]

You deserve a subscription for converting the school year to age for non Americans. Also great video of course.

[@DaFluffyPotato]

Homeschoolers usually don't even know what grade they're in, so they go by age as a default (which is the same for me).

[@downbad.]

What is your fulltime job??(field)

[@DaFluffyPotato]

I work on rocket flight simulations and embedded software that runs on rockets (aerospace).

[@shanewalsch]

​@@DaFluffyPotatothat's very cool

[@JC-jz6rx]

general education is the reason i dropped out and gave up on college. i just couldnt wrap my head around how my computer engineering degree required a class on biology. This is why i like trade schools so much. GET.TO.THE.POINT. Teach me specifically what i need to make money. if i want to be an electrician i shouldnt first need to spend copious amounts of money learning philosolphy and music appreciation.

[@shroomer3867]

I'm currently in programming trade school and it's much better content wise than college. This is coming from Europe so university over here is much more harsh and cruel and a turnover rate for engineering degrees is at around 50% or more. I tried to do college this year but ended up so exhausted and depressed that for the sake of my own life I re-enrolled into a trade school. Since I knew pretty early on that I wanted to do programming for a living or something similar. It's mostly online, but I live near the centre so there's some physical classes once a month which are more detailed and teach cool stuff which is useful or at the very least commonly seen at workplaces, stuff like using Linux and commands, troubleshooting PCs, repairing old computers with new parts and administation with Windows 10 Pro. There's also supposed to job platforms at the center later these months. So far, it's been great, and if you're wondering what subjects they teach, we learn Java, SQL, HTML and CSS, XML and its schemas, database normalization, and the process of making software (talking with the client, figuring out the language and libraries to use, developing, testing, etc). Which is much more when you compare it to Programming I and II from college where you just go into C and do problems, without any explanations and have to figure it out on your own (I first learned C++ when I was younger so I aced the classes, but if I didn't I could easily see myself failing or barely passing) If you want to learn C on the college level I would recommend trying out CS50 first and see how that goes, they basically explain it better than my physical college did and the problems there are complex and entertaining (much better when compared to my previous college experience of having problems like "Make a program which will find even numbers" or "Make a calculator" where as CS50 asked on the first weeks to figure out if a credit card number is a VISA, Mastercard or AMEX and provided tips and logical explanations of the process, and other cool problem sets which made me want to learn). They then switch it to Python for a bit for contrast and go to SQL and then some final units before your own project. *TL:DR; Went into college, grew so tired I dropped out of it for the sake of my health and wellbeing, and started going into trade school and doing CS50 on the side. Ended up learning more in 3 months than I did in a semester in college.*

[@JC-jz6rx]

@@shroomer3867 that tldr just about sums up the general reality of it all. (I did read everything) glad you’re Enjoying the journey now.

[@vitalyl1327]

So you missed on an entire world of knowledge that is directly useful and relevant to engineering. Congratulations. Now you don't have a chance to recognise bionic-inspired patterns and invent new ones. This is exactly why self-taughts are frowned upon - you think you know what knowledge is relevant and what is not, and it's hilarious. Also, learning to make money is a crappy motivation.

[@JC-jz6rx]

@@vitalyl1327 uh. Ok lol. Well. You enjoy your bionic inspired patterns. I’ll be here in Tahiti enjoying a cocktail while getting paid regardless and with 0 debt. But it’s good that you saw the value in it. Everyone’s different. Edit: trade schools aren’t self taught. You learn by doing and are universally accredited.you get a valid license to practice whatever you are studying.

[@vitalyl1327]

@@JC-jz6rx yes, everyone is differemt.Some are better, some are worse. Some are ignorant and incompetent, some are knowledgeable and powerful. And the funniest part is that those who are motivated by money end up skint and not getting any, while those who were primarily driven by a thrist for knowledge get all the money. Hilarious, is not it? But obvious, if you think of it. Those who were motivated by money end up being awful engineers, and nobody want to pay awful engineers. You should have learned that biology course, really.

[@AngelicDirt]

As a final note, to anyone scanning comments, DO NOT do it just because your parents say so. If you're not ready, then you're not ready. On any degree or specialization. You don't owe then jack crap, and you'll feel better for it. Trust me.

[@EmberLionGames]

If you're already making games, avoid a study into making games. If you're interested in making games, start the study, decide if it's for you, then drop out and go your own way. Greetings from; someone who made the wrong decisions and wasted a lot of time. If you're passionate enough, they're not gonna add to it. Hope this simple comment might help someone else in the future someday. It might not apply to everyone, but that single person that needs it, keep going!

[@symonbezerra9523]

University won't bring you 100% of what you need, but it can bring the 20% you must have to start.

[@Mellon00]

2:00 bro called me dumb 20 time in too much ways :'(

[@Mellon00]

4:00 40 rn...

[@wizk04]

dude, you made a whole game. You dont need to be working for nobody 😆

[@SCARaw]

Computer science if for people who are into programming but don't wanna program anything, just get corporate job

[@user-dl8fl3hv9d]

you dont need a degree if youre a genius

[@werren894]

cs degree is worth it if your goal is to study not to get a job.

[@nerdobject5351]

I’ll offer a different perspective on why you SHOULD get the degree. Once a company gets out of start up phase they will look to attract bigger company logos using their product(s). Those big logos, let’s saw Microsoft is interesting in using you product. Before they write your company a check for million dollars they will vet the crap out of your company including the education of the people in it. If they find most of the developers don’t have a degree they will go to competitor product. That’s why companies require you to have some sort of technical or engineering discipline.

[@Merserissugoi]

degrees don't mean anything for getting your foot in the door now. source I have one and it still sucks. total of waste of 4 years.

[@fredfee3]

God bless all of you and remember God loves you all and so do I may God be with you all. Jesus is coming soon God bless repent

[@hypergraphic]

Can we stop with all of these: Was my CS degree worth it videos? As a college dropout who learned to program later in life, I would give a lot to be able to go back in time and do a CS degree. Until you've had to try and make a living to support your family by getting one off jobs on Upwork, don't talk to me about if a CS degree is valuable or not.

[@vitalyl1327]

The first few seconds expose the error you've made - started working as a *software engineer* after getting a computer *science* degree. It's like starting working as a plumber after doing a PhD in a computational fluid dynamics. Why did not you get a software engineering degree instead, if science is not your thing?

[@DaFluffyPotato]

There is no "software engineering" degree in most universities in the US. Most companies expect a CS degree.

[@vitalyl1327]

@@DaFluffyPotato just a quick check shows that from a random selection of UC Berkeley, MIT, Stanford and few others all provide Software Engineering degrees. You sound like "there was no carpentry course locally, so I had to do a PhD in molecular biology".

[@reeeeneeustaquio374]

⁠@@vitalyl1327UC Berekley doesn’t offer a “software engineering” degree.

[@buriedbones-nh9xr]

you dont learn social skills in college mate You learn that in kindergarten