[ale] Little OT: Blind Future: Advise Wanted

[Steve Throckmorton]

Bob Slaughter already nailed this, but I have four kids, so this is a
hot-button thing for me, and I'm gonna get my $.02 in:

Get a 4-year degree at the best school you can scratch/claw/steal (well, maybe
not steal) your way into.  Go into debt if you must.  If you do, you'll never
regret it; if you don't, you will spend the rest of you career wishing you had.
College does a lot more than just pour four more years of facts into your head
(though this is in itself highly-underrated); it gives you confidence,
connections, and a very valuable piece of paper.

Real life works like this:  position X opens up at Highly Desirable Inc. 
Position X pays well.  Position X gets to play with computers a lot.  Position
X will draw applicants like flies.  Polly Personnel needs some way to thin out
the crowd; she decides to pile on the 'requirements'.  The very first thing
that will go on the list is 'bachelor's degree'.  Every time.

If you don't get a 4-year degree, some people will assume you are too stupid or
lazy to get one.  Even if that doesn't bother you most of the time, it will
when a potential employer assumes it.

But there's more to this than just the consequences of NOT going; there's some
serious upside TO going to college.  For instance, you get to put off entering
the mainstream workforce for four years; college (even if you have to work your
way through it) is just plain more FUN than 5-days-a-week-10-hours-a-day.  You
get to learn a lot of interesting things and play with children your own age
(this isn't a slam--I would use the same turn of phrase if I were talking to a
60-year-old; it's just how I talk).

And here's another piece of advice you've already received:  take a
well-rounded curriculum--squeeze in as much writing, literature, history,
philosophy, foreign language, etc as you possibly can.  EXPAND your mind.  It
truly is the difference between being a useful cog in the machine and being the
kind of person who can make a real splash in the world.  Example:  Richard
Stallman is one of the greatest hackers in the world (I'm assuming you know who
RMS is), but his bachelor's degree is in physics, and his current
pre-occupation is with politics.  Example two:  Frederick P. Brooks Jr. ran the
System/360 and OS/360 projects for IBM in the sixties, then quit and wrote The
Mythical Man-Month.  If you've never read this book, I highly recommend you do,
not just for the still-current insights into software development, but as the
highest evolution of technical writing.  I cannot say enough about the book;
read it and be inspired to think at a higher, clearer, more insightful level. 
And, I hope, be inspired to go get an education that will allow you to produce
work like that.

Good luck,
Steve


--- Gary Lawler <glawlert6 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> If every thing goes well I will graduate December 2001. I am interested
> in knowing, from you who have been there and/or know what employers are
> looking for, should I go to collage and pursue a degree in computer
> science? If yes, would a four or two year be enough?
> 
> Or, I can skip collage and go get the certifications? Which
> certifications should I look more into? Any additional advise would be
> welcome!!! Hind site is 20/20
> 
> What would be better?
> 
> Thanks for all replys!
> --
> Gary Lawler
> Registered Linux User 172531
> 
> "Love your enemies. It makes them so damned mad." -P. D. East
> 
> 
> 
> --
> To unsubscribe: mail majordomo at ale.org with "unsubscribe ale" in message
body.


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
--
To unsubscribe: mail majordomo at ale.org with "unsubscribe ale" in message body.