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Ask HN: Should I finish my undergraduate degree?

1 points by medhir ↗ HN
I was previously a college student studying computer engineering, but I ultimately decided to take time off because I was unhappy with the quality of the curriculum and also wanted to focus on some mental health issues I'd been dealing with. Fast forward ~9 months, and I am now interning as a Program Manager at Microsoft. Although I have received very positive performance reviews, Microsoft’s HR is not willing to extend a full-time offer unless I go back to school and finish up my undergraduate degree.

I would describe myself as a generalist that has pursued different experiences over the past several years, including bioengineering research, developing CS curriculum, and software engineering internships. As a result of these diverse experiences I was recently contacted by Google for their prestigious APM program. However, they are not willing to move forward with the interview process unless I commit to finishing my degree as well.

At the current moment I am torn: I have always approached my education in a non-traditional fashion and have stubbornly refused to fit any template, which eventually led to me leaving university. I believe the diversity in skills is what makes me a good fit for the PM role, and I’m ready to enter into an industry position. But now that I am being contacted by top companies I am unsure of how to proceed.

Are the “brand name” companies worth going back and taking a couple of years to finish my degree, or should I take a risk and try to pursue other opportunities? Any advice the HN community has would be greatly appreciated :)

4 comments

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chadcmulligan
You are getting offers from some companies that most people would do much for. How much longer would it take to get your degree? a couple of years? It probably seems like a long time, but in the scheme of things it's probably not.

If you want to continue in IT then having a degree will make getting other jobs a lot easier. You may even learn something :-). Thats what I tell my daughter any way.

ScottBurson
Have you considered trying to transfer to a school with a stronger curriculum?
CyberFonic
I presume you have got your mental health issues handled. If not, then that should be your first priority.

The opportunity at MS is fantastic. Just complete your degree and work at MS for a couple of years. With that under your belt you are well on track to a great career.

It might seem like a lot of effort and time. But in 10 years time you will view it as an investment with excellent returns. In general, having experience at a "brand name" company is a very big plus when taking future steps along your career path.

BTW: on what basis are you unhappy with the quality of curriculum? Have you checked with MS and/or Google how they view your current college? Ask if they would recommend going to a different one.

medhir
I was unhappy with the curriculum mainly because I think most of the CS learning I did was very self-motivated. I spent a lot of time outside of classes reading about and practicing programming on my own. You raise a good point though. I will definitely consult MS/Google about recommendations for a different university. Thanks!