HN Explorer

Ask HN: What would your roadmap be if you were to drop out of college?

2 points by iply ↗ HN
I've been considering this for a while now because I feel like I am not learning at all during college hours, and the things I do learn are outdated techniques and or technologies that will in no way help me to get a job in the fast paced software industry.

Asking about dropping out of computer science to be more specific.

9 comments

[ 6.4 ms ] story [ 41.6 ms ] thread
rawgabbit
Not all professors are the same. Not all universities are the same. If I was in your shoes, I would try to transfer to a different and hopefully better university. Yes, most of what they teach is archaic, impractical, and more theory than practice. With that said, assuming you live in the US ("college" instead of "university"), getting a bachelor's degree is an important credential to get especially if you can get it in CS. I would only consider changing majors if you believe, you just cannot succeed with CS.

If you attend a public university, most states require the universities to disclose "grade distributions" and sites like ratemyprofessors can give you a hint of which university/professors are good or are just horrific. The grade distributions will tell you the letter grades each professor gave each class. I.e., a university/college has the same admissions standards; if two professors teach the same class but one consistently gives Cs while the other consistently gives Bs -- as the Dean of the college or a student, I would be upset.

iply
Not in the US sadly. I am already in the best school in my country, which does have a decent standing in the worldwide rankings and thats exactly why I'm doubting this whole thing.

I mispoke because I'm not from the US. It's what you guys consider a University, not a college.

I do really like computer science, just not how it's taught. I've been a self taught programmer for about 3 years now and have had work experience in a company and some freelancing projects.

rawgabbit
I believe you should approach this with a long term perspective in mind. Yes, maybe life will lead you to an unexpected destination. I believe though you should position yourself by giving yourself the best chance possible to succeed. You said you are attending the best university in your country. I would ask my professors for advice before changing majors. Maybe there is an alternative path to CS degree more suited to you. If you do decide to change majors, you should pick a major that can get your foot in the door when applying for a job.
Grapefruitwoes
What kind of work experience was it? Was it for the entire 3 years you've been a self taught programmer?
sn0w_crash
Go to work for a small business. It doesn’t need to be a startup. You will get more real world experience working in a small business and interacting with customers than you ever will reading about it as an MBA.
iply
This is exactly how I feel right now and what I have been thinking about
bsuvc
Well, I would advise against dropping out of college. It is extremely hard for people to go back later. Part of graduating college is proving that you have the ability to stick with something. Believe me, there will be days at a job where you don't feel inspired and having to do things that are not fun. Are you sure you don't want to just change your major, or switch to a different school?

But...

If you have already made up your mind, then I guess my suggestion is to do a boot camp and/or get a certification of some kind.

The problem is you need at least some kind of credential on your resume to keep it from getting tossed out.

iply
I really like computer science (or programming at least) just don't like how its taught. I just feel like the knowledge you get before tests/exams is not very profound. You just memorize stuff and forget it later on.

I really like learning stuff more deeply, which I do in my own time. It just frustrates me that I could be doing a lot more (or thats how it feels like at least) on my own.

yuppie_scum
Stick with this and then look for a masters degree in CS after. Or transfer to a more rigorous CS school.