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Ask HN: Going back to college part-time for CS after taking another path in life

4 points by user-extended ↗ HN
I dropped out of CS during my freshman year due to bad grades. I have not kept up with programming ever since (except for Excel, if that counts), and tutorial loop hell with Python.

A couple of months ago I got an associate's "kinda" degree in Logistics, and got a hybrid job with a terrible commute which pays very under-average.

I struggle a lot with depression, failure, comparing myself to other people (people my age, 23, already have masters in very respected fields). Bad enough that one day it made me post this on Hacker News: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34003857

I like tech. I like talking about tech. I like optimizing processes. But it seems like I don't have a knack for programming, at least naturally. I've told by some people that I might have ADHD, though my psychologist doesn't think so. I've done some online IQ tests with scores of around 97, which is less than from what I've googled on the average IQ of a coder being 120.

I'd like to have a degree in CS by the time I'm 30. Maybe a career change would be nice (I have a terrible commute right now). But my main drive to do it is... all my life I've been an introvert, I've used Linux, I've been in the "tech-space", but I feel like my natural abilities do not commensurate to my interests.

I'd like to prove myself wrong, and I'm afraid that I'm already 23 years old, and if I wait more time to do it, I'm gonna regret it a lot. I already regret a lot.

I'd take 18 credits (3 subjects) for my initial semester. They'd cost me 800€, which is almost a month's salary for me. This is the main reason why I do not know if to try to go back to college or not. I'm afraid of making the same mistakes I did 5 years ago, though I've matured. And this time, if I fail, I'm paying out of my own pocket.

Has anyone faced a similar situation?

5 comments

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sogen
Check with another shrink.

Important! Don’t go back into CS (failed to interest you the first time), look for different careers.

I’d look into online courses or any cheaper alternative. But, again, avoid CS.

Another degree: it’s achievable, there are many that Have changed careers. Believe in yourself and don’t compare to others.

the_only_law
> I’d look into online courses or any cheaper alternative. But, again, avoid CS.

Unfortunately the only “useful” (i.e. will likely help get you a decent job) degrees offered online are CS degrees. At least in my experience.

user-extended
I don't have any other interests, really. This is why I am thinking of going into CS again. I don't know what else I'd like to do in life. Honestly.

In person-courses in my country are less expensive than online courses, but I'm working atm, which is why I am looking into online college.

Also, most other degrees don't have the same employability as CS.

sarcasmatwork
>(people my age, 23, already have masters in very respected fields).

Don't compare yourself to others. Its never a good idea.

Please get out of the mind set that you must go to college for this. You don't need to take out huge loans and be stuck in a class for a cs degree.

You can learn the skills for free and with your time.

Pick a project and start learning how to make it happen.

Free Harvard courses. https://pll.harvard.edu/subject/computer-science

Free MIT courses. https://ocw.mit.edu/search/

user-extended
I wouldn't be taking out huge loans for this, thankfully. I have a full-time job, and could pay for the degree without hurting my pocket "that much". What I am more scared of failing again, wasting so much money for nothing.

I have already looked into online "alternatives". However, it feels like getting accredited makes so much more sense.

I know that comparison is the thief of joy, but it's hard to have friends when most of them are more successful than you are.