how useful is a computing degree, honestly

joeconway

joeconway

joeconway

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23 Apr 2007
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Southampton
Just started uni after forcing myself here because i felt like its something i needed to do. however the more time i spend here the less i am enjoying myself and im finding myself in a position where i feel like i could easily walk out; go back to where im from and get a job.

im not going to make any hasty decisions but i feel like i may well be wasting my time here

your thoughts?
 
A degree (in practically most fields) will put you ahead of a decent portion of the workforce, but I feel that for most degrees a masters/phd is required to seriously make you stand out above the rest.
 
i think i could have learnt the majority of what i know on my own/through work, but i wouldnt have got the wide base of knowledge that my degree gave me. Although i suppose that's the same with any computing education

a large part of getting a degree is the time spent away from home, being self sufficient to an extent, it also shows a commitment to bettering yourself(your earning potential) and a real interest in the subject. those are the positives that a future employer could read into you having a degree
 
a degree will get your mpre interviews and a starting pay of about 5k more than non degree.

After 5 years working a degree counts for nothing as its now down to experience.

Plus if your having a student loan this eliminates some of the higher pay benefit.
 
I've no degree, in fact I've no computing qualifications. I've worked in I.T. for 10 years and frankly don't think a degree would help me at all now. Perhaps in the first few years it would have helped me get an interview I would otherwise have been passed over for but not now. Any job with "degree or equivalent" is more or less open to anyone with a few years experience, degree qualified or not.

Sadly for those going to university these days ( I choose not to 14 years ago) everyone has a degree of some kind, you no longer stand out without a masters or PHD and even then there's so many subjects it probably won't apply to your job anyway.

Most employers see degrees as simply a guarantee that the interviewee has a level of intelligence, that's pretty much it.

edit: dont' get me wrong, I'd love to have a degree but sadly I'll probably never manage to do it now I'm working full time. My fiancee is doing her second masters this time with the OU and frankly it's a nightmare when your in full time employment.
 
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Kami said:
Most employers see degrees as simply a guarantee that the interviewee has a level of intelligence, that's pretty much it.
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And that you're self-motivated enough to get through a dissertation, and that you're capable of learning stuff beyond whats force fed to you by the lecturers. I'd say a degree was used more as an indication of potential rather than intelligence.

A degree will open a whole host of opportunities for you - there's a huge graduate job marketplace out there. I'm not saying a degree is for everyone, it sounds like you aren't enjoying yours, but if you were enjoying it I'd advise you to stay put.
 
It'll make it easier getting a job, and you'll be able to work out what you actually want to do while you're doing the course.
 
Almost all the jobs I apply to, people without degrees can't apply to (they're graduate schemes)... don't limit yourself if you don't have to.

The current job I just had 2 interviews for doesnt require a degree, I have no experience but a degree so they gave me 2 interviews... im hoping i got hte job- will find out tomorrow :/
 
Surely experience in plugging in printers and configuring network accounts or whatever else you do aged 18 in an IT job is only worth so much?
 
[TW]Fox;10152173 said:
What about someone with 9 years experience and a degree versus someone with 12 years experience?
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Can't speak for Rotty but for myself at that point it depends on the quality of experience.

[TW]Fox;10152211 said:
Surely experience in plugging in printers and configuring network accounts or whatever else you do aged 18 in an IT job is only worth so much?
Click to expand...

Thats the starting point, and its a fair point, but do you learn more doing that or going out getting smashed every night aged 18 as a Uni student?
 
Degrees are useful to get into graduate jobs, which are the first rung of a ladder which should eventually let you earn decent money.

Burnsy
 
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