30+ years experiance. Focused on C# since 2001. My day job is C#, Web/Win, and MS Dynamics. I also work on a few side projects with AI/ML, mostly around compilers and coding tools.
I think what most people fail to understanding is the value of time. Bootcamps may expose you to a lot of things but they are rushed and much of what you learn is lost if you do not use it. A degree is in many ways similar but investing in your education over 4, 5, or more years gives you a depth you cannot gain any other way. The breadth of knowledge and experiance from a degree has signicant value over bootcamps. Work experiance is similar but your breath of experiance tends to be much narrower. My point is that your width and depth of knowledge gained with each is much different. Each has value, but neither will make you a great programmer.
What will make you a great programmer is being smart, having solid problem-solving skills, and having a passion to learn and a desire to excel. Add to that years of experience working with great programmers that can mentor you.
I’ve been writing code since I was in the 6th grade and got my first job when I was 18 writing LISP in 1991 (Google says my $35K job in ‘91 equates to $78K today… not bad for an 18 year old). That was 30-years ago. During that time, I’ve earned a handful of degrees and invested over 350 semester hours in college, about 12-years if you do the math. I have completed dozens of non-credit training classes, bootcamps, and recently a post-grad program in AI. And even at 49, I am considering doing an MS degree in AI as well. Why do I waste all this time? Well, I think I have a passion for learning but fundamentally it is because I want to be the best I can at what I am doing, and of course the jobs I've had drove much of it.
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I think what most people fail to understanding is the value of time. Bootcamps may expose you to a lot of things but they are rushed and much of what you learn is lost if you do not use it. A degree is in many ways similar but investing in your education over 4, 5, or more years gives you a depth you cannot gain any other way. The breadth of knowledge and experiance from a degree has signicant value over bootcamps. Work experiance is similar but your breath of experiance tends to be much narrower. My point is that your width and depth of knowledge gained with each is much different. Each has value, but neither will make you a great programmer.
What will make you a great programmer is being smart, having solid problem-solving skills, and having a passion to learn and a desire to excel. Add to that years of experience working with great programmers that can mentor you.
I’ve been writing code since I was in the 6th grade and got my first job when I was 18 writing LISP in 1991 (Google says my $35K job in ‘91 equates to $78K today… not bad for an 18 year old). That was 30-years ago. During that time, I’ve earned a handful of degrees and invested over 350 semester hours in college, about 12-years if you do the math. I have completed dozens of non-credit training classes, bootcamps, and recently a post-grad program in AI. And even at 49, I am considering doing an MS degree in AI as well. Why do I waste all this time? Well, I think I have a passion for learning but fundamentally it is because I want to be the best I can at what I am doing, and of course the jobs I've had drove much of it.