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Discussion on: I'm a veteran UI developer, AMA!

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Rob Kendal {{☕}}

Firstly, I think it's worth putting out there that you absolutely do not need a CS or SE degree to get into development. It's worth saying because I see this on twitter a lot where people are really stressing about not having a CS degree and they'll never get a job. Here in the UK, it's never been a barrier for me or any other developers I know, but it might be different in, say, the States.

That said, doing a CS or SE, or even a maths degress will definitely help you in a number of ways:

Pros

  • Allows for a more formal, structured approach to learning
  • Will open some doors for you that require a formal qualification
  • They're the best way to learn some subjects at a depth that you'll need for the job. For example, 3D graphics or games development
  • You'll learn important, fundamental programming principles, such as SOLID, that you might otherwise miss

Cons

  • It's expensive...like really expensive, wherever you live.
  • You're going to learn a lot of extraneous things that you won't need. For example, I did a computing A-level and learned binary maths, like complex stuff with division and all sorts. I have never ever come close to needing this.
  • It's a longer commitment that can put you slightly further behind your peers who just started developing in, say, JavaScript and React

I'm sure there are many more on each side that I've missed.

However, we've never lived in a better time to start developing and there are tons of routes into the profession; be it books, YouTube, online courses, and awesome resources like Free Code Camp.

I think the key thing is that there is no 'wrong' way in, but it's up to the individual to assess their needs and see if it's right for them.

Full disclosure, I never went to university and don't have a degree. I felt that university wasn't right for me, but a life in the Matrix was :)