[ILUG] College

[John Allen]

Mark Fallon wrote:

> John Allen wrote:
> >
> > Mark Fallon wrote:
> >
> > > Justin MacCarthy wrote:
> > > >
> > > > As a matter of interest... How many people on this list have CS related
> > > > degrees/ diplomas???
> > > >
> > > > I started a City & Guild dip in C on unix, but the college I was in shut
> > > > down (Advanced Technology College). I knew everything++ on the course but
> > > > was doing it to get the paper.
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, do many of you find that a Dip/Degree is prerequisite  for  Jobs?
> > > >
> > > > Justin MacCarthy
> > > > XML HTML cgi bash
> > > >
> > > > >>Do you know what a computer is?  No?  Then you start college early, buddy.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > Well I have an BA.Mod and a MSc, both in computer science
> > > and no I could not do my job without at least the Bachelor's
> > > degree.
> > >
> >
> > Elucidate please, what would prevent you from doing your job
> > without at least a BS.
> >
> > I failed the Leaving Cert, never went to College, yet am capable
> > of developing using many languages, and on many platforms.
> >
> > College can't teach you anything you can't teach yourself.
> >
>
> Here we go again. I seem to remember comments on this
> list before about you do not need College to learn programming
> and that going to college for four years was a waste etc.
>
> I need the following information for my job:
>
> In depth knowledge of the Unix Operating System
> Program and coding design
> Distributed systems
> Parallel systems
> Databases
>
> Could I have learnt all this from reading books and hacking
> Linux, maybe, would I have same knowledge probably not.

Yes you might have more, or less knowledge, who knows?

>
> It is not enough just to read all this, it helps to have it
> in context, it is not enough to just know the "how" it is
> also important to know the "why".
>

Agreed, but why does college put all this in context,
and are you saying that teaching yourself means that
you won't learn why?

>
> I am much better at my job for going to College and because of
> it I find it much easier to pick up new technologies and

I find it really, really easy to pick up new technologies etc....,
and I doubt the going to college would have made me better,
or worse for that matter.

>
> techniques. I was also exposured to a much wider range of areas
> which means I can use techniques from one and apply them to another
> which means my problem solving is better.
>

Maybe you wre or weren't exposed to a wider range of technologies,
how can you tell, you did not have the non-college experience in
parallel with the college one.

Unless you were also living in a parallel non-college universe you
cannot possibly make that assumption.

>
> Also when going through college I got lots of experience
> presenting technical subjects to peers which helps with my job.
>

I do this also, and have always done, it's what makes you a good
person.

>
> Mark
>

College is no substitute for intelligence ;-)

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