What is college?

[Dr_Pleeper]

I'm currently 15 and I'm about start taking college classes.  I want to get a masters in computer science and become a Hardware Engineer/Oracle DBA.  Hoping that with a decent degree I will be able to get a pretty decent salary starting off.

 

 

[Stigs]

23 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

The thing about College is that, it's not about the fact that you can learn much of it on your own for free. It's about being desirable to employees.

 

If you're applying for a job, and you're self taught (regardless of skill level), and the next person is otherwise the same, but has the degree, they'll get the job over you.

 

Most companies won't even give you an interview without the relevant college qualifications. It is possible to get through most industries without a degree, if you have on-the-job equivalent experience that proves you're still an expert - but that's ridiculously difficult, and the opportunities are far less. Only a tiny tiny tiny amount of people are able to get through like this - and they're usually older people who were at the forefront of said industry before college qualifications were a thing for it.

^ This.

 

This is my second semester in college, and a few of my classes between the two semesters have felt like a waste of time, but it is necessary in order to get my degree.  I'm currently taking classes for a degree in engineering, and some are very difficult and extremely stressful, but then I'll have classes that you can get an A in without even lifting a finger.

So no, it's not a waste of time or money (maybe a class or two here or there is) but it is necessary if you want a potential employer to take you seriously.  College can also bring you many experiences (either from classes, from living on campus, etc.) that you may not have had the possibility to gain otherwise.