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Do you need college for that, though? I don't have one and still know how to implement a double-linked list, trees, tries, hash maps and what to test for when implementing binary search[^1]. Just keep your eyes open.

[^1]: https://blog.research.google/2006/06/extra-extra-read-all-ab...

If anything, I miss the linear algebra drills the most.



I was a self taught programmer for close to a decade before going back for a degree and I’ve been working for almost a decade since finishing.

Unlike self teaching, a degree forces you to learn the boring bits as well as the interesting stuff. When I was self taught, I’d flitter around and pick up fun pieces here and there, but with no real focus.

Some people are disciplined enough to teach themselves the equivalent of a 4 year CS degree. Most are not.

And there are people I’ve worked with, without degrees who are far better programmers than I am. But they still tended to have some gaps. I’m fairly certain they’d be even better with a degree.


if you learn the same material, then obviously no. there are open source cs degrees and by nature everything is accessible online.

but you're almost guaranteed to encounter DS&A courses in college which gives you a base level of understanding.

someone self-taught might not.




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