Any decent jobs that don't require a degree?

Work, Careers and Money
21

Most jobs I’ve looked into require at least a bachelor’s in computer science, but that’s the very minimum. You also need to have work experience and internships to put on your resume that relate to the job you’re applying for. I know there’s a lot of self-taught programmers who say that a college degree is a waste of time, but they’ve been programming for years (just for FUN), and they’re really self-disciplined. Judging from your posts, it doesn’t sound like you have either of these traits. I feel like higher level CS courses are meant to weed out people who just ‘don’t get it.’ If you aren’t doing good in these (but are still interested in CS), you might want to change your study habits or even retake some lower level classes so that you can build a stronger foundation and see what you missed the first time around.

I’ve found myself going back to this article all the time and following the links to see what things I need to know by the time I graduate. Just going through classes and passing with C’s won’t get you anywhere. This othergood article explains the difference between coders with degrees and without. There’s a lot of good arguments for getting a degree: you 1) learn how to code, 2) learn how to learn new languages, 3) learn a variety of languages, 4) learn how to write, 5) learn how to document, 6) learn important concepts, 7) get a good mathematical foundation, 8) learn about what you’re good at and what you need to work on, and 9) learn what fields you are and are not interested in. A lot of this can come from classes, reading and practicing, and work experience. On top of all these computer-related skills, you’ll also learn everyday skills: how to live on your own, budget money, work in teams, etc.

But what are the arguments for not finishing your degree? There really aren’t any. You might have more free time to waste, or you might get a job in the field you want (but won’t that be really unlikely?) - on top of that, you won’t be able to quit if, for some reason, you don’t like your job (if you don’t have another one). How will you support yourself? How will you make it to a bunch of day-time job interviews?

Anyways, it’s a bad idea to just drop out because you had a bad semester.

22

"Grammar is an essential thing to understand. The same with arithmetic. To put it bluntly, it is silly to think that you can get by in life without being able to write at least decently. Coding may be an essential skill for you to have, but what will you do if you need to write a resume? A business proposal for a loan? A document explaining to others a goal of yours that requires a team effort? Writing ability is a necessary skill to have these days.

No one inherently lacks the ability to maintain great grammar. You might need lots of practice, maybe you need to change how you approach learning instead. I should add: What is grammar except coding language for human understanding? If you can do code, you can do grammar."

Hah – very well put.

Snow Fox, if you’re interested in the computer sciences, then I am guessing that you will have a lot of competion. In which case, you will need to stand out for your abilities, reliability, and attention to detail. Poor writing skills might just tell a potential employer that you lack the first and third of those qualities.

Eiuol is right.

23

A degree opens doors, and is even esential for some careers. Having said that, for many many careers a degree is simply not important.

I ran out of money and had to quit college, bounced around for a few years, started a business - made a lot of money, lost a lot of money, shut that business down and went broke, started anoother business, and am making a damn good living now with a small chain of retail stores.

It sounds trute, but find something that you truly enjoy doing and work your ass off at it. If you love what you are doing, you are far more likely to make a lot of money.