Egregoros

@mirq you don't need a cs degree to code. consider a software engineering associate's if you want some formal training instead. comp sci is meant to give you a broad foundation in the general aspects of computing, like networking, operating systems and how they work under the hood, processors and instruction sets, etc etc

a comp sci degree is a huge commitment to a very specific field. can you see yourself being chained to a desk and staring at a screen for the next 40 years of your life? did you always tinker with gadgets as a kid? are you fascinated by the inner workings of the most mundane and dependable systems? these are all questions you'll have to ask yourself before setting out on that road. not trying to discourage you, just know too many people who'd be happier focusing on other specialities within the IT field (like management or design) who instead slave away in the coding mines hating their jobs

@zonk
>consider a software engineering associate's if you want some formal training instead.
Will do. I know i can learn myself, but I've always been better with some external structure. And I want at least something I can show a prospective employer, since I have 000 other formal tech experience

Mostly mentioned those 2 specifically because of the accelerated programs. Still in the early stages of reviewing my options, so I'm not at all set on it

>can you see yourself being chained to a desk and staring at a screen for the next 40 years of your life?
Eh. But I feel that way about any work
>did you always tinker with gadgets as a kid?
Yes
>are you fascinated by the inner workings of the most mundane and dependable systems?
I used to be before it was ground out of me LOL
>not trying to discourage you
Not at all! Didn't take it that way. I very much appreciate the insight. I don't know anyone even tangentially in tech IRL so I love hearing takes from people actually in it
>who instead slave away in the coding mines hating their jobs
Problem solving can be so fun for me, personally. Doing something someone else told me, making something for someone who is probably an idiot, that stuff isn't fun, sure. But it still involves putting pieces together and seeing what sticks, which does appeal to me

@zonk
>what do you want to get out of it? do you just want to work with computers, or do you have a specific field you wanna get into?
I don't know for sure. The following isn't meant to be a trauma dump because I'm over it, it's just to give context. I'll keep it short
I've never properly thought about what I would want to do as an adult because when I was a teen my parents strongly discouraged each of my interests (art, tech, languages) because they'd already decided I'd be a doctor. Sooo for the longest time all I had in my head was that and/or "I'll just kill myself by 24"
I'm nearly 30 now, with a medical degree I refuse to use, working and entry-level social work job I hate.
I've been tinkering with my home server and Linux stuff here and there, dabbling in scripting (eg I have a pair of bash scripts I wrote handle regular backups for me, or playing with pico8, or trying my hand at python), and I find it fun. It's hard to stick with, as it is with anything for me, but I think this general area is the only one I'd have even a chance of enjoying as career
But I have not yet identified what /specifically/ I'd want to do. It's hard to say.
I think I do enjoy creating something the most. And network stuff the least lol

@mirq that's entirely fair. there's plenty of tech companies in the medical field like epic, i can recommend checking those out due to your existing medical degree giving you a leg up. as for school, keep experimenting and toying with different things. it really is the best way to learn. so many of my comp sci classmates were HORRIBLE at anything computer related because they refused to even do something as simple as playing around with a raspberry pi. you'll get a much better understanding actually writing little scripts that make your life easier or embarking on passion projects like self hosting a pleroma instance imo. yes, you won't understand the deep intricacies of networking, but i feel like that's something you'll only need after you learn all the practical stuff and can move onto the theory

@zonk
>[medtech]
yeah for sure! my hope is that i can get a leg up with them, but i need to actually know my stuff first.
i'm also just not sure that self taught+certs+med degree would be as appealing in today's job market as that + a tech degree of some sort, you know?

>so many of my comp sci classmates were HORRIBLE at anything computer related because they refused to even do something as simple as playing around with a raspberry pi
????? what lmao i couldn't imagine
or i guess i could, since that was me with medicine
ive got a pi zero w and a circuit playground laying around i mess with sometimes. never anything too advanced but still, its fun.

>you'll get a much better understanding actually writing little scripts that make your life easier or embarking on passion projects like self hosting a pleroma instance imo
i def learn the best from doing. getting this instance set up took like a whole day but it was fun, more or less. navigating docs less so, but yknow. fun enough.
but i also do need structure & accountability. i can get structure from pirated udemy courses, at least, lol...

@mirq @phnt the job market is fucked but you kinda have to be a little bit delusional to give yourself that confidence. i still have a bit of impostor syndrome at work, despite literally the entire company's fate resting on my shoulders lmao. but at the end of the day i faked it until i made it. just delude yourself into being confident and eventually it'll manifest 🙏

also 8 grand a year honestly isn't as big of a deal as the time investment of a 4 year bachelor degree, time that you could have been doing other things. but as my favorite gym influencer once said: "the time will pass anyway"