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I was in a similar situation as you and decided to leave my banking job of 5 years to study computer science full time. Now I am so glad I did. You might be able to hack something together in your spare time, but unless you really understand what's going on then you won't know what to do when it breaks. Taking the time to learn is as much a risk management strategy as it is a means to an end.

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Wow man that's some dedication and big risk taking! How long did it take you to learn CS full time for?

I actually saw staying in my current position as the riskier option. Sometimes staying put is the riskiest thing you can do. I am about 3 months into my studies. I started with the MIT Intro to Programming with Python course, Stanford's Intro to CS with Java course, and Harvard's CS75/CS50 Course. These are all online and free. I am also enrolled in a discrete math class and an advanced programming fundamentals course a local university. Additionally, I am learning Django and working on a web app. I find this makes me much more engaged along the way. To answer your question, I haven't 'learned CS', but I am much more comfortable than I was three months ago. I expect it to be like that forever.

”Sometimes staying put is the riskiest thing you can do“ - thumbs up!

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