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Comment by sillysaurus3 | Hacker News Reader

Since he's a part time webdev, I'm not sure there's any way this could be true for his situation. Besides, aid and loans were made for that.

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I'm a full time developer now actually. But yes you are right, money was not holding me back from attending college.

It makes sense if you can gather the skills necessary previously to start working a developer right out of mandated schooling. If you continue on your current path, you'll have 4+ years of developer experience and a network of business professionals for finding your next gig should you need it.

And who knows, maybe you'll make good money for four or five years as a developer, and then decide that you'd rather be an accountant, or lawyer, or do something else professionally - and go to school for that thing. And if you do, you'll be the prime candidate wherever you go - because when you combine the developer skill set with another industry skill set, it is like having cheat-mode enabled.

One of the big posts up top talks about the network OP will miss out without college.

Let's analyze.

Which dev will be more experienced: 4 years of full time dev work or fresh out of college?

Who will be more financially stable?

Who will have a larger network in the valley?

Who will be more employable?

Who will be earning more exactly four years from now?

Which one will have less debt?

Which one would perhaps even have savings?

It's past the time I can edit my comment, but I agree with your post (you've basically stated what I attempted to, in a much clearer fashion.)

4 years of full time dev work is far more valuable career wise than the average 4 years of college.

He could do a rough cost benefit analysis. The break-even time could be very long, considering opportunity cost. Also college could be like prison when you're self-taught.

I am a self directed learner and school has always felt like a prison to me.

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