Do you need a higher education in IT?

The rapid development of the IT industry has turned the world upside down. Just yesterday, ambitious people dreamed of starring in Hollywood films, catching dangerous criminals, leading giant corporations and receiving Michelin stars. What are they dreaming about today? That's right, everyone wants to work in IT.

But what about people who want to get into IT, but do not have an IT education? Is it worth going to university or can you limit yourself to the knowledge provided in online courses? I asked my friends what they thought about higher education in IT. And what I heard completely confused me.

Vladislav, student

“As a human being, who completes the first year in Applied Computer Science, he is forced to acknowledge the decline of higher education. Most of the teachers are over 60 years old, and the curriculum is from the early 2000s.

I read a lot about how the value of a university is in basic knowledge. As a result, this basic knowledge is practically absent. If Pascal or C/C++ can be considered a base, then okay. But what prevents you from learning the same thing on the Internet? The pace is approximately the following: a month of self-study is equal to a semester at university.

If you want a crust, it’s better to enroll as a correspondence student/distance student at a mediocre university. There you can get a diploma and do nothing.”

Victoria, online course student

“I received an IT education 15 years ago, but I never worked a day in my specialty. I’m currently taking an online course on Python and I must say that it’s much easier for me than for people who do not have an education. What are the girls worth who squeal in the chat: “They promised me that mathematics is not needed to become an IT specialist!”

Imagine, 15 years later my brain remembered the technical terms and I feel at ease. It would seem that I studied in a paid department, my academic performance was no different, but it works. Marvelous!”

Maxim, Middle Flutter Developer

“Listen, if such giants as Google and Yandex have canceled the tower requirements, then what can we say about the rest? I believe that the education system has discredited itself. Who will wipe their pants at the university if they can work without it?

I don’t have a specialized tower and this doesn’t interfere with my work. If I need something, I Google it. As a last resort, you can always take a course on the required technology. And there is no need to spend four years on some outdated Pascal. Let all remnants remain in the past.”

Sergey, Chief technical officer

“A developer with a college degree thinks completely differently than a developer with an online course. Of course, anyone can design a UI or make a request. You don't need any special intelligence here. But if the task is a little more difficult than usual, then you immediately feel the abyss. A developer with an education thinks more broadly and can apply knowledge from a related field. What can a developer do with courses? Find a tutorial from the Indians?

If we talk about our company, then most of our guys are without a tower. To avoid problems, we give them standard projects that do not require serious qualifications. All the difficult tasks fall on those with the tower. For this they receive 20-30% more.”

Analyzing the answers of my respondents, I came to the conclusion that there is no magic pill. Higher education, as well as online courses, do not provide comprehensive knowledge for a successful career. Whether you like it or not, you will have to educate yourself. At first, this process goes with a creak, but then you get involved and can’t stop.

PS If you liked the article, I invite you to my channel Mom, I'm a IT guy. There you can find job tips, training programs and other people's stories.