The Internet is all you need. Most of the stuff I’ve learned to do is from the internet. If you really want to learn things, then sitting in classes is very very inefficient. Learning at your own pace, in your own way while working on your own projects is much better. Nobody really argues this. The main argument I get from people is that having a degree is important.

To what Degree?

When I am encouraged to return to education, the emphasis is rarely on the importance of becoming more educated. Instead, everyone just wants me to get a degree. These, very wise, individuals want me to attend an educational institution where teachers and professors conduct classes, deliver lectures, administer exams, and assign homework, all for a piece of paper that says I was there. These people see no inherent value in going to a university. They only value the “doors” that a degree can open. According to their wisdom, I’ll also be working a job for money, doing volunteer work for a resume, talking to people for potential career advancements, buying things for social status, etc. I personally do things for the inherent benefit of doing them. I guess it is not in me to go to an educational institution for something other than education.

If degree is the thing that holds all the importance/value, then why not just buy one? What’s the difference?

Going to University has some benefits

I am not encouraging anyone to drop out of university. In fact, there are several advantages to attending university that are worth considering. If a person does not know what to do with their life, then university is a good place to figure that out (a bit late though). University also provides an enforcing force for studying, assignments, etc. (forcing doesn’t help though). It’s a good place to meet people and make friends. You also get access to a lot of resources and opportunities that you would not have had otherwise (maybe). You also get to interact with people who are experts in their field. You can get these things elsewhere, but university sure makes it easier. Everything else (classes, exams, assignments) is just meh. You are much better off curating an educational experience for yourself.

Understanding Credentials

If you met someone, and they told you that they were good at programming, would you believe them? What would it take for you to believe them? A degree was made to solve this problem. It is a way to prove that you are good at something. When someone shows you a certificate, you believe their competency. A degree is nothing more and nothing less. It is not a requirement. One can prove their competency in many other ways like experience, projects, references, etc. Signaling competence is important when you want to get a job. A degree signals some level of competency; if you have other ways to signal that, then you don’t really need a degree.

I would argue that a university degree is not the best way to signal competence. Almost everyone has one. University rankings are there to differentiate between people who have degrees from different universities. GPA is for differentiating between people who have a degree from the same university. All of these things add noise and make things so messy that in the end, they take interviews and offer internships to figure out who is good and who is not. Compare that to a person who made a product/project that utilizes xyz technology. How hard would it be to figure out if they are good or not? So in the end, what matters is how good you are; all of these things are just proxies made by people like you and me.

FAQs

Q: You’ve done 3 years, why not just get over with it?

A: University hasn’t taught you this. If the last 3 years would go to waste, then so will the next year. Oh no, but once you get a degree, all those years will be worth it.

Q: You think you are the next Mark Zuckerberg?

A: Definitely not, but check out what I made within 6 months of dropping out.

Q: Would you ever go back to university?

A: If someone told me that going there would increase my knowledge, improve my capabilities, make me a better person, then yes.

Q: You won’t be able to do X because you won’t have a degree.

A: No problem. I’ll just buy one. lol. (I am willing to sacrifice some things for this decision as I think it is correct)

Q: I think you are wrong, how do I tell you?

A: Email me at fakhir.ali@finityalpha.com