HACKER Q&A
📣 throwaway19123

Should I drop out for an online CS degree?


My current university is less than challenging and has a lot of Mickey Mouse courses that teach buzzwords like AI and integrated data platforms (in the first semester!) without actually talking about implementation or even the theory behind them. I don’t think I’ll get a lot of value in the next few years.

I have the option of starting the BSc Computer Science program by the University of London partnered with Coursera. The curriculum seems more standard and the online delivery will free up a lot of time for self study.

Will the choice of either matter in the long run? Is it worth taking the gamble of an online degree with the potential payoff of learning much more?

  👤 ThrowawayR2 Accepted Answer ✓
That really depends. If you think you want to pursue a career track that is going to requires you to learn CS well (FAANG job or a specialization like DSP or data science), then it's a good investment. If you plan to be just an run-of-the-mill frontend or backend web dev, the consensus on HN seems to be that the quality of your education won't matter much one way or another.