A 16-year-old schoolgirl, interested in programming and planning to develop in the IT field, asked the IT experts at Threads which path she should choose: courses or a university with a classical academic education. What do experienced IT experts advise?
A 16-year-old schoolgirl, interested in programming and planning to develop in the IT field, asked the IT experts at Threads which path she should choose: courses or a university with a classical academic education. What do experienced IT experts advise?
«I need advice from seniors. I’m 16, I’m studying web development (I have basic knowledge), and I also have a good level of English. I would like to develop in IT. And the question is, do I need to enter a university or is it better to take online courses? I’m also interested in developing in this field and entering a university, what specialty is better to choose? I would be grateful for any advice!» asked a user with the nickname olexandra101 .
In response, IT people poured in a whole bunch of useful tips. We selected the most interesting ones.
«You can get an education later, by approaching the issue more consciously. This is a purely post-Soviet trick — to run away from school to university right away. If you have the opportunity now — look for an internship in product companies. Access to real code and practices is more important than a salary. And yes, no outsourcing, gambling or betting. Yes, there is money there, but it will ruin your resume. There will be money, but later,» advises Denys Sudilkovsky, brand and business director of LUN.
«I advise you to enter a university to get the base that is not given in the courses. But after the 1st-2nd year, look for a part-time job to gain commercial experience. Your future is in your hands,» noted the IT professional with the nickname ireally.needit.
Developer David with the nickname maerd_tsedlo_eht notes the following: «Here I see that a lot of people advise the university, I won’t argue with this, I’ll give you this advice. If you go to any of the 120 specialties, you need to know mathematics and physics very well (the latter is not available everywhere, but you can check this in the curricula). And you need to know it well not at the school level, but to prepare in advance. You can ask first-year students to leave you lectures and textbooks on mathematics, mathematical analysis, when there are holidays, study in advance, at least a little. This is what will help you in the university.»
« Go to university. Don’t listen to those who say that AI will replace everyone. If a hammer replaces a person, then even without it, he would be a so-so specialist. No one prevents you from taking courses in parallel. Look towards ZhDTU, there is very strong IT training there,» advises Serhiy Babich, a labor worker with many years of experience.
«5 years ago I would have said that courses are better. Now I will say that if there is time, university is better. Any engineering specialty is somehow related to programming. And it’s not only about knowledge, but also about the certificate itself, because it gives greater opportunities during relocation, and is the first line of screening candidates (of two candidates with the same experience, the candidate with education has more chances, and when there are many candidates, those without education are often screened out right away). But we must remember that most knowledge is obtained outside of university,» emphasized the user with the nickname kroshmelot .
The developer with the nickname briertea advises a part-time form of education. «I would say right now — a technical or „near-technical“ university, part-time (while such an option exists). In parallel — courses, a portfolio and a search for internships/jobs. This way, there is an opportunity to get a job and already have an education, and not be a lost soul after graduating from university. I chose a job at one time, now I’m catching up, but I feel that such decisions are narrowing down the possibilities right now, especially when it comes to potential relocation (although I personally don’t regret anything),» she notes.
« There are open courses on the Internet from top universities in the world, such as Harvard, where you can go through the basics. To determine the direction, I would focus on several factors: ai proof (i.e., low probability of being completely replaced by automation) and a high entry threshold (more chances of landing an entry-level position). To do this, you need to study the market and its requirements. And so that the direction arouses interest — because without this it will be even more difficult,» advises IT expert oleksandr_rabchuk. In his opinion, the benefit of the university is only in the network and fundamental knowledge. Therefore, the specialist is convinced, spending four years studying at a university now without guarantees that it will be high-quality and that the teachers will ignite a thirst for knowledge is very risky.
«It’s better to start with a university engineering base + acquaintances + stress resistance skills and tight deadlines + optimal solutions. Lviv University has the Internet of Things, KPI provides a good base for programming, or Knuba with production automation. Courses can be taken in parallel with university. IMHO, it is optimal to choose a similar specialty so that in the future you can have a «backup airfield,» notes a user with the nickname marine.jewerly.
More tips here.
