Hello guys, my name is Andrei and i would like to hear what you think about a life changing decision that i am considering in making.
TL:DR;
Currently i am a civil engineering student at a local college in my town, here in Brazil, i am starting this semester the seventh period (there are ten). I am thinking about dropping out and starting the Computer science program at the University of People, Should i do this? , another option would be to finish C.E then get a master’s in C.S at Georgia tech( OMS CS program).
Well let me give a little more background. First i have always dreamed of pursuing the tech area, more specifically programming, last year i started to study web development and found out that i absolutely love it.
I chose to study civil engineering because here in my town they didn’t offer Computer Science therefore civil e. was my second option since i had to start college due to social pressures .
Since i found out my passion i started to study and realize how much a C.S. foundation would help me in this process. Also the fact that i have two more years of C.E. is hammering my head because i feel like i am going to study things that won’t be of any use for me anymore because i have already finished all the core physics and math which we study in engineering and now we are just gonna learn specific things of the civil engineering area.
some concerns that i had was about the University of People but since i found out that they received accreditation i am less worried now, in any case after i finish UoP i probably will pursue a master at Georgia Tech (OMS CS program).
I am considering UoP because of financial matters, for me its the best quality with the best price available to me right now.
Hey buddy. I’m a production Engineer that changed careers into programming. Your decision is already made, can you see it?
Go for it and don’t look back.
I’m from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Graduated in production engineering in december 2015 and in january 2016 I’ve started an internship programming at a startup. Knowadays I work fulltime as a programmer and planning to found my own development company.
Hugs,
Gabriel
I can’t speak to University of People specifically, but I do wonder if it’s possible to transfer to another university that has a CS program? You could probably graduate close to on time because of the overlap between CE an CS.
I don’t know anything about the cost or availability of education in Brazil. I just thought I’d ask.
well there are free schools called federal school which you have to pass a like SAT exam and get selected, it isnt so easy but its possible to do so, my dilemma is that for me to transfer i would have to move to another city and that is something that im not ready to do for multiple reasons. In my city there is no offer of C.S.
My opinion is that you should take the freecodecamp curriculum and stick to it, even better when you join the #100daysOfCode to motivate you into a strict 100 days of learning and also you should take a look at this from @QuincyLarson (Very informative and i think it relates to you)
https://www.quora.com/Who-is-more-hirable-someone-with-3-years-of-work-experience-and-no-degree-or-someone-with-a-degree-and-an-internship-experience
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thanks for comment but im doing that too = ) ,
My doubt is if i should continue wasting my time with Civil Engineering if im decided to work with development
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My humble advice is finish your civil engineering degree unless you could switch to a Computer Science or Software Engineering major without requiring extra time to finish your undergrad degree.
You don’t need a CS or SE degree specifically if you can demonstrate coding ability in an interview.
University of the People is promising, but it is still unproven imho. I would definitely dig in to understand their employment statistics before I enrolled.
As for getting a master’s degree (which is usually unnecessary and doesn’t significantly boost earnings) GA Tech’s online program is excellent and I’ve met several people who went through it. Again, it’s not necessary for an entry-level job and I would recommend doing it only after you are already working (you might even get your employer to pay for it).
As Mr. T says - “don’t be a fool - stay in school.” While that is simplistic advice, I think it’s the right thing 99% of the time.
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Well, knolage worth a lot. So, i think that the broad question here is, do you really like civil engineering? because since you already think you are wasting your time on it ( and time is precious) i think the time will be wasted if you don’t finish it.
Why not truying and using fcc for x amount of hours a week untill you finish Civil Engineering; maybe you could create the next awesome app for Civil Engineering since you would know how to also code?!
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Oh, probably a half dozen times during my undergrad… I wanted to drop out or change majors. I’d say finish it if you can. Want to see who’s gonna be the most employable Civil Engineer in the coming years? You!
All STEM jobs will require coding knowledge in the coming year. And you will have that as an advantage. As well, unlike some coding only coders, you will start to understand the pain points and the needs of an industry that (I guarantee you) is in desperate need of automating some processes.
Find the problems, figure out solutions and code them. your journey is only just starting!
(I am a Mech Eng BTW and worked in sound and radio electronics, safety compliance, PMing, BAing and now QAing in EHR (healthcare software). )
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Hi @AndreiCalazans, I went and got my degree in Mining Engineering, and at around the same time in University I had very similar feelings about my degree.
Something my dad told me really stuck with me. He said “Let your degree be plan B”. His point being was I had so much invested in the degree already and it’s not like it was going to hurt having an engineering degree. More than anything it showcases that you can solve complex problems and that you can think like an engineer.
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thank you so much everyone for commenting , now I’m feeling a lot more confident in continuing civil engineering.
