[ale] Little OT: Blind Future: Advise Wanted

[Stephen J. Pellicer]

It's refreshing to see public support of the decision to go to school. I've
noticed a growing backlash to traditional education in the technical world.
Luckily a stock market bubble burst has shut a lot of that backlash right
the hell up. Talking to technical folks, I often do not offer up that I have
a degree unless they ask. It's not that I'm embarrassed about my degree.
There can be a significant amount of push back from clients if they are not
of the "traditional education" school of thought. I'm glad to see the level
of vocal support for these traditional paths in education on the list.

I would recommend choosing the path that fits with your learning style. The
suggestion on the list for military is an excellent addition to your list of
choices. In the end, do something significant for a few years before
entering the work force. Military, college, joining a shaolin temple, or
whatever. Learning on the job is doable, but it takes a lot more work to
build up the peripheral skills necessary for a successful career. If you
have the means to choose one of these paths, take advantage of it. If you
have to go into debt, be careful with it. You have a lot of options if you
can exit your choice of education debt-free.

My two cents,
Stephen Pellicer

disclosure: I got a BS in CS at the University of Georgia, I have no
military experience, but know a lot of folks who do, I've been working in
network security for about 5 years since I graduated from college. People
tell me I know my shit.

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