I'm in my last year of high school, and I've been looking at colleges. I'm taking a C++ class at a local community college and I don't feel that it's worth it. I could have learned everything in that class in a week.
This had me thinking, would a CS degree even be worth it? How much can it teach me if I can learn everything on my own? Even if I do need to learn more advanced subjects, many colleges put their material online AND I can buy a book. Will companies hire me if I don't have a CS degree? If I have a portfolio will I stand a chance? What kind of things are needed in the portfolio?
I want to live doing what I love - programming. So I will do it. I'm just not sure that a CS degree will do anything to me. In addition, if there is a benefit to getting a CS degree, what places are the best?
Answer
As a burned-out, bitter, and cynical programmer with >10 years in the industry, this would be my advice:
Don't plan on games as a long-term career.
Plan to do it for a few years, get it out of your system. But plan for a more sensible career longer-term, and don't leave it too late to make that change
You might manage 5-10 years in the industry, then you'll realise that there's not much long term future in being made redundant every 1-2 years, and crunching like crazy to buy the higher-ups supercars whilst barely seeing any pay rises, let alone bonuses.
Also, the industry changes at quite a pace. When I was at high school age, it was all about the Amiga, 16-bit consoles, and 2D games. By the time I came out of university, it was all about 3D and Playstations. These days, the 'big games' industry is in a worse state than ever, can't see it lasting many more years as things are. But we have a resurgence in bedroom coding/indie development, and new opportunities in mobile devices and web-based platforms.
Change can be exciting, but generally change means layoffs. Layoffs force salaries down. Changing job means relocating... Most people can't keep doing it for all that long...
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