Going up the Educational Ladder. Is it worth it?

Going through life at the university has taught me quite a lot of things, and it has been eye-opening. And especially with what I studied, I have come to realize that its not all about going to lectures and getting the best grades.

It was originally my plan to study computer science, and so this degree is something I am so grateful for. Thanks to the people I met in school, they exposed me to the practical aspects of the tech world. In level 100, I started watching tutorials on website development, and I was doing well. I probably would have been a pro by now if I hadn't gotten lazy.

And so while most of my colleagues were trying to get to all their lectures and make the grades, I was trying to decide if these lectures were even worth it. They are actually worth it because I wouldn't have graduated if I didn't get the grades😂.

Again, thanks to the people I met, I got to participate in activities that exposed me to so many different areas.

Images from my departmental gallery

I was chosen to participate in a couple of hackathons, and it was during one of them that I discovered data science and artificial intelligence, and I’ve been in love since. When I started web development, I didn’t think there was anything better. But AI came along, and I forgot all about it.

Just yesterday, I made peace with the fact that I don’t need to further my education. Not like I'm canceling it out totally, but I feel I would be fine without it. My main reason is that I think I can learn all I need without having to sit in another classroom. There are so many online courses I am taking to improve and give a certification to the skills I have, which makes me feel like it's almost the same thing when I choose to do a master's in, say, ‘data science’. It got me thinking that if I end up doing my master's, it’s probably for the experience and exposure.

With a computer science degree, I would choose a master's in artificial intelligence. Earlier, I could only think of data science, but like I said, I think I am already learning what it entails, and especially with where I work now, I have the opportunity to get industry experience in that field. But I believe AI is a much broader space, and I look forward to exploring it.

One thing I am sure of is that, with or without a higher degree, I would still be able to do the things I want to do. I can still work in the space I want to. I think this is an advantage in tech. For other programs, you would need a higher degree or something to advance in them, but for a tech job, you can just teach yourself all you need to know from YouTube or one of these online study platforms, build a couple of projects, and you are ready to be out there.

So getting a higher degree is really not a priority for me right now. If I have the opportunity, I will take it, and if I don't, it won’t make my life any less. There are so many other ways I can go around to get to where I want to be.