Ask HN: I'm 28yo. Should I start college now, or get real world experience?
I want to work in software development. I know enough to build a good portfolio that will showcase my skills through practice projects. But I have no real-world experience in the field.
I can either start college now, and be 32 when I graduate. Or build my portfolio and look for work. Most of my tuition costs would be covered through grants, but it would still cost me 4 years of my time.
What do you think? Would it be difficult for me to find work without a degree? I would like to eventually work at interesting companies like Uber, Airbnb, Spotify etc. I've emails developers from many of these companies to ask for their advice and I received a lot of mix opinions.
I can either start college now, and be 32 when I graduate. Or build my portfolio and look for work. Most of my tuition costs would be covered through grants, but it would still cost me 4 years of my time.
What do you think? Would it be difficult for me to find work without a degree? I would like to eventually work at interesting companies like Uber, Airbnb, Spotify etc. I've emails developers from many of these companies to ask for their advice and I received a lot of mix opinions.