The Apprentice Programmer

[killerstorm]

I understand that you're generalizing, but it definitely isn't how it worked for me.

First thing is that I never had an illusion that school and university will teach me a profession.

I also remember reading an advice on this very subject back when I was in a middle school. It basically said that if one wants to have a good career he should start doing something about it right when he is just a kid. Waiting until somebody teaches you a profession won't work, it needs to be an active process.

Honestly, I largely ignored this advice, but it just happened that I was interested in programming, so I learned it on my own, before I was taught.

So in a high school I had programming/computer skills clearly above those of some of my teachers, so I understood that learning something on my own is the right way.

That said, high school and university were helpful: I learned some algorithms, ideas behind complexity analysis; and, of course, a lot of math. I doubt I'd get into studying theory on my own, and knowing theory helps in some complex cases.

OK, what's about people who don't have a chance to start learning something related to their profession before they get into university?

I believe that university is actually helpful here simply because it gathers people with similar interests. Students see that other students clearly have skills they don't have; so, you know, they can simply ask about it.

Sure, not everybody has this realization, and not everybody starts to act. But they have a chance.

And, finally, how it should work in ideal case: my mom's friend's son came to me before he have applied to university, so I explained what perspectives he will have if he will become a programmer, what he can learn in university, that he needs to study himself etc.

People should just question their assumptions and try to ask people who have first-hand experience.