Ask HN: Difficulties with going back to school

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Motivations and Doubts

  • OP is an experienced software developer without a degree, drawn to mechanical/electrical engineering and also considering CS “just to have a degree.”
  • Several commenters say the real barrier is giving oneself permission to change life direction, not logistics; others counter that money and time are huge, legitimate constraints.
  • Some see this as more about wanting a break from software or a sense of completion/validation than about specific career needs.

Cost, Geography, and Financing Paths

  • In the US, $80k total for a public bachelor’s is seen as high but plausible; others point to much cheaper routes:
    • Community college + transfer to a state school (often with articulation/guaranteed-admission agreements).
    • Free or heavily subsidized options in some places (e.g., Massachusetts CC, some EU countries).
    • EU universities (Germany, Netherlands, Nordics, TU Delft, etc.) offer low-cost English-language engineering degrees for EU citizens.
  • Suggestions: employer tuition assistance, working at a university for free tuition, co-op programs, scholarships, grants, CLEP tests, and competency-based programs to shorten time.

Degree vs Self-Study / Online

  • One camp: degrees are overloaded with “BS courses”; better to build a home electronics lab, use MIT OCW, Coursera, etc. Especially if the goal is learning, not credentials.
  • Another camp: general-ed/humanities are valuable for ethics, perspective, and communication; a degree certifies both depth and breadth for employers.
  • Online and distance options discussed: WGU, Open University (UK), US online CS programs, Coursera-based degrees, and open universities in Europe.
  • Some warn: for engineering, lack of structured, hands-on labs and internships can make online-only grads less competitive.

Choosing Field: EE/ME vs CS

  • Multiple people stress EE and ME are very different; OP should get specific about why and what they want to build.
  • Repeated theme: test the waters first—take one or two courses, do hobby projects/embedded work, or follow a real curriculum before committing.
  • Several note EE/ME often pay less than software; switching may mean a long-term salary hit. Whether software salaries will stay high is seen as unclear.

Practical Strategies and Pitfalls

  • Common advice:
    • Knock out math/science/gen-ed at community college (ideally evenings) and transfer carefully, verifying equivalencies yourself.
    • Consider part-time degrees over 5–6 years instead of 4; accept reduced social life and spending.
    • Explore mechatronics/robotics as a software–hardware intersection.
  • Conflicting views on CS for an experienced dev: some say undergrad CS adds little; others argue there’s substantial theoretical material (algorithms, math, systems) most self-taught devs haven’t mastered.

Critiques of Higher Ed Quality

  • Several commenters describe poor teaching, bureaucracy, and “weed-out” course design; one very detailed comment portrays universities as structurally exploitative and designed to fail students.
  • Others report positive experiences as older students, especially when they found supportive professors and tailored pathways.
  • Overall sentiment is mixed: university can be transformative and credentialing, but outcomes are highly dependent on institution quality, program design, and personal situation.