[OT] graduate school

[Jonathan Ellis]

On 3/26/08, Nathan <kemotaha at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am really going to have to disagree with the majority of people that
>  assume that a Master's degree is worthless.  It isn't.  It might be
>  harder right out of graduate school, if you didn't work during that
>  time.  I have worked full-time while in graduate school, so I have an
>  edge up on everyone else that graduated with me.  It is a tie breaker.
>  If I am going for a job with someone else with similar experience, I am
>  going to have a better chance because I have the more advanced degree.

Other things being equal, that's probably true.

But there are other tie breakers.  I'd take the guy who spent 20h/wk
for 4 years making a name for himself in OSS, or the guy who spent
that time just writing something he thought was cool, over the guy
with a MS degree, for instance.  In other words, opportunity cost is
everything.

(And in the more common case you mention -- "everyone else that
graduated with me" that went to school full time -- I'd take the guy
with two years of on-the-job experience over the guy with two extra
years of school.)

Not hating on your degree; just pointing out that for CS at least,
improved employability is a poor reason to get one.

-Jonathan