tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9977765.post111151656316217214..comments2023-04-03T05:54:25.463-04:00Comments on Pass The Potatoes: Higher EducationRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18199256286484810951noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9977765.post-1112152180188979392005-03-29T22:09:00.000-05:002005-03-29T22:09:00.000-05:00>> So, my thoughts on higher education. In > a nut...><BR/>> So, my thoughts on higher education. In <BR/>> a nutshell, it has it's place but it <BR/>> isn't the only way to do it anymore.<BR/>><BR/><BR/>I'm not sure it ever really was the only way ;). I think the academia/industry dichotomy has pretty much always existed, and some folks fall on one side, some fall on the other, and some straddle it. I'm inclined to agree with the above (Jamie). I've never been much of a theorist, but I don't regret my education in the least. Occasionally, while I'm working out a problem, I do find that it helps me out.<BR/><BR/>You have this uncany knack of picking up complex ideas -- or at least enough to get you by -- by picking peoples' brains for a little while, and by asking the right questions. I don't have that (you bastard), or at least it doesn't come as easily to me, so when I'm in a situation like that I often fall back on my "formal" education.<BR/><BR/>I, too, have worked with plenty of people with an M.S. in computer science who couldn't produce a working product if their lives depended on it. I think there are a couple of different reasons for it, but you seem to be tackling one in particular (w/re: F-22 project). For some people, that's just not their focus. They exist in the world of academic research where you're paid by grants which are awarded because you publish interesting research (which need not yield a marketable product). There's nothing wrong with that. It's just a different universe than that of industry. Different incentives. Different economics. The problems come in when you're trying to produce a real product and someone from that universe is blocking you from doing so -- usually because he's been given some authority that he shouldn't have or because the person directly above both of you succumbs to the mental masturbation. That pisses me off to no end, and as much as I want to hate this other individual, he's not the one I hold responsibe. It's the manager's job to focus and see the big picture, and s/he has dropped the ball.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01240844653377297128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9977765.post-1111525893579909162005-03-22T16:11:00.000-05:002005-03-22T16:11:00.000-05:00First, welcome back! As with many ambitions, the ...First, welcome back! As with many ambitions, the blogging momentum has died down considerably in recent weeks, but I think if we all commit to something realistic, like updating once a week, we'll still accomplish the original goal of keeping in touch better than we had before. Second, a minor correction to your post: you were the second to leave FSU, I was the third. Part of my departure was related to you and Kris having left and Telemeco having joined a fraternity and thus becoming too cool to hang out with me. Plus, I had a girlfriend in Baltimore and, as you point out, their computer science program wasn't very good (although I was only minoring in CS at the time, but that's a whole other can of worms).<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I believe the key ingredients to a successful career are education and experience. Education need not be a formal college one, but it surely helps and opens a lot of doors. In a more structured work environment, it can shave years off of the requirements to be promoted to the next level. But, having a degree on paper is worthless if you don't know what you're doing. We've all encountered the types of people you mention, those that have multiple degrees but no clue. You've been pretty lucky without a college degree, and I think it suits you. After all, you've always been more of a risk-taker and adventurer. I prefer more structure, so I've invested a lot in formal education, but I also make sure I'm in touch with the practical, not just the theoretical. School helps you to learn the basics, but in the programming world, there is no substitute for hands-on experience!Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06629261705118815208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9977765.post-1111519480627566902005-03-22T14:24:00.000-05:002005-03-22T14:24:00.000-05:00SATs. I stunk. But with the ACTs, I kicked ass. ...SATs. I stunk. But with the ACTs, I kicked ass. I think it measures two different types of intellegence. SATs measures retained knowledge - facts and figures, that kinda thing. The ACTs measure applied knowledge. I've always been better at applying concepts then memorizing details. It shows very clearly in my work.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18199256286484810951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9977765.post-1111517648840996322005-03-22T13:54:00.000-05:002005-03-22T13:54:00.000-05:00My dad always told me: Never let education stand i...My dad always told me: Never let education stand in the way of learning something. Solid advice from someone who has a drgee in one field but does just about everything else.<BR/><BR/>I have a Master's Degree and I freely tell people that the only useful thing that I learned in grad school was how to drink tequila. I needed a degree to get my current job, but everything you need to know they teach you here.<BR/><BR/>It's kinda like the SATs. If you don't take them or do badly on them, people assume that you're stupid. While it could mean that you're stupid, it usually just means that you're not well motivated or don't take tests well (or at all).Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02186296729309394924noreply@blogger.com