Hi Mitt,

Questions:
> 1) Are there many people without degrees in the industry?
>

Most software engineers I know have at least a minor in computer science,
but have at least a BS or BA in some engineering discipline if they don't
have a BS/BA in computer science. I have met a few really proficient
self-taught developers, but they are the exception, and they almost always
had a leg-up from someone else. Every large company I have worked for
required a degree from its software engineers.


> 2) Which companies (just for examples) don't require it?
>

Anyone you can convince to hire you :) I'd go for start-ups and smaller
shops, since the hiring processes there probably won't be so impersonal as
to automatically ignore your application simply for lack of a degree.
Smaller shops will ask to see a portfolio of previous work (like the stuff
on your github), or ask you to do a small week-long project with some of
the other employees in order to judge how proficient you are when you're in
your element.


> 3) Are there any hobbyists around here, that earn some money from
> coding?
>
> From what I've heard, universities here teach something that is
> obsolete and is not used anymore, or simply don't teach what we do
> here (Unix, administration, hardware...).
>

I've had experiences writing software both with and without a formal
education. I'm of the opinion that if you go to university in order to
acquire a formal background in computer science, then it's worth every
penny. This is because a formal background helps you understand both
theory and practice from first principles. Once you can understand it from
first principles, it becomes a lot easier to pick up new skills, and makes
it possible to design long-lasting low-maintenance software that won't need
to be rewritten from scratch every few years. It also gives you the
ability to look at trends in the industry and tell the difference between
what's fundamentally new, what's a passing fad, and what's snake-oil. Of
course, the mileage you get out of it depends on how thorough you were in
making sure you understand all the material.

If you instead want to focus more on learning specific skills, you might
want to consider going to a community college and getting your associate
degree. It's a lot less expensive than university, and faculty usually
come from an industrial background and can share their real-world
experiences with you. There will almost always be more hands-on courses
available than at university, such as on things like systems
administration, Unix, mobile app development, game development, and
preparation classes for particular certifications. One nice thing about
community college is that if you decide later that you want to go on to
university, most universities will accept some/all of the credits you
earned at your community college (but double-check this first!). For
example, both of my parents and my brother got their bachelor degrees by
doing two years at community college and two years at university.

If you do go the university route, you should go to a non-profit,
regionally-accredited one [1], and if at all possible, you should
physically attend (even if it means a long commute). Also, you'd be amazed
at how many scholarships go unclaimed each year.

-Jude

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation


> Thanks for any kind of information,
>
> Mitt
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