This is actually difficult.
Part time might help, if you have a previous degree that might also help. With the registrar and the right people you can have your previous education in the states count towards a lot of the lower level bs classes. Also if you get into the program see if work experience can go into where internship credits will go. The CS program at GSU is competitive. It’s an uphill battle but it’s possible. I will just seek ways to avoid going full time and taking every single classes to meet 120 credit requirements. See what can fill in for some of those credits. Best of luck.
Idk about GSU but a lot of schools aren’t too fond off accepting those credits better to ask staff there. Have you considered applying for a masters? If you already have a degree take the GRE or something might be useful. Almost same amount for a bachelors with less time and more income potential.
Unfortunately that will mean starting afresh. Finding upper class men in your degree of interest and other young professionals will help you. Once you are enrolled join those groups. You got this! Good luck to you. Summer semesters may help you get done quicker.
jeez. thats a lot on your plate. well depends if you want to go the school route. i graduated state with a computer science degree & got a job a week before graduation. i can say the college route did help. the company was at the time only hiring those with degrees, & also in the interview, they were pleased for me even talking about work i had done in class. i used lots of terminology i learned from niche classes like software engineering. but this was my experience. others make it from learning all the time. itll be a bit more complicated to tackle on your own & its not guided but once you start learning & comprehending you should be ok…
id use youtube, practice with things like codingbat & hackerrank, READ BOOKS.
choose a language: javascript, html, css is usually the easier beginner language, however java (which gsu teaches) is also popular for more corporate jobs. python is also relatively easy & can be a good well rounded language to learn especially for jobs dealing with data.
framework: tbh react is so popular now i dont have much more to recommend.
learn: syntax, loops & conditionals, popular data structures (array, list, stack, queue, etc), algorithms for interviews, classes & constructors for object oriented lang… also learn the object oriented programming (OOP) concept. some architecture would be good to know. memory, cache, timing, what impact performance.
since you wont be going to school stand out with some certifications. AWS cloud practitioner is great. then COMPTIA+, look into those.
projects… study.
linked in after all is done & network like crazy. bug people. ask to shadow, ask for mentorship, as for leads.
apply
hey! im a current third year in cs and truthfully, I think you can get away with studying computer science independently. if you know which path you want to pursue within cs, I'd say you should just go for it and look into coding programs and YouTube resources. when I started in cs, I expected that my classes would have a lot of hands on assignments but I find that a lot of it has been conceptual more than anything... learning how to implement on what you've learned and applying it is almost solely reliant on you and not the course. therefore, getting a degree in cs can only take you so far and what you do outside of your classes is going to be crucial for whichever path you take. because you have a lot on your plate and already have college credit that has exposed you to im sure a variety of topics, I think that learning cs independently could be better suited for you in which you can chose a schedule and pace that aligns with your other responsibilities. however, cs, like any self taught skill, will require self discipline and is completely reliant on how much you invest in it. try to get connected with different events that companies host so that you can feel motivated, inspired, make connections and help you along your journey in cs. additionally, working on projects with and without others is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and skill level to employers which is something a degree alone cannot do. regardless of whether you decide to return to college or learn independently, it is definitely doable and there are so many people and resources that are available so go for it and im sure it will work out! best of luck
Learn what you can on your own and do a boot camp with ga tech. Will save you time (which seems very important given your situation) and money. My husband has hired great people from boot camps and I know another friend of mine has hires from them as well.
Attend events at Atlanta Tech Village and start making friends.
Thank you for this valuable information! Does your husband look more at the bootcamp certification or the individual's projects that were developed as a product from said boot camp?
Also, this is the first time I'm hearing of Atlanta Tech Village! What is required to join /attend?
Happy to help! :)
In the case of my husband, total package is assessed of course but projects are what will make or break you.
I think a lot of events at ATV are free. Follow them on social media and you should be up to speed with what's going on there.
There are free code boot camps online. Use YouTube, Codecademy, Odin project, and etc. No need to go to college and pay more for this field. I highly recommend the CodePath Bootcamps to get started, I believe this route is more ideal for your schedule.
Thank you for your input! How do employers look at candidates who went this route? I was under the impression that the degree program adds credibility and benefits in the networking aspect of things.
I did 100devs for $0 and got a role making $70k after nearly a year of studying.
We went through layoffs and my whole team got nuked though, which was unfortunate. I'm back on the job search grind and you have to play a big game with the gatekeepers until you hit enough YoE, probably a bit harder to get past them without any degree(I know a dude with a forestry degree running a government software team), and you're slightly more limited on roles with some truly requiring a degree to consider you, but it's not exactly the easiest for juniors with a degree to break in right now either.
Networking is king for everyone, but especially right now.
I dont know anything about being a cs major but I do know about being a single parent, working full time and going to school as I've been doing it since 2019. Don't take a full load every semester is my advice because you could get burnt out. I'm currently in my last semester and couldn't be happier. Throughout your first few semesters you'll find a rhythm that works for you and doesn't take away from learning, time with your child, or work. I wish you the best.
This is actually difficult. Part time might help, if you have a previous degree that might also help. With the registrar and the right people you can have your previous education in the states count towards a lot of the lower level bs classes. Also if you get into the program see if work experience can go into where internship credits will go. The CS program at GSU is competitive. It’s an uphill battle but it’s possible. I will just seek ways to avoid going full time and taking every single classes to meet 120 credit requirements. See what can fill in for some of those credits. Best of luck.
Also take the prerequisites at the perimeter campuses and online. It will save you money and time to an extent.
Thank you so much for your valuable input! My previous education is actually from Brazil. How is GSU with accepting credits from foreign countries?
Idk about GSU but a lot of schools aren’t too fond off accepting those credits better to ask staff there. Have you considered applying for a masters? If you already have a degree take the GRE or something might be useful. Almost same amount for a bachelors with less time and more income potential.
I don't have a degree, I have 5 semesters worth of classes taken in Brazil. But thank you for that tip!
Unfortunately that will mean starting afresh. Finding upper class men in your degree of interest and other young professionals will help you. Once you are enrolled join those groups. You got this! Good luck to you. Summer semesters may help you get done quicker.
jeez. thats a lot on your plate. well depends if you want to go the school route. i graduated state with a computer science degree & got a job a week before graduation. i can say the college route did help. the company was at the time only hiring those with degrees, & also in the interview, they were pleased for me even talking about work i had done in class. i used lots of terminology i learned from niche classes like software engineering. but this was my experience. others make it from learning all the time. itll be a bit more complicated to tackle on your own & its not guided but once you start learning & comprehending you should be ok… id use youtube, practice with things like codingbat & hackerrank, READ BOOKS. choose a language: javascript, html, css is usually the easier beginner language, however java (which gsu teaches) is also popular for more corporate jobs. python is also relatively easy & can be a good well rounded language to learn especially for jobs dealing with data. framework: tbh react is so popular now i dont have much more to recommend. learn: syntax, loops & conditionals, popular data structures (array, list, stack, queue, etc), algorithms for interviews, classes & constructors for object oriented lang… also learn the object oriented programming (OOP) concept. some architecture would be good to know. memory, cache, timing, what impact performance. since you wont be going to school stand out with some certifications. AWS cloud practitioner is great. then COMPTIA+, look into those. projects… study. linked in after all is done & network like crazy. bug people. ask to shadow, ask for mentorship, as for leads. apply
hey! im a current third year in cs and truthfully, I think you can get away with studying computer science independently. if you know which path you want to pursue within cs, I'd say you should just go for it and look into coding programs and YouTube resources. when I started in cs, I expected that my classes would have a lot of hands on assignments but I find that a lot of it has been conceptual more than anything... learning how to implement on what you've learned and applying it is almost solely reliant on you and not the course. therefore, getting a degree in cs can only take you so far and what you do outside of your classes is going to be crucial for whichever path you take. because you have a lot on your plate and already have college credit that has exposed you to im sure a variety of topics, I think that learning cs independently could be better suited for you in which you can chose a schedule and pace that aligns with your other responsibilities. however, cs, like any self taught skill, will require self discipline and is completely reliant on how much you invest in it. try to get connected with different events that companies host so that you can feel motivated, inspired, make connections and help you along your journey in cs. additionally, working on projects with and without others is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and skill level to employers which is something a degree alone cannot do. regardless of whether you decide to return to college or learn independently, it is definitely doable and there are so many people and resources that are available so go for it and im sure it will work out! best of luck
Learn what you can on your own and do a boot camp with ga tech. Will save you time (which seems very important given your situation) and money. My husband has hired great people from boot camps and I know another friend of mine has hires from them as well. Attend events at Atlanta Tech Village and start making friends.
Thank you for this valuable information! Does your husband look more at the bootcamp certification or the individual's projects that were developed as a product from said boot camp? Also, this is the first time I'm hearing of Atlanta Tech Village! What is required to join /attend?
Happy to help! :) In the case of my husband, total package is assessed of course but projects are what will make or break you. I think a lot of events at ATV are free. Follow them on social media and you should be up to speed with what's going on there.
My moms friends husband is also like ur age and he’s maintaining a full time job and also trying to gain a Computer Science degree from GSU.
There are free code boot camps online. Use YouTube, Codecademy, Odin project, and etc. No need to go to college and pay more for this field. I highly recommend the CodePath Bootcamps to get started, I believe this route is more ideal for your schedule.
Thank you for your input! How do employers look at candidates who went this route? I was under the impression that the degree program adds credibility and benefits in the networking aspect of things.
I did 100devs for $0 and got a role making $70k after nearly a year of studying. We went through layoffs and my whole team got nuked though, which was unfortunate. I'm back on the job search grind and you have to play a big game with the gatekeepers until you hit enough YoE, probably a bit harder to get past them without any degree(I know a dude with a forestry degree running a government software team), and you're slightly more limited on roles with some truly requiring a degree to consider you, but it's not exactly the easiest for juniors with a degree to break in right now either. Networking is king for everyone, but especially right now.
Go for online classes as your default schedule. You'll need that flexibility.
I dont know anything about being a cs major but I do know about being a single parent, working full time and going to school as I've been doing it since 2019. Don't take a full load every semester is my advice because you could get burnt out. I'm currently in my last semester and couldn't be happier. Throughout your first few semesters you'll find a rhythm that works for you and doesn't take away from learning, time with your child, or work. I wish you the best.