{"id":185396,"date":"2014-10-06T09:14:23","date_gmt":"2014-10-06T16:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/css-tricks.com\/?p=185396"},"modified":"2014-10-16T16:35:28","modified_gmt":"2014-10-16T23:35:28","slug":"common-questions-asked-shoptalk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/css-tricks.com\/common-questions-asked-shoptalk\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Common Questions Asked on ShopTalk"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I type this, Dave Rupert and I have recorded 137 episodes of ShopTalk<\/a>. ShopTalk is primarily a question-and-answer style show. Dave’s early idea was to have it be loosely modeled after the most popular NPR show of all time, Car Talk<\/a>, which is mostly Q&A. We have guests, and we talk a bit about the guest so people have a sense of who they are, but it’s not exactly an interview show.<\/p>\n

We solicit people’s questions<\/a> on ShopTalk. Again as I type this, we’re closing in on 2,000 questions people have sent in. I’ve read every single one of them and there are definitely some repeating themes. I think it’s an interesting look at the vibe of the industry.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

The “Should I go to college?” Question<\/h3>\n

Sometimes this comes from high school age people who are curious if it’s “worth it” to go to college, or that worry that college won’t teach them current technology. Like this one from Ledian Morales:<\/p>\n

I work as web developer at a well known web company. I have learned a lot from the people here. They hired me straight out of high school, so I was never able to go to a college or a university. They taught me everything I know. I make good money. But I want to go bigger. I want to learn more.<\/p>\n

Should I go to a university?<\/p>\n

Based on the research I have been doing, a lot of people are saying it is not worth it. The information they teach is outdated. You can learn more with Google Search. Is it worth it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Or from people already in the workforce interested in a career shift. Like this one from Marc Levine:<\/p>\n

I am 39 years old. My wife and I have two young children. I am a corporate trainer. I want to change my career and become a web developer. On nights and weekends for the last 6+ months, I have been learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery and Ruby through Codeacademy, CSS-Tricks, Lynda.com, and other sites. I have learned a lot, but I still feel like a beginner. <\/p>\n

I have been accepted to a graduate certificate program in Web Design & Development at a local university. It is the only program in the area that caters to working adults. After learning more about the program, I am skeptical, because it seems like it is going to be covering somewhat older content, maybe not as much hands on, paper writing, traditional academia, etc. <\/p>\n

Is it feasible that I can learn everything on my own, basically through internet resources? If yes, how would I do that? What are some specific things that you all would recommend? I need to position myself so that I am a viable and hirable job applicant. Time is of the essence – I’m not getting any younger.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think this is such a common question because it’s a huge life decision (lots of time, lots of money) and the results are unclear. College isn’t a car wash. When you go through a car wash, your car is clean at the end. When you go through college, you are ???? at the end. Smarter? More employable? Maybe. Broke? Probably. Because so many people do it and the results are all over the place, it’s a tough call.<\/p>\n

Based on my personal experience: go. Learning what a for-loop is isn’t what you get out of college. Hopefully, a huge well-rounded chunk of knowledge and experience is what you get that benefits you forever is what you get out of college. <\/p>\n

Andy Budd wrote my favorite article<\/a> on this subject. <\/p>\n

Should they continue their studies or jump straight into the labour market? I usually tell them that ability trumps education and I don’t put much faith on the current raft of tech degrees. So I’d prefer to see three years of experience than three years of study.<\/p>\n

That being said, I’ll also point out that University is about much more than just acquiring a skill. It’s a formative experience that will shape your attitudes for the rest of your life. It’s also a huge amount of fun, or at least it was in my day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The “fun” thing might not be an important factor when you’re decided to go back later in life with more at stake. Not to be overlooked is the rise of the “Code School” – shorter, more focused, but also expensive and often un-accredited schools that offer to blast you with knowledge and get you changing careers in a hurry. I’ve seen success happen through them, but surely the results vary.<\/p>\n

We’ve talked about this subject on the show several times. To hear more, check these TimeJump<\/a> links:<\/p>\n