Education VS Self-education

Sabina Basina, Software Engineer, a graduate of 2019 

I chose IT spontaneously. At school, I liked mathematics, so I decided to choose a specialization in mathematical programming. I thought I might like programming, but I entered the university with my school knowledge of development. So, I had no idea what it was and could not think that one day I would become a web developer. From the entire training program, I would highlight the last course read by a guest lecturer from EPAM. Thanks to him, I received my first knowledge of web development, general knowledge of IT, computer design—everything that was useful in my work. I knew EPAM well enough because my brother worked in the company. My brother advised me to pass training in the company along with the university. Initially, I did not plan to stay in the company to work. I thought that I would improve my skills and then decide where to move further. However, the knowledge that they gave me was of very high quality. The company provided me with opportunities not only for training and personal development but also for a comfortable life, so I decided to stay. 

Speaking about self-education, I believe that the courses are quite enough to get into the company and improve your skills further. However, everything depends on the person: if your motivation suffers and you constantly need a kick in the back, then the university will provide you with it, if you are confident in yourself, try not to waste time on a broad program and go your own way. In my opinion, with a strong desire, your road may turn out to be much shorter than those that go through higher education. The main thing is to know what you want. I did not know. Therefore, the university was a place of cut and try for me. I attended courses in different areas of IT, fulfilled my creative potential, performing on stage, acting in KVN. I learned about a large number of opportunities, became more open and easier to communicate thanks to the university. I do not even know what I would be doing now and what kind of person I would be if I decided to give up the university. Certainly not who I am now. 

Uladzimir Papeka, Software Test Automation Engineer, a graduate of 2017  

Me entering the university is a story of a random event. I did not have a definite plan or choose the university in advance. I even passed the entrance exams by process of elimination: physics and mathematics-these are the subjects I was best in. First, I went to the Technical University to test the waters. I saw huge queues there and decided to check the situation in the A.S. Pushkin University. There were much fewer applicants, so I studied all the lists, consulted with applicants, and chose applied mathematics. At that time, I did not associate this specialty with IT. The main advantage of the university is that it helped me learn the English language. At school, I studied German. When I got to the university, they offered me to learn English from scratch. We started right with the alphabet. The English language helped me in the professional growth. Without this knowledge, I would hardly have been able to find myself a good job in IT. The rest of the subjects were more about physics. We solved equations and proved theorems. There were more abstract subjects like philosophy, the theory of probability, but neither one nor the other was useful in my work. Most useful knowledge I got from programming subjects introducing us to basic languages: Pascal, Java, C++, C#. I became very interested and began to study languages in depth outside the university hours. 

During the last years of the university, the smartest students began training at EPAM. We have always heard of the company: the university had a laboratory where students took courses and implemented their projects, office employees came to read lectures to the students. I asked my classmates about their work at EPAM and what they did. Also, I saw advertisements saying that they were recruiting students for the training. I decided to try myself as a tester. Before that, I was in the second year of my study focused on development, but I did not get it. However, testing was what I needed. During the second stage of training, I got to the EPAM office and saw with my own eyes how everything worked there. I liked it, and I was eager to get a job here. 

My professional future was determined by chance and my desire to find my place in the world, try different roles, and compare feelings. Could you do that without a university? Yes, I met people who got into the company without a technical background and five years in a technical university. However, it was a little more difficult for them to cope with the tasks. They had to immediately think about how to gain a living and find a job. Meanwhile, I had five additional years to think about who I want to be and try myself in different fields. 

Uladzimir Kazakevich, Senior Solution Architect, a graduate of 2004 

A short answer to the question “Is it possible to become an engineer without a university degree?” – Yes, it is possible. To some extent, I learned this way, although I went to university. It is no secret that all IT specialists gain new knowledge all their lives, and they do it on their own. If you stop developing and gaining new knowledge, you can lose your value over time. Therefore, I recommend starting the process right at school as a hobby and trying to learn as much as possible. Often, such training covers only narrow specializations, that is, you get only the knowledge you need here and now. On the one hand, this is good, but in this race, some fundamental things can be lost, for example, everything related to the basics of programming. I agree in advance with those who say that you can learn this on your own. However, if you are interested in the IT sphere, programming, testing, and everything related, you will pay less attention to everything else. A university can help you create an educational base from which to learn something else. The university gives you the alphabet, and from the letters received, you can independently compose words and phrases. 

At university, we grow up and learn to build relationships. In one place, many talented people come across and begin to learn, communicate, interact with each other, and try to understand who they are. My studentship is not associated with self-determination because from the fifth grade of school I knew what I wanted to be. Already at school, I wrote small programs that worked. In every profession, it is important to understand where you are going and why. In my practice, there were cases when people came to the company right after school. One girl worked for us as a leader in her 18. Can we consider this a success? It depends on what you put into this word. Developer's success is a changeable process. At first, you consider it a success when you can compile a phrase and display it. Later, success is when you made a useful program used by everyone around you. Then, you move to a new level and begin to be responsible not only for yourself but for the whole team, make technical decisions on the project, and develop architecture. Each of these stages is a success. For someone, success is a wage rate. It all depends on what is important to you and what makes you happy. Remember, anything is possible.

Timeless recommendations 

• Desire, aspiration, and dedication matter a lot in your life. If you do not like something, then no one can force you to do that. Some people come home after work and write code for themselves. They like it, it is like a day off for them. This shows a person is going in the right direction. What you want to do, even in your free time, is your profession. Be guided by this. If you notice a greed for knowledge and a desire to look for new approaches in work, then this activity should be considered as your profession. 
• Afterwards, you will think that it would be cool to start learning earlier, to learn more. However, everything has its time, and everything goes as it should. Before each new action ask yourself: “Do I want this?” If the answer is “No,” then do not force yourself. Wait and think. If the answer is “Yes,” then go and do it. 
• Work on your Soft Skills. It is important not only to create a successful solution, but also to be able to present it to the customer. 
• If you are faced with something new, for example, a new programming language, then do not just start writing and testing in this language but be sure to dig deeper to understand how everything works. This will be your step towards growth and career development.