Am I a troll? Let's see... My software has been used by millions of people, I've been paid millions, and I've worked with some of the best and brightest minds on the planet.

I guess I MUST be a troll.

* "Anything you learn there is already 10 years out of date, and anything "new" you learn will be useless by the time you graduate"

This was in the context of CS, not anything else, which is why I suggested he go a non-CS route if a degree is his goal. I've reviewed some of the best projects to come out of todays CS programs as assignments, and I can tell you that they are rote, unimaginative, and lack real-world application value.

* "You have got to be kidding me. What you learn in school is not the idea itself but a method of thinking, method of critiquing and the method of learning. One of the most effective ways to learn to solve problems is to solve problems that already have solutions and to learn from those that came before you. Yes you may learn "stuffs from the 70s" but you are learning them for a reason. For example, just because NoSQL is in vogue right now doesn't mean that relation theory should be discarded. There is a value in going to school, being surrounded by a learning atmosphere, reassessing yourself every day and learning more about yourself." *

I agree completely. Why so defensive? Huge loan payments due? You don't need to go to an ivy league school to learn ACID compliance, or relational theory (although relational application is more suitable for real world problems). You also don't need to go to school to "find" yourself, and to presume with such conviction that YOUR position is the correct one is just as asinine as if I were to presume mine was the only correct path.

Some of us are natural problem solvers, who absorb and process volumes of information quickly. Based on your frustration level, it's probably safe to assume you are not one of those, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But, ya know, you're right.. clearly there's only one way to go through life, and yours MUST be the correct way, or why else would people like you sink to name calling and belittling just because someone has a dissenting opinion?

* Seriously, you get to meet people who started fields, who wrote books, who first thought of the problems in CS schools. Computer Science is still in adolescence. You will still meet legends." *

Seriously? You'd go to college to meet the guy who wrote Pong?, or the guy who wrote the first ray casting algorithm? Sounds like a rational fiscal decision. I'll bet Dad was paying the bill. I figured out long, long ago, while you were still a glint in your father's eye, that I can simply call those people up and buy them lunch, and they'll impart all their knowledge to me on demand.

* So? Just because you interviewed idiots doesn't mean everyone who got a BS/MS is one. Serious sampling bias there. I am sure YOU attract mediocre people. *

Again with the berating. You must be a stellar human to be able to look down upon us all. I've interviewed 327 people in my professional career, killed billion dollar deals because they weren't technically feasible within time and budget constraints, and made more money writing code than 99% of the people on this board will ever see.

Does that make me better? No. It simply makes me an individual with a lot of experience.

* "Jesus Christ dude, how old are you? what is your educational background? What do you aspire to be?" *

Perfect. The true measure of a man is his alma mater. Get serious dude.

I'm 43, and I have a quarter century of rock solid software development experience, all in real world applications, many of which are still used today, probably by you without even knowing it, and my educational background is not germane to this discussion.

What are YOUR qualifications? I suspect you won't post them in public.

And yes, I still sit down and have lunch with people who call me and ask to meet with me.

He asked for my opinion. I gave it to him.

Crawl back into your hole, troll, and mind your own business.