Im stuck,I failed maths yet again

[John Tempus]

Math is not for everyone at least not when considering a certain percentage requirement.

It is just one of those subjects that some people simply cannot attain at a high level and thats why we dont have 100% of jobs in the world filled with accountants and programmers.

It might be time to accept the facts especially after a 3rd go around and align into a different direction that is not so heavily reliant on math.

 

[John Tempus]

I'm thinking of unisa.Just out of curiosity will i get a job having no degree?I have a decent portfolio,a decent github profile with a few projects.I did a freecodecamp frontend certificate.I also did IT(java syllabus) as a matric subject.

Spend half your time asap to try and network and build up contacts while you are studying. You are far more likely to land a cushy job without a degree but good connections than with a degree and no connections.

 

[Ancalagon]

I'm thinking of unisa.Just out of curiosity will i get a job having no degree?I have a decent portfolio,a decent github profile with a few projects.I did a freecodecamp frontend certificate.I also did IT(java syllabus) as a matric subject.

Yes, you can, if you can demonstrate your skills. I know someone who is pretty senior at a life insurance company in SA - doesn't have a degree. So it isn't required.

Degrees make it easier to get your foot in the door and also make emigration easier.

But honestly, something sounds weird with you not being encouraged to do past papers. As I said, you need lots of practice to get good at maths.

 

[coderpython24]

ive just come back from the university and they said i must repeat.Im questioning my sanity here doing maths the 4th time.Is it worth going to get a small junior dev position.What would the salary look like going in without a degree,but some side projects,a few github repos.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

ive just come back from the university and they said i must repeat.Im questioning my sanity here doing maths the 4th time.Is it worth going to get a small junior dev position.What would the salary look like going in without a degree,but some side projects,a few github repos.

Personally, I would hire a junior dev with a few github repos over a guy with a degree, but degrees do count for something at some companies.
Also, you never know when you may want to emigrate, and then a degree definitely counts.

Like I said, two of my friends passed their second year calculus on the 4th try. Another studied for 8 years to get his 4 year engineering degree.
If you have fewer subjects, you can put in more time and you will pass.

 

[Arthur]

I suspect the problem might lie elsewhere than in your apparent inability to do first year mathematics.

I wonder whether you've ever really learned how to learn and how to apply yourself in a systematic way? Are you able to put your back into a task, job or project that you don't like or enjoy? Or is desire and pleasure your main motivator?

So often success lies on the far side of doing things well that you don't really like. It's all about gaining the self-mastery necessary to forgo present pleasure for future benefit, and to persist in the decision once you've set your sights.

If you're serious about making a success of this project - to obtain a qualification, and perhaps with it a bit of an education - this failure from a lack of goal-directed application will sharpen your resolve. You have the native intelligence to find other ways of getting there. The only doubt is whether you have the will that translates into persistence. Desire is not enough.

Good luck. Go for it!

 

[coderpython24]

So.its been a long while since i've posted. I come bearing good news.I shifted over to Unisa beginning of this year and i have since completed and passed all the mathematics modules that i need to for my degree program. In fact out of the 3 i needed to pass,i got distinctions for 2 of them.I will be doing statistics at unisa also and then going back to the university i was going to last year to complete my degree.

Thanks guys,I appreciate all the advice you guys have given.

 

[Napalm2880]

So.its been a long while since i've posted. I come bearing good news.I shifted over to Unisa beginning of this year and i have since completed and passed all the mathematics modules that i need to for my degree program. In fact out of the 3 i needed to pass,i got distinctions for 2 of them.I will be doing statistics at unisa also and then going back to the university i was going to last year to complete my degree.

Thanks guys,I appreciate all the advice you guys have given.

We all fail at some point, often more than once.

If I can offer some advise:

1. Apply for all the graduate recruitment programs you can find.
2. Start building projects in your own time
3. Find a development house that needs some extra work on the side. Don't expect to get paid for this work - heck, offer it for free.

What you want to avoid is walking into an interview with a univerity degree and nothing else.

 

[slimeball]

I was never great at math at uni, however i learned that doing problem sets was crucial for passing. It's also interesting that you managed to do so well at unisa but didn't do so great at a full time uni.

I assume, judging by the date of this post, that you managed to transfer back and get your degree at your old uni, if that is the case well done !

With regards to finding a dev job without a degree, yes it's definately possible if you have exeptional personal projects and can pass the aptitude tests that companies have in place for junior dev roles. However a lot of HR departments have certain 'checklist' requirements for dev jobs and often a degree is one of them unfortunately.

Salary is also a huge issue if you don't have a degree, i've seen salaries starting from R1500 pm for dev roles that only require matric. Yes that's no typo R1500 pm. I mean even cleaners, security guards earn more than that per month. There are many talented developers without degrees too so you often need to make sure that your CV and code on github are perfect as you will be facing tough competition.

As a UCT engineering graduate myself i have taken time to add as many projects to my github as possible and i think CS or engineering grads should also do the same to increase your probability of being hired.

 

[PaulGherkin]

Here I am,
no degree, no IT related qualification.... nothing, bugger-all. Not even a certificate for a course.
I am a senior developer, I report to the directors of the company directly and the project manager.

So, if I can do it.. so can anyone else.
We don't use math, the math we use has to do with cryptography 99% of the time, and I excel at that...

 

[slimeball]

Here I am,
no degree, no IT related qualification.... nothing, bugger-all. Not even a certificate for a course.
I am a senior developer, I report to the directors of the company directly and the project manager.

So, if I can do it.. so can anyone else.
We don't use math, the math we use has to do with cryptography 99% of the time, and I excel at that...

Well first of all well done. You seem to have a successful career despite not going the traditional uni route. As a senior developer you must have worked your way up the chain, i.e junior, intermediate and then senior. Yes it's definitely possible, not easy, but possible.

I guess the hardest part is getting your foot in the door. There are many options to do this, i.e write a great cover letter, CVs or a github portfolio. However a LOT of junior dev jobs now have a degree as a requirement though, so you would probably have to email HR or the CEO directly and ask directly for an interview, not sure how successful someone would be at that.

 

[cguy]

Here I am,
no degree, no IT related qualification.... nothing, bugger-all. Not even a certificate for a course.
I am a senior developer, I report to the directors of the company directly and the project manager.

So, if I can do it.. so can anyone else.

With all due respect, your advice is destructive. Degrees, qualifications, certificates and mathematical expertise are an incredible step up for career prospects. While I certainly don't believe these are strictly necessary for success, they greatly improve the probability of success.

Putting aside the fact that your experience is anecdotal, I don't see how you can simultaneously portray a successful career in a stable company, while simultaneously stating the below. I sympathize with your situation, and wish you the best for your coming NL opportunity, but perhaps go a bit lighter on the doublethink.

The founder/MD of ours left, so if the captain is jumping ship, then you can bet your balls more shyte is coming...
He just upped and left in 24 hours... big red flag that is.

DHA is giving me no end of grief with my passport, I need that to gtfo of SA. I am so stressed about police clearances and how long I am going have to wait for that...

I am really concerned, but I am now in the position where I am the only man left standing here. Emigration is still a good 6-9 months away, and from next year I have to homeschool because I cannot afford school fees

The company is in De Heyden, NL and yes they pay for relocation.
I cannot afford school fees because my wife lost her job. Without the school fees we are more or less OK

 

[PaulGherkin]

Well first of all well done. You seem to have a successful career despite not going the traditional uni route. As a senior developer you must have worked your way up the chain, i.e junior, intermediate and then senior. Yes it's definitely possible, not easy, but possible.

I guess the hardest part is getting your foot in the door. There are many options to do this, i.e write a great cover letter, CVs or a github portfolio. However a LOT of junior dev jobs now have a degree as a requirement though, so you would probably have to email HR or the CEO directly and ask directly for an interview, not sure how successful someone would be at that.

Hard but do-able.... that's how I got my current job. I was hired as a normal developer but I rose quickly... within two years.. to where I am now... I am 2nd in command in the IT dept, when our director is off sick I have to assume command.