Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
Computer Science degree.<p>Sure, lots of us &quot;learnt&quot; programming in our bedrooms or whatever by doing our own thing and messing about in whatever language.  I went into my compsci degree arrogantly thinking that I pretty much knew how to code already so please just give me the bit of paper saying I have the degree and I&#x27;ll be on my way thanks very much.<p>I was very wrong.<p>Although I was pretty good at the coding (or at least I like to think so), I learnt so much more of the theory that is as relevant today as it was then, and as it was decades before that too.  It stretched me in ways I did not even know I could be stretched - I dont think I would never have learnt the &quot;hard&quot; theory that transcends specific programming languages if I was just tinkering around on my own or reading a &quot;How to program Python&#x2F;Visual Basic 6&#x2F;PHP&#x2F;C#&quot; books etc (aged myself there with VB6!).<p>More or less every day I still use those skills&#x2F;knowledge I learnt on my degree, but not only that I came out beaming with confidence and the knowledge that I <i>knew my stuff</i>.<p>As a direct result of my degree I enjoy a pretty cushy, well-paid, well-perked, and secure job at a company that many people dream of working at, and have done for years.  Sure it was 4 years and a few thousand GBP (at the time in the UK - more expensive now) but totally 100% worth it - I genuinely dont think I&#x27;d be where I am now if I had not done the degree.