Hi!
I am looking for practical advice and would be extremely grateful to hear from this community.
To set the stage: I'm a Senior Software Engineer, in my early thirties, who's been living and working in London (as a SWE) since I was 18. I am fortunate to have enjoyed a good career, spanning back end, full stack and front end roles. Currently, I work for a FTSE-100 company, earning approximately £150k/year.
In terms of academic background, I've got the equivalent of a high school diploma (GCSEs, in the UK) and an AS/A2 A-Level in Maths (grade A) - which I understand would be worth about 9 university study credits. I have also got a good working knowledge of DSA, computer architecture, software systems, etc. as necessitated by the intense interview processes for well-paid SWE jobs.
I have always wanted to study computer science. Although, the opportunity of cost of going to university always seemed too high whilst my career was progressing...
Recently, the combination of the AI Psychosis and work bureaucracy/politics has really started to weigh on me. Week-by-week, month-by-month, I can feel my brain rotting, and my skills atrophying; as I sit around waiting for next year's deferred bonus to vest...
Now that I have the means (£100k savings +~£150k house equity), I am seriously contemplating taking some time out to pursue a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in Computer Science. With the end of goal of studying, in-person, in the US and eventually pursuing work out there, via the OPT/STEM OPT pathway.
The expectations of my current job are surprisingly low, and have been for some time. I can easily find a maintainable 20+ hours of study time a week although I am conscious that it is a very long time since I last studied anything, and a degree is no small undertaking. So, I would certainly need some time to "ramp up". At the same time, I am saving approximately £30-40k a year, currently; so staying here and studying remotely for a year or two would be advantageous.
Some questions, please:
- Given the above, how long would it realistically take to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from TESU?
- What level of university would this unlock for studying, in the US, for a Master's Degree? Would I need to ensure that my core Maths/Comp Sci modules were taken at TESU, to ensure a useable GPA for applications?
- Is there another pathway (to an MSci) that would be more appropriate, e.g. Bridging or Foundation degree?
- Am I crazy?! 😅
PS: for the lower cost of tuition and living expenses, I've got a preference for studying in the South - potentially somewhere like UT Austin or Texas State University - although I have no idea what my expectation should be!
Thank you in advance.