I will try to give my opinion at the end, after answering your questions.
Are there any significant differences between these developer paths?
I think both share one comon thing: learning how to learn. Through the process of either atending a class or a bootcamp (or watching an Udemy course), you will not only learn a new skill, but also learn where to find any information to go deeper in a subject.
Is their mindset on the same page?
I definitively think not: for me, following a bootcamp, in essence, is targeted for a quick employability. Getting a degree opens up more door for highest responsibilities (project manager, tech lead, ...).
Not that people following bootcamp cannot, but the goals are differents.
Do you need a computer science degree to become the "better" developer?
I think not, since what makes a "better" developer is the capacity to go deeper in subjects, to be able to give an opinion even for unknown subjects (new framework architecture, ...). For that, it only requires time (e.g. experience) and research (books, courses, conferences, ...), and obviously practice is prefered.
Is a JavaScript developer coming from a Bootcamp worse than a Java Developer shifting towards JavaScript?
Not necessarily, but the Java developer would probably grasp advanced concept quicker (like Symbols, class inheritance with Typescript, eventually sorts algorithm knowledge, ...). What will differenciate one or the other is his problem solving skill, his/her capcity to provide the best solution for a given issue, regarding the environment (time, constraints, legacy, ...).
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I have a CS degree, and I can tell it does not necessarily helps being more capable. Just be around great people, which will teach you the knowledge of the field, which is always far more valuable than books or courses. Listen & practice a lot :)
My name is Tobias, I'm 30 years old and living in Augsburg, Germany. I am working as a software developer for over 7 years now. Nowadays I'm working with react, react-native, node.js, graphql, ...
Very good topic :)
I will try to give my opinion at the end, after answering your questions.
Are there any significant differences between these developer paths?
I think both share one comon thing: learning how to learn. Through the process of either atending a class or a bootcamp (or watching an Udemy course), you will not only learn a new skill, but also learn where to find any information to go deeper in a subject.
Is their mindset on the same page?
I definitively think not: for me, following a bootcamp, in essence, is targeted for a quick employability. Getting a degree opens up more door for highest responsibilities (project manager, tech lead, ...).
Not that people following bootcamp cannot, but the goals are differents.
Do you need a computer science degree to become the "better" developer?
I think not, since what makes a "better" developer is the capacity to go deeper in subjects, to be able to give an opinion even for unknown subjects (new framework architecture, ...). For that, it only requires time (e.g. experience) and research (books, courses, conferences, ...), and obviously practice is prefered.
Is a JavaScript developer coming from a Bootcamp worse than a Java Developer shifting towards JavaScript?
Not necessarily, but the Java developer would probably grasp advanced concept quicker (like Symbols, class inheritance with Typescript, eventually sorts algorithm knowledge, ...). What will differenciate one or the other is his problem solving skill, his/her capcity to provide the best solution for a given issue, regarding the environment (time, constraints, legacy, ...).
--
I have a CS degree, and I can tell it does not necessarily helps being more capable. Just be around great people, which will teach you the knowledge of the field, which is always far more valuable than books or courses. Listen & practice a lot :)
Thank you for sharing your perspective!