I have been an active learner my whole life, so In 2015 I decided to take a Masters’s degree in Software Architecture.
I am trying to remember exactly what motivated me to take it. One reason was its appealing title. I’m a programmer so the title was tempting and compelling.
However, there were also other things pushing me to study.
I wanted to jump to the next level. I wanted to get hired as a software architect. And, to be totally honest, I was thinking about earning more money.
Back then, I was married, but I hadn’t any kids. I was renting and I didn’t have to worry about a mortgage. I had debts but I was able to pay them without much pain.
In that regard, apart from my evil desire to earn more money I also had more free time and was financially OK. So, I thought, why not give it a try?.
When I say I was financially OK, that doesn’t mean I had the monthly fee to pay the master’s program. I knew that if I wanted to study I needed to find a way to get that fee.
After several hours of planning and crunching the numbers, I found a good solution — a student loan. I got a positive response from the bank and I started to study.
The Hell of Everything
Gaining more knowledge is not a problem — it’s the best way to invest in your growth. Yet, it could be more effective if you bet on programs or courses that add value and put you close to your goals. Yet, the lack of clarity of who we are and who we want to become is the hell of everybody.
Why do you want to study a master’s?
Before starting to study a master’s degree you should find out why. An honest answer will make a huge difference in the outcome.
Ask yourself, why do I want to study this? Is it to earn more money? Do I want to be promoted? Is it because I want to switch from a technical role to a management role?
The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you will be to make the correct decision. As soon as you avoid dirtying your goals with money and the opinions of your parents and friends, you will find clarity.
Now you have a little bit of context, it’s time to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of my master’s in software architecture degree.
The Good
Whenever you decide to study you’re building your own future. You’re betting on yourself to move towards your goals. It’s a brave decision to make your life happier in many different areas — personal, work, spiritual.
Building strong, long-term connections
The first and the most powerful thing about studying is the fact that it gives you the chance to build connections: Inspiring teachers, study buddies, friends, relationships.
Your opportunities are directly proportional to your network. So, the best way to create them is through a strong, trusted, and large network.
Thanks to my master’s degree I had the luck to meet and work with incredible people. We built strong, long-term relationships. Now they’re all amazing friends.
Up-to-date with the latest tech
The second good thing is that you have the chance to catch up with the cutting-edge in the field you’re studying. New tools, techniques, approaches, and technologies.
There’s no doubt that I learned a lot by studying.
One of the things I’m proud of the most is that my team and I built a complete step-by-step guide to implementing Continuous Integration (CI). This guide was a result of several interviews with experts in CI, developer leads, startups, and companies who were using CI as part of their development process.
The Bad
Although it’s true there were good things about taking a master’s it’s also true there were bad things. However, that doesn’t mean I regret any of the decisions I made at the time.
The compelling title
The compelling title of my degree — Masters in Software Architecture — fitted my profile perfectly. It seemed technically-oriented.
However, I ended up specializing in networks, business intelligence, negotiation skills, and PMbok.
I wish I’d studied the advanced design and architectural patterns of software development in depth — both theoretical and practical.
Why no specialization?
When the program was almost finished I started off to make numbers and think in a profound way about. At the time, I had more clarity that I wanted to become first a world-class programmer, then a technical writer, then an online entrepreneur.
My biggest goal didn’t match with the master’s program. I’d spent more than three years sharpening the wrong ax.
I had spent around 10,000 USD, including monthly fees, tuition, fees, and gasoline — not to mention the time and stress. With all that, I could have taken a specialization, like an immersive software engineering program, for example.
Basically, I had a lack of clarity about what I wanted to be. I made a decision based on other things.
On the financial side— more debts
First, invest in yourself — but wisely.
If you invest in yourself without enough clarity about who you really want to be, let me discourage you. You’re not investing, you’re just spending money and wasting your limited time.
I took a student loan to accomplish it. Is this a wise decision when you have enough debts already? Even if you don’t have them, is that still a good decision?
It’s absolutely not a smart decision. By doing that I only got more debts, which snowballed.
The ugly
The ugly is the result and effects of that decision.
More debts
As I just said, I got into more debt and it started to snowball.
More debt really doesn’t matter if the program is aligned with your goals. It doesn’t matter if add valuable experience to your path.
But otherwise, you should avoid falling into it at all costs.
No hands-on experience
Knowledge without practice is nothing.
Four years later, I still don’t have any hands-experience as a software architect.
Wasted time
I spent more than 900 days graduating. Now I ask myself, how many things could I have accomplished since then if I hadn’t been doing a master’s?
Everyone is getting older and as we do so we get more responsibilities and burdens. Spending our time wisely is essential for everybody who wants to achieve their goals.
Conclusion
This is only my own experience, yet it may resonate with you — whether you are a student or self-taught, from grads to post-grads and anyone in between.
Don’t forget — first things first. Find clarity about who you really are and who you want to become.
The more honest you are with yourself, the more wise will be your decision. As soon as you avoid dirtying your goals with money, parents, and friend’s opinions and desires you will find that clarity.
Thanks for reading. I hope this piece was helpful for you.
