I came into software as a dropout. I'll spare you the back story, but it was for good reason. I dropped out junior year.
1. I think professionally testing algorithm knowledge is fine, but it needs to be one and done. I want a certification and I don't want to have to do it again.
2. This knowledge is largely useless in actual programming. It does teach me how to interrogate data structures and how algorithms work well with certain data structures. This kind of knowledge will only be relevant later in your career and at a certain type of company though.
So, am I better? Yes, I think I am, but I don't think I'd thank algorithms for that. I thank an innate desire to learn that happened to be briefly applied to algorithms and data structures. The hyperfocus on algorithms misses the forest for the trees.
1. I think professionally testing algorithm knowledge is fine, but it needs to be one and done. I want a certification and I don't want to have to do it again.
2. This knowledge is largely useless in actual programming. It does teach me how to interrogate data structures and how algorithms work well with certain data structures. This kind of knowledge will only be relevant later in your career and at a certain type of company though.
So, am I better? Yes, I think I am, but I don't think I'd thank algorithms for that. I thank an innate desire to learn that happened to be briefly applied to algorithms and data structures. The hyperfocus on algorithms misses the forest for the trees.