"If you must choose between formal schooling and work experience, always choose work. If you’re in school, aggressively pursue real-world experience that compliments your schoolwork." https://blog.codinghorror.com/learning-on-the-battlefield/

Learning on the Battlefield
I occasionally get emails from people asking how to prepare for a career in software development. Some are students wondering what classes they should take; others have been bitten by the programming bug and are considering their next steps. I always answer with the same advice. There’s no substitute
blog.codinghorror.com · Coding Horror
Link author:
Jeff Atwood@codinghorror@infosec.exchange