[bashmelek]

Even when I was still in school and looking for internships I could feel this. In CS we learned more about compilers and operating systems, but companies wanted web developers, so IT and IS had a big edge. I did game programming on my own time, so companies would recommend interning with a game company. It was frustrating.

I’ve been working in web development for many years now. It’s okay. I still don’t know what I want to be in the future. I still don’t feel like a “real dev”. But still do some side learning. I’m happy it worked for the writer, and I hope it does for you too.

[agentultra]

I should add that you are a real dev. There's all kinds of programming out there. That's why I enjoy DSA and maths; it's the stuff that transcends languages and has applications in almost every domain. You benefit from knowing how to implement a queue or balance a tree whether you're writing databases, making games, or building distributed systems.

Anyone can learn this stuff. Ignore the gate keepers and the little voice that tells you only smart people can do this. You're a smart person. Crack a book, open a new file, compile some code. You'll get there.

[pmbanugo]

I wrote my first queue this week, and started learning DSA this week as well. I use to ignore those topics, but I think the path I seek would benefit from that knowledge.

[pmbanugo]

Thanks. web dev or game dev are still developers. I don't subscribe to the "real developer" mindset, except if they're vibe coders :)