What university base is needed in order to rightfully consider yourself a technical specialist and develop further in this direction?

Question

Python

As I learn a little bit of programming, I keep going from one extreme to another, from books on C to books on radio electronics to books on hacking to books on computer architecture and so on. Finally, I realized that the path to becoming a programmer, although florid, still needs to be planned and structured, albeit with small digressions. I ask for advice from those who graduated from a university with a technical specialty related to programming and radio electronics, what topics are really worth understanding, what books should be read? Is Discrete Mathematics Necessary? Do you need combinatorics? After all, you must admit, for sure, not everything that was taught was useful to you in your work, but there is something that really needs to be laid in the foundation of knowledge. We all don’t have much time and it’s not worth wasting it on useless books and knowledge. I don’t see the point in going back to university for a second higher education at the age of 30, I think this path can be shortened and optimized if there is perseverance, aspiration and a GREAT desire. Thank you!
Upd. I am interested in the field of IoT, AI and everything connected with it, I really like the language C, python, C #, but at the moment I really like the Internet of things, I want to practice in the field of automation, but without any industrial-expensive systems like Crestron, Extron and etc.

Answer 1

I ask for advice from those who graduated from the university with a technical specialty related to programming

Frankly speaking, while I was graduating with honors from the best university in my city, while not having the strength and time to work (study took an overdose of resources), the rest of the less conscientious students worked at least somewhereand got real practical experience, stuffed bumps and became professionals. Now I work alongside guys who are a year and a half younger than me and at the same time they have a broader professional outlook, they faced a large number of small applied tasks, and from this they can better present themselves, submit and better estimate the time to complete what -something new. What is the point of me now from numerical methods and the matan that they gave us ... I am older than my colleagues, but I have already lagged behind. Here is my opinion. It would be possible to go back, I would have a simpler attitude to study and would do more of my projects and samples of the "pen". I regret that no one prompted and did not realize in time, but alas.
Of the 47 disciplines that we had, I can call them necessary: ​​English, geometry and topology (when working with vectors, a necessary thing + vector algebra, in a sense, there too), probability theory and mathematics. statistics (for expanding horizons), numerical methods (it came in handy twice - when writing a diploma and when entering graduate school), structures and algorithms for computer data processing, databases and DBMS (general concepts), computer graphics (flash, corel, photoshop - only came in handy when I made a couple of custom logos), computer modeling, functional programming (just a cool thing, but it hasn’t come in handy anywhere yet), software development technologies (just for a general understanding, as it happens in an ideal world), logic programming (for horizons), Internet programming (writing visualization libraries in js for coursework). If you look at this list, you will understand that this is alltheory ! They tell you, but it doesn't settle until you start doing it.

Answer 2

If you have a diploma, then you are by right a specialist (not by diploma, but by life). Naturally, the diploma must be obtained in an honest way.
Topics need those that are laid down in the official program of the specialty. I can only agree that the word "pot" should not have been taught in school. Everything else may come in handy sooner or later.
If you really want to become some kind of professional, then choose a direction (a narrowly focused profession) and learn everything that is indicated in the requirements for candidates for jun/mid/snr.
Good luck.

Answer 3

the presence of perseverance, aspiration and GREAT desire.

but you don't have it.
The path to programmers begins with programming

Answer 4

"Rejecting the husk" - how is it? Something not to learn?
If you want to become a good specialist, you need to learn more than usual, and not discard anything.
If it seems to you that they teach garbage at the institute, so what's the problem with quickly learning this garbage, passing it and teaching it further on your own?

Answer 5

Everyone rushes here and there. Decide for yourself what you want, but with an eye on this, it seems to me link