Are most of you computer gurus out there self-taught or went to college?

I myself was interested in computers some time before I decided to go for formal education. The following are the benefits of formal education: 1) It structures your understanding. 2) It clears you fundamentals and gives insight to the theories. When you learn on own you mind be practical without knowing the underlying theory. A combo of the two can be a deadly weapon for career. 3) A formal degree helps when you look out for jobs and later also in promotions and career growth. 4) You get to meet others who are in the same profession and with them you get to form a bond that helps in your career. These are some of the advantages that I derived from going for a formal computer degree. Cheers! Ram

I'm not a guru but from my experience I can be a computer expert user by self teach ( reading, discussing, practice ). Tech school is only basic. "Practice make perfect"

hm I go to college but to learn practical things and troubleshoot you need to learn yourself only

I am self-taught. I started operating computer in 1993 with the help of friends and now I have fully learned software part. Hardware I have not touched yet. Will try in future. It is also necessary. My working is based on computer only. Most of the time I use computer. Today's computer is self-operating one. All the commands are within the computer. We need only time to go in depth. You can also learn computer. There is nothing risky. Just be confident on yourself. Going to institute is not necessary. In the beginning help is required, later on it is not.

i'm a self-taught computer guy, i just mostly go to tech websites and read their contents so i can get the updated techs on the market. instruction can be found everywhere on the internet.

I'm self taught. I have worked with computers since I was 8 and owned a Commodore 64. I really became an expert with computers when I first moved out and got a Compaq with Windows Me on it. For those that don't know, Windows Me is a steaming pile of sh!t. I had to call tech support so many times because of all the bugs. Eventually, I got used to fixing and working around all the problems it had. By the time I switched it to Windows 2000 I knew everything there was to know about operating systems and how to fix the problems. I learned about hardware because a good friend of mine was an expert. When my Compaq was killed by a power surge he offered to build me a kick a$s gaming machine for free, all I had to do was buy the parts. I watched how he put it together and read the motherboard manual, which was very informative. Years later I built a computer for my wife and eventually built a new one for myself. Now I build computers for everyone I know. It's fun. I think people who go to school for computers are often at a disadvantage. They learn how to deal with problems according to a script and many can't think outside of the box. People like that will often replace a $65.00 hard drive before checking to see if the $2.00 cable attached to it is working.

Well, i dont classify myself as a computer "GURU" as yet. But, whatever i know about this thing is all self - taught. I haven't been to any college. But, i am planning to in the near future.

well i am going to college now!! but trust me, its of no help whatsoever!!! anything to do with computers can be self-taught if you have some logic within you that is inborn!! somepeople dont have logic inthem and so they need to taught such stuff!

I'm not really an expert but i know a lot about computers, i didn't take any courses, learned from friends and on my own reading, trying and asking questions.