| Pearlygate is right, but look at it this way: certainly, its easier to learn to code an OS than to, say, write a compiler/assembler for a turing complete language that you came up with that does something original, or its a lot easier to learn how to use say, the bellman-ford algorithm than to come up with it, but look at it this way, who would you rather hire? The first guy, or the second one? I know I would rather have a few brilliant people that I have to shell out big bucks for than a slew of the former for cheap.
Or I could put it like this, which kind do you think Google hires? IBM even? Its not the first kind, its the second.
So in conclusion. Theory = win. But just be warned, a lot of theory isn't really applicable, its just good to have. CSists call it getting weaned off of theory when you get a real job as a CSist. |