I have been an active learner my whole life, so In 2015 I decided to take a Masters degree in Software Architecture.

我一生都是一个活跃的学习者，因此在2015年，我决定攻读软件架构硕士学位。

I am trying to remember exactly what motivated me to take it. One reason was its appealing title. I’m a programmer so the title was tempting and compelling.

我正试图记住是什么促使我接受它。 原因之一是它的吸引力。 我是一名程序员，所以标题很吸引人。

However, there were also other things pushing me to study.

但是，还有其他一些因素促使我去学习。

I wanted to jump to the next level. I wanted to get hired as a software architect. And, to be totally honest, I was thinking about earning more money.

我想跳到一个新的水平。 我想被聘为软件架构师。 而且，老实说，我正在考虑赚更多的钱。

Back then, I was married, but I hadn’t any kids. I was renting and I didn’t have to worry about a mortgage. I had debts but I was able to pay them without much pain.

那时，我已经结婚了，但是我没有任何孩子。 我当时在租房，不必担心抵押。 我有债务，但我可以很轻松地偿还债务。

In that regard, apart from my evil desire to earn more money I also had more free time and was financially OK. So, I thought, why not give it a try?.

在这方面，除了我渴望赚更多钱的渴望之外，我还有更多的空闲时间，在经济上还可以。 所以，我想，为什么不尝试一下呢？

When I say I was financially OK, that doesn’t mean I had the monthly fee to pay the master’s program. I knew that if I wanted to study I needed to find a way to get that fee.

当我说我在财务上还可以的时候，这并不意味着我有每月的费用来支付硕士课程的费用。 我知道，如果我想学习，我需要找到一种方法来获得那笔费用。

After several hours of planning and crunching the numbers, I found a good solution — a student loan. I got a positive response from the bank and I started to study.

经过数小时的计划和计算，我找到了一个很好的解决方案–学生贷款。 我从银行得到了积极的回应，开始学习。

万物的地狱 (The Hell of Everything)

Gaining more knowledge is not a problem — it’s the best way to invest in your growth. Yet, it could be more effective if you bet on programs or courses that add value and put you close to your goals. Yet, the lack of clarity of who we are and who we want to become is the hell of everybody.

获得更多知识不是问题-这是投资于增长的最佳方法。 但是，如果您押注能增加价值并接近目标的计划或课程，可能会更有效。 然而，每个人都不清楚我们是谁，我们想成为谁。

你为什么要学习硕士学位？ (Why do you want to study a master’s?)

Before starting to study a master’s degree you should find out why. An honest answer will make a huge difference in the outcome.

在开始攻读硕士学位之前，您应该找出原因。 诚实的答案将对结果产生巨大的影响。

Ask yourself, why do I want to study this? Is it to earn more money? Do I want to be promoted? Is it because I want to switch from a technical role to a management role?

问问自己，我为什么要研究这个？ 是赚更多的钱吗？ 我想升职吗？ 是否因为我想从技术角色转换为管理角色？

The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you will be to make the correct decision. As soon as you avoid dirtying your goals with money and the opinions of your parents and friends, you will find clarity.

您对自己越诚实，就越有可能做出正确的决定。 一旦您避免用金钱和父母以及朋友的意见弄脏目标，您就会发现清晰。

Now you have a little bit of context, it’s time to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of my master’s in software architecture degree.

现在您有了一些背景知识，是时候谈论我的软件架构学位的好，坏和丑陋了。

善良 (The Good)

Whenever you decide to study you’re building your own future. You’re betting on yourself to move towards your goals. It’s a brave decision to make your life happier in many different areas — personal, work, spiritual.

每当您决定学习时，您都在建立自己的未来。 您下注要朝着自己的目标迈进。 让您的生活在许多不同领域(个人，工作和精神生活)更加幸福，这是一个勇敢的决定。

建立牢固的长期联系 (Building strong, long-term connections)

The first and the most powerful thing about studying is the fact that it gives you the chance to build connections: Inspiring teachers, study buddies, friends, relationships.

学习的第一个也是最有力的一件事是，它使您有机会建立联系：鼓舞老师，学习伙伴，朋友，人际关系。

Your opportunities are directly proportional to your network. So, the best way to create them is through a strong, trusted, and large network.

您的机会与您的网络成正比。 因此，创建它们的最佳方法是通过强大，可信任的大型网络。

Thanks to my master’s degree I had the luck to meet and work with incredible people. We built strong, long-term relationships. Now they’re all amazing friends.

多亏了我的硕士学位，我才有幸与不可思议的人见面并一起工作。 我们建立了牢固的长期关系。 现在他们都是很棒的朋友。

最新的最新技术 (Up-to-date with the latest tech)

The second good thing is that you have the chance to catch up with the cutting-edge in the field you’re studying. New tools, techniques, approaches, and technologies.

第二个好处是，您有机会赶上您所研究领域的前沿技术。 新工具，技术，方法和技术。

There’s no doubt that I learned a lot by studying.

毫无疑问，我通过学习中学到了很多东西。

One of the things I’m proud of the most is that my team and I built a complete step-by-step guide to implementing Continuous Integration (CI). This guide was a result of several interviews with experts in CI, developer leads, startups, and companies who were using CI as part of their development process.

我最引以为傲的一件事是，我和我的团队为实现持续集成(CI)制定了完整的分步指南。 该指南是对CI专家，开发人员领导，初创企业以及将CI用作开发过程一部分的公司进行的多次采访的结果。

坏人 (The Bad)

Although it’s true there were good things about taking a master’s it’s also true there were bad things. However, that doesn’t mean I regret any of the decisions I made at the time.

虽然这确实是掌握硕士学位的好事，但也确实存在坏事。 但是，这并不意味着我后悔自己当时做出的任何决定。

引人注目的标题 (The compelling title)

The compelling title of my degree — Masters in Software Architecture — fitted my profile perfectly. It seemed technically-oriented.

我的学位的引人注目的标题-软件架构硕士-非常适合我的个人资料。 它似乎是技术导向的。

However, I ended up specializing in networks, business intelligence, negotiation skills, and PMbok.

但是，我最终专注于网络，商业智能，谈判技巧和PMbok。

I wish I’d studied the advanced design and architectural patterns of software development in depth — both theoretical and practical.

我希望我能深入研究软件开发的高级设计和体系结构模式-理论和实践。

为什么没有专业化？ (Why no specialization?)

When the program was almost finished I started off to make numbers and think in a profound way about. At the time, I had more clarity that I wanted to become first a world-class programmer, then a technical writer, then an online entrepreneur.

程序快要结束时，我开始进行数字运算，并进行深刻的思考。 当时，我更加清楚地希望成为世界一流的程序员，然后成为技术作家，然后成为在线企业家。

My biggest goal didn’t match with the master’s program. I’d spent more than three years sharpening the wrong ax.

我最大的目标与硕士课程不符。 我花了三年多的时间磨尖了错误的斧头。

I had spent around 10,000 USD, including monthly fees, tuition, fees, and gasoline — not to mention the time and stress. With all that, I could have taken a specialization, like an immersive software engineering program, for example.

我花了大约10,000美元，包括月费，学费，杂费和汽油-更不用说时间和压力了。 有了这些，我本可以专攻某个领域，例如沉浸式软件工程程序。

Basically, I had a lack of clarity about what I wanted to be. I made a decision based on other things.

基本上，我对自己想要成为的人缺乏明确性。 我根据其他事情做出了决定。

在财务方面-更多债务 (On the financial side— more debts)

First, invest in yourself — but wisely.

首先，明智地投资自己。

If you invest in yourself without enough clarity about who you really want to be, let me discourage you. You’re not investing, you’re just spending money and wasting your limited time.

如果您对自己真正想成为谁的投资不够明确，让我不鼓励您。 您没有投资，只是花钱，浪费了有限的时间。

I took a student loan to accomplish it. Is this a wise decision when you have enough debts already? Even if you don’t have them, is that still a good decision?

我借了一笔学生贷款来完成它。 如果您已经有足够的债务，这是一个明智的决定吗？ 即使您没有它们，这还是一个不错的决定吗？

It’s absolutely not a smart decision. By doing that I only got more debts, which snowballed.

这绝对不是一个明智的决定。 这样一来，我只有更多的债务，滚雪球。

丑陋的 (The ugly)

The ugly is the result and effects of that decision.

丑陋是该决定的结果和结果。

更多债务 (More debts)

As I just said, I got into more debt and it started to snowball.

就像我刚才说的那样，我背上了更多的债务，并且开始滚雪球。

More debt really doesn’t matter if the program is aligned with your goals. It doesn’t matter if add valuable experience to your path.

如果计划与您的目标保持一致，那么增加债务确实无关紧要。 是否在您的道路上增加宝贵的经验并不重要。

But otherwise, you should avoid falling into it at all costs.

但是否则，您应该避免不惜一切代价陷入其中。

没有动手经验 (No hands-on experience)

Knowledge without practice is nothing.

没有实践就没有知识。

Four years later, I still don’t have any hands-experience as a software architect.

四年后，我仍然没有任何软件架构师的经验。

浪费时间 (Wasted time)

I spent more than 900 days graduating. Now I ask myself, how many things could I have accomplished since then if I hadn’t been doing a master’s?

我花了900多天的时间毕业。 现在我问自己，如果我不做硕士，那之后我能完成多少工作？

Everyone is getting older and as we do so we get more responsibilities and burdens. Spending our time wisely is essential for everybody who wants to achieve their goals.

每个人都在变老，随着我们这样做，我们将承担更多的责任和负担。 明智地花费时间对于每个想要实现目标的人都是至关重要的。

结论 (Conclusion)

This is only my own experience, yet it may resonate with you — whether you are a student or self-taught, from grads to post-grads and anyone in between.

这只是我自己的经历，但它可能会引起您的共鸣-无论您是学生还是自学成才的人，从研究生到研究生，以及介于两者之间的任何人。

Don’t forget — first things first. Find clarity about who you really are and who you want to become.

不要忘记-首先是第一件事。 明确了解自己的真实身份和想成为的人。

The more honest you are with yourself, the more wise will be your decision. As soon as you avoid dirtying your goals with money, parents, and friend’s opinions and desires you will find that clarity.

您对自己越诚实，您的决定就越明智。 一旦您避免用金钱，父母和朋友的见解和愿望弄脏您的目标，您就会发现这种清晰度。

Thanks for reading. I hope this piece was helpful for you.

谢谢阅读。 希望这篇文章对您有所帮助。