Sometimes, when you’re busy running a business, supporting clients and juggling university assignments, you don’t really stop to appreciate how far you’ve come. I’ve now completed seven university subjects, achieving mostly Distinctions and High Distinctions, and have recently enrolled in my eighth. I’ve already completed a Graduate Certificate in Industry Computing (Distinction) and just one subject away from completing my second postgraduate qualification (Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security), with the ultimate goal of earning a Master of Cyber Security at Charles Sturt University.

I Used to Think I Didn’t Need a Degree

For most of my IT career, I genuinely believed that if you loved what you did, kept learning and developed enough practical experience, you didn’t need university qualifications. After years of building servers, managing networks, securing systems and solving real-world IT problems, I wondered what university could possibly teach me that I couldn’t learn myself.

Well, I was wrong about that. The courses have genuinely been useful in my everyday work at Boss IT Solutions. They’ve filled gaps in my knowledge, challenged my assumptions and helped me understand the theory behind things I’ve been doing for years. I still believe practical experience is incredibly valuable, but I’ve discovered that experience and formal education complement each other rather well.

How Far Have I Come?

I’ve already completed my Graduate Certificate in Industry Computing and am now completing my fourth and final subject for the Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security, which is scheduled to finish in February 2027.

From there, I expect to have approximately six or seven additional subjects remaining towards my Master’s, depending on university credit approvals. Once I complete my current subject, that will put me roughly 53–57% of the way through my overall IT MASTERS journey. Not quite the halfway mark yet, but getting very close!

And considering I’ve achieved mostly Distinctions and High Distinctions while running a business, I’m pretty pleased with that.

Academia Isn’t Perfect, but I’ve Learned a Lot

I still have my reservations about academia, particularly what I sometimes perceive as excessive narrative pushing, ideological agendas and expectations around how certain topics should be approached. I don’t believe something should automatically be accepted as correct just because it comes from a university or academic publication. Independent thinking and questioning assumptions are important, particularly in cybersecurity.

However, you don’t have to agree with everything you’re taught to benefit from being taught. Despite my reservations, I can’t deny that university has improved my technical knowledge and the way I approach problems.

It’s also been a slog at times. Between frustrating assignments, demanding workloads and running Boss IT Solutions, there have certainly been moments when I’ve questioned why I started. But pushing through those challenges builds discipline, persistence and resilience. One recent highlight was achieving a High Distinction in Cloud Security, which made the hard work feel worthwhile.

What’s Next?

My immediate goal is to finish Applied IT Ethics in February 2027, completing my second Graduate Certificate before continuing towards the Master of Cyber Security. I’m taking a manageable approach rather than rushing, because there’s still a business to run and clients to look after.

Looking back, I started this journey thinking practical experience was all I needed. I still value that experience enormously, but I’ve gained knowledge I now apply directly to my everyday work.

Seven subjects completed, mostly Distinctions and High Distinctions, one Graduate Certificate achieved, another almost finished, and the Master’s getting closer.

Not bad for someone who’s spent most of his career learning by getting his hands dirty with technology!