Music. Almost every programmer in our company has headphones on most of the time. That way everyone listens to what they like without annoying everyone else around them. :)

Dan Dingus

Not necessarily. The degree WILL help you get your foot in the door with most companies because the HR departments typically screen out applications without their minimum credentials. But that doesn't help you keep the job an ultimately it's usually your performance (and that of your code) that matters. It helps to know someone, or to have the recommendation of someone in the industry that is resepected or who already works for the company. Sometimes you can circumvent the standard process if you know someone who can vouch for you. Short of that, small companies and startups are much more likely to take on someone without a degree if you can show an aptitude for the work. If you know your stuff and it shows instantly to the hiring manager (who is likely to be your boss in a small company) they may be willing to roll the dice with you even without a degree. Keep in mind though, that without a degree you are likely to earn less even if you can get a position. This is especially true with small companies and startups where budgets are tight or non-existant. You'll have to prove your worth to the company very quickly.

Dan Dingus

Agreed. I hated Expression for that very reason. Loved the UI in VS 2008 and 2010. Personally, I find a little color HELPS me find things better at a glance. Otherwise, it all blends together and instead of visual recognition of the icon, you spend your time actually READING the text of every tooltip. Are they insane? They're trying to make it HARDER for us?!

Dan Dingus MCSA, A+, Network+ Network & Systems Engineer