Red pill perspective: You’re probably to focused on the event – Becoming the Data Scientist you want to be – rather than the process of developing yourself daily. Adopt a process modality. It would help you to structure your learning towards where you want to go.

By all means, there’s nothing wrong with getting a degree but it’s not going to make you any more entitled to what someone who grinds their socks off deserves – it will make you poorer though.