The dot-com crash has me second-guessing everything. I was going to drop out of my CS program to join a startup — both are now gone. Is a CS degree actually worth the 4 years and $40K debt, or can I just get certifications?

Long term, yes. The foundational stuff — algorithms, data structures, operating systems — doesn't go out of date. The languages and frameworks you learn on the job in 6 months. The theory takes 4 years for a reason.

Many top companies filter by degree for senior positions. If you want to work at Microsoft, Google (if that becomes a thing), or large enterprises, the piece of paper still matters.

The crash cleared out the people who got into tech for money. Those of us who stay will have less competition in 2-3 years. Finish the degree.