TLDR: mom says that without a degree I’m fucked career wise. I know degrees are less important nowadays, but where should I be concerned in case I don’t get one

Having a month long debate now with my parent who is also an IT professional, but a serious oldhead and currently retired.

My mom was big during her era, and she actually left the field about 13yrs ago. While I have to admit 13yrs is a long ass time in a field as adaptive and ever changing as this, she hasn’t exactly been out of touch. She prides herself on her ability to keep up to date on advancements to the best of her ability. But there are times where her she expresses very obsolete behaviors or knowledge. I won’t try to paint her as a total old fart who doesn’t know shit, she’s honestly not too different than some of my current professors who are definitely out of touch but act like their knowledge which is almost a decade old is still cutting edge. I would never take away from the value of their advice, experience and wisdom, etc, but let’s get to the real focus now. Masters Degrees.

Don’t want it, hell to get my degree there is a good chance I would have to stay here whilst I do it and that was not my plan friends. I want to get the fuck outta this city immediately after finishing my undergrad, but my mom and I have been butting heads like crazy. Part of it is just her codependency, not wanting me to ever leave my city cuz she yk a single parent who doesn’t know how to be alone. The degree is her way to prolong our time together. But also she keeps telling me about her experiences being embarrassed and humiliated by people she had to train who were basically fresh outta grad school while she had years of experience who immediately got promoted ahead of her even though she was still more skilled in many ways. Tbh my mom was brilliant, she was a shark in her field and I do get her concern.

But honestly nowadays more and more folks are telling me that a degree is more like a nice to have than a necessity. So really how will it hold me back? In what ways should I be concerned or should I really not be concerned at all. I have a lot of attractive certs, experience, and projects under my belt and I’m ways trying to increase my skillset however I can. So I’m not too worried.