Ask HN: Self-teaching vs. Restarting college to pursue CS?

For some context, I decided to attend a public college that gave me a full ride despite the fact that they didn’t offer CS under the assumption that I would work hard my first year to transfer somewhere better. I managed to get into a top CS school in California but left mid-semester due to health issues. I didn’t really have much time to decide what to do for the spring semester so I am returning to the college I was initially at.

I was pursuing a degree in Mathematics, however I’m worried about my lack of knowledge of CS (or more specifically software engineering). I have applied to transfer to two of the top state schools here in NY for CS. However, an admissions rep reached out to me to inform me that while I have a strong profile, I would essentially have to take an additional 1.5 to 2 years to graduate.

At this point, I’m not sure if I might as well do my best to teach myself vs. taking extra time in school to finish a CS degree. I’m worried about possible gaps in my knowledge if I try to just self-teach. What would be the best option if I’m focused on landing a job?