Is going to college a waste of time?

[1PercentStreet]

For some, college is a waste of time.
For some, like myself, high school was a waste of time.
To each their own.

List of 55 School Drop Out Billionaires + Successful Entrepreneurs | Top Business Ideas

 

[Tom.V]

Gotta love this topic. I am not anti-college or anything, though I did not go. It may be helpful, it may not. This is totally up to the individual and HOW they spend their time, and whether or not the make the most of the situation or just bury themselves in debt.

But IMO:

Autodidactism+Real World Testing > College

 

[Ravens_Shadow]

I personally dropped out this past summer in my 3rd semester and it was a total waste of time for me. At my community college, there wasn't much networking to be done, and I could tell all the professors hated their day jobs (what they taught), and then when they taught at night they were often monotone and and assigned pages upon pages of useless busy work.

 

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[stefan]

Be careful and research who you're interning with.

This is the "multibillion dollar industry, bio-tech research company" the head of our University of Washington's Center for Entrepreneurship "founded." The about page use to list him as an employee, but now lists him as a co-founder.
Biotech Stock Research - Independent research, plain English

It looks remarkably similar to a penny stock newsletter I ran when I was 19. :smilielol:

That page definitely looks suspect. I would feel pretty questionable about your school's "entrepreneurship center." I feel confident in mine as they've placed me at our school's App Center so I'm directly surrounded by coding and heavy market research in the tech field. I requested to work within the most fastlane area that I possibly could thanks to MJ for opening my eyes.

However I still agree with the consensus of this thread that college is usually a poor investment. But if you're in school, there are a few possible ways to beat the odds. Plus having direct access to business competitions is nice for some people. School CAN make it easy for some to easily connect with fastlaners. Just don't pay $100k for four years of it.

 

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[socaldude]

College is ok if you come out of high school with no direction

If I came onto this forum and offered a $50,000 seminar for a bunch of beginner-intermediate business courses many on this forum would rightly call me out and call it a "rip off" or "thats outrageous!" or "Dude, all of that information is available for free on wikipedia!'. And yet somehow its reasonable and totally acceptable and "Normal" to do just this instead at an "accredited professional higher education institution" AKA College?

All of the knowledge college offers is not unique, special, proprietary or exclusive. Its nothing you can't find at a Barnes and Noble bookshelf or Online. Anybody with an appetite for knowledge and a good work ethic should skip out on college.

Admit it, college is a lie and a scam. Deep down inside we all know the marginal benefit is not there. Our Economic structure has changed. This is the information age. Knowledge is plentiful and freely available.

Sorry if I sound offensive but its just beyond me how anybody in their right mind could justify going into crippling debt to obtain free and easily available knowledge and make $8 an hour out of college.

All statistics and arguments for college have been proven to be wrong and misleading. You can't compare apples and oranges and then say all oranges are apples. You can't say "You see I told you so!, almost all millionaires have college degrees!" of course they do because if you are hard working and have a voracious appetite for knowledge then you are most likely to get accepted into college and attend it. Was it really necessary? I say no.

Admit it, a college degree is garbage, your 401K is garbage, your mutual fund will lose 50% of its value.

All pro college arguments are geared towards a system that is outdated and broken and the assumption that human beings can't carry their own weight and be resourceful, independent and critical thinking beings without drinking the college kool aid.

 

[DeletedUser394]

Don't know about college, but this thread has definitely become a waste of time.

[video=youtube;qYx7YG0RsFY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYx7YG0RsFY[/video]

PS: I dropped out today just after noon.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Sounds like nothing but sour grapes from someone who needs to perniciously defend his ego after wasting 4 years in college and thousands of dollars only to receive a worthless piece of paper.

His argument is based upon the results (or lack of results) of the Thiel foundation. Considering the source (PBS) I would conclude that this is nothing but a state-sponsored propaganda hit piece making an weak argument in favor of an outdated and overpriced institution that will do anything to preserve it's monopoly. Frankly put, anyone with discipline no longer needs to spend $100K and 4 years on college and those that do become complicit to their own economic slavery.

In return, "the state" is guaranteed a continual influx of corporate slaves, milled and machined from the great institution we call college. The poor saps that believe the lie get shackled to a lifetime of debt that can't be bankrupted away-- meanwhile the state is ensured a lifetime of perpetual tax dollars by virtue of your economic slavery to the system by which you willing participated within. All for what? An illusion of a "safe secure" job at some corporation? It's a freaking fantasy and people are waking up to it.

Just something to think about before you take on the cost and the time of college.

I agree with MJ here, I didn't go to college, but I'm just fine as an entrepenuer now (I mean I make enough money to live comfortably in a great place and travel where ever I want).

The true story is that it took me ten years to figure out how RELEVANT entrepenuerialism is. I tried all the stuff you shouldn't do that MJ wrote about in his book (started laughing at his examples because ten years ago I did them word for word), starting up things that nobody wanted, and that lasted about ten years until I was like "ok, I have to sort this out". Entrepenuerialism seems to be many of the guys that made that decision to sort it out properly.

You don't need a college degree, you just need a slap to wake you up and the stones to make it work well enough to survive/enjoy your time.

... Part of the fastlane philosophy as I understand it, is that subsistance is easy to fulfil if you have enough leverage. That leverage comes from MINDSET, and how you approach business.
The idea that you NEED anything from anybody is a mindset that will hold you BACK, and not give you the leverage to make the money you need comfortably. To me if you think that college is the answer to business, you should really start believing in yourself more, because you do not need qualifications to be a CEO, in fact I think about over 50% of all CEO's did not go to college.

Steve jobs got some trivial stuff from college, like caligraphy and stuff, but what made him a success (as portrayed in the recent jobs movie) was that he got out there and made something worth buying.
College gives knowledge but it doesn't give you motivation like that, if it DID, I'd definately go.

From my observations, college has only been the making or breaking factor in particular cases where people miraculously met the right people whilst attending. This usually happens in prominent schools, like with Bill Gates meeting his professor, or Trump meeting the guys (can't remember who) who helped him change his path. Despite the intervention of others through the social aspect of college, the will to succeed seems to be the most pressing factor to me towards a persons actual proclivity towards success in business.


Not all people can be successful as entrepenuers, but, I think that comes down to people not being able to be successful anywhere. It is a hard path (took me ten years of STUPIDNESS to even wake up! Wth!), but I think it is best to walk it, because even though the beginning innertia is extremely high, the top speed far surpasses what you will ever need (hey, I'm already about at what I need, the rest is just whatever). If you think you can get past that innertia then dropping out is a totally fine choice.

A good example of a dropping out done right is richkid actually...
I am certain that Richkid will not fail at making his life of entrepeneurial endevours, he is backed by a support group here and already has the willpower he needs (so will easily go past what he needs imo). However, sometimes it is a bad idea to drop out, such as when you are a stoner, with no support group, who plays video games, and has no intention of getting out there and doing it. Never follow the advice "drop out to follow your passion"... I did that, and it led to ten years of "wtf is this?!", I survived though (this bullshit about there being no good jobs is kinda dumb, I had some really nice jobs working in different places over the years, its not like you are forced to clean toilets without gloves on because you drop out).


To me, I wanna ask, is this really a question about college? Or is it a question of "what is the laziest thing I can do to garuntee success?", because there is no garuntee, and if you've got the will to succeed, it really doesn't matter which path you take, so long as you are aware of the DEBT you are getting into by going through college.

I think of it this way. Can you forsee a good return on investment by going to college? Can you see a good return on investment on a business you can get started on now?
If both of these choices are bad to you, you need to find something ELSE, because your options are both not up to the standards you need to succeed.

College or not... Learn to act on the business principles that make you a success. Its just the smart thing to do.

 

[Kak]

An associates degree in something like accounting principles or sales may be something to think about. It will get your mind reasy to run a business at a pretty cheap (community college) tuituon. It is just all of the worthless garbage that got me. The arts, histories, the training and development, computer classes, statistics, health. Jesus, why in heck did I need this for a BUSINESS degree. The real question is why do I need a business degree? I should not be worried about my intrinsic worth. That is for people who accept mediocrity.

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[AndrewNC]

I would finish high school if I were you.

As for college - Take in mind that it is more than just the classes you take. If it wasn't for the people I networked with in college, I wouldn't be here today with this fastlane mindset. While you may not take the classes that directly relate to what you want to do with your business, there are numerous other skills that you can acquire by being in the college environment. My Bachelors in Political Science has nothing to do with my website businesses...but I wouldn't trade in those 4 years of experiences at all.

Can you work on your business while taking college courses? Do you have to take out $100k in loans to get your degree? Will you go to a school where you can network with people who can help you out with your business? These are all questions that you should factor in while making your decision. This is a choice that you will have to make on your own.

 

[socaldude]

i really think the college system in the U.S. is messed up. WAY overpriced and WAY over rated. i'm in college an i find it SOOO STUPID and SCAMISH that they charge 15-50k a year to have some old guy/lady stand in front of the classroom on a podium and regurgitate information that is freely available online or for $10 in a book at borders. what we should do is give the option to students to TEST for a degree. for example, my utopia would be, the education dept. gives the student a booklet/outline of what they need to teach themselves for their desired degree and the student follows that outline in INDEPENDENT study. then they take a idk 4 or 5 hour test and test for that degree! maybe all they would pay is a small fee to test an wham! not only will this save people time and money but we would create citizens that are independent and self sufficient. but dont go to college if its super expensive, especially at a private university where its the same $hit as a community college.

 

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[Ivan]

That is absolutely true, however the vast majority of people who have met these great entrepreneurs have gone foreward to their lives in the slowlane.

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I think that's what he was getting at. I personally have mixed feelings about college. I think we've got an education "bubble" of sorts happening right now. The cost is increasing but the value is decreasing (more people have degrees now- it works kinda like inflation).

On the other hand, college is right for some people. I think you should go to college if:
- you can pay for it. Junior colleges and state universities are still pretty cheap.
- your degree is a technical one (it's tough to learn engineering or medicine at the library. Would I go to a university for a business degree? Never)
- you are reasonably "book smart" and have the discipline to finish the degree.

It's nice to have a degree/skillset because if your fastlane plan fails, you can fall back temporarily to a $50k/year job instead of a $10/hour job.

One other thing to realize: a lot of college professors don't have a lot of real world experience. I saw this with my engineering professors. One spent 6 months as an engineer in the industry, while another had worked there his whole life and was teaching on the side. The difference was phenomenal. Pick professors who have experience in the real world. They can give you a ton of tips and methods you won't find in the textbooks.

 

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[Kak]

East wind. Do you have Millions? I didn't think so. Your point is moot.

College teaches you to be a good employee. It does not match up with the entrepreneurial mentality no matter how bad you and others want it to.

You don't need to go to college to learn all you need to now about business, that is a fact. There are much cheaper and less time consuming methods.

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[The-J]

People who say college is useless are annoying.

College is the #1 way to guarentee you will get a decent salary, for the rest of your life.

Somebody said that it's crazy that we feel okay asking our parents for $50,000 to go to college but why do we find it offensive to ask for $1000 for a business start up.

Creating a successful business is hard. It's not magic like people seem to think. 4 years of college and I can get a guaranteed job at $30,000. 2 more years and I can guarantee myself $40,000 for the rest of my life. Go all the way through grad school and it's $60,000, and that's just out of college.

Compare that to a business where it will take the average person 8 years to teach themselves and get a handle of the industry and they will have no connections. And the money isn't promised. Yes, you could make millions..... or you will end up like 70% of the others who make nothing and now have no hope because they are married with children and don't have the time to go to college like they should have.

If you have the money, there is no reason not to go to college for at least 3 years to get any sort of degree as back up just in case you fail at business, which most people will.

Tell that to people who got an art degree and are now living with their parents how 'guaranteed' a job is.

For a first post on the Fastlane forum, that sure sounds like Slowlaner advice to me. The truth is, no, you are NOT guaranteed a job out of college. And, if you get that job, you're not guaranteed to keep it. Unless you're talking about getting a job in education, which really isn't all that glamorous.

And who said that because you fail once, you have to give up? Everyone fails in business at least once. Steve Jobs got kicked out of his own company. I'm 18 and I've already experienced business failure. Did that stop me? Nope. Will it stop me? Nope.

I'm sorry, but you're just flat wrong. I'm going to finish off my degree for the social benefits and the experience, NOT for the job security. And I'm in business school.

 

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[tdt85]

DON'T DROP OUT! Entrepreneurship is fun but it's risky. Only a small percentage (very small) of population will ever make it. So you have to play it smart.

Finish high school and then go to a community college. While there, you can work on your ventures during free time while at the same time getting at least some education (which you can use for your resume in case your venture doesn't work out). Then if you do decide to go to a university, DON'T go to a for-profit or private school and instead go to a public one (because it's cheaper). Again, while there, work on your ventures during free time. Drop out only when you are sure your venture is working.

I think this is a smarter way to go about it. You have no idea how often it seems like your entrepreneurial idea will work and it doesn't. You should always have an exit strategy in case your business idea doesn't work out.

 

[Giles]

Might be a little tough. 30k for the 3 years. How much for living and how much to start the business?

I spent $30k on the degree alone. So what im saying is I would have rather spent all that $30k on starting a business rather then studying business at University.

 

[taichijedi]

I think that the question of "Is college a waste of time" is very personal, and is different for each person. It depends on what you want for yourself, the value you find in the proposition, and how you want to experience life. High school should be finished categorically, but after that it really does come from personal preference. (Also, for the sake of this opinion, let us assume any college degree discussed is useful, STEM related, accounting, International Business, Finance, Computer Science, etc.)

Some people say "To hell with college, I just want to get started on my own business", and that is a reasonable motive if one possesses the motivation, resources, and perseverance to succeed. There are certainly plenty of stories of individuals who have skipped college, passed GO, and collected $2,000,000. Richard Branson, Sean Parker, and Ben Affleck all pursued this route with great effect (Richard Branson was even awarded a knighthood for his success.) However, there is still empirical evidence that lends itself tho the fact that this method is far more difficult statistically; to wit: 80% of new businesses fail within the first 4 years, 75% of those fail due to under-capitalization. I am not saying it is impossible, or that everyone need to attend college, I am just saying that statistically those without degrees have a harder time gaining traction and succeeding over the long-term. Without a degree, you most certainly can succeed with the appropriate amount of hard work and discipline, but if you have to supplement your start-up income or regroup financially after a failed venture your options are less. So there is a cost in not going, just as there is a cost in going.

Next there are individuals who start college, start their business in parallel, have their business endeavor gain traction and decide to focus on that full time. This is really no different than the RDPD "start a business while you work" methodology, with dual obligations functioning concurrently until one is clearly dominant and requires enough time and is generating enough cash-flow that the other pursuit disengaged. This thread is already rife with examples of these individuals: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, Ted Turner, & Bill Gates. These people were functioning in a long-term and short-term capacity, preparing for a long career as a slow-laner but found their muse of inspiration and were successful enough at their venture that their education devalued geometrically, so they moved on with their experiences. Technically in these cases college, in its purest sense, functioned exactly as it should, enabling people to develop insights and gain experiences sufficient to allow them to be self sufficient. I can hardly think it rational to say to any of the aforementioned individuals that they are "slow-lane," that they "just don't get it," or that they "wasted their time/money going to college;" all of them would most likely disagree, as they found something that added to their success later while in college: Mark Z met his financier and co-founder, Steve Jobs got the inspiration for the clean interface and beautiful styling that became the heart of the Apple brand. So there are people who did go to college, but did not finish, as their other opportunities pursued reached critical mass; yet the experience of college lent itself to the very success they were creating, and could quite possibly have destroyed that success if that experience were not a component.

Finally there are those who did attend and complete an institutional accreditation process, thereby earning a degree. There are a plethora of such individuals: Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, & Jack Welch to name a few. Warren Buffet even studied under the gentleman who would become his mentor and future business partner, Benjamin Graham. There is good reason for this collegiate attendance (especially if it is subsidized with grants and/or scholarships), as there is a statistically higher salary that comes with such an accomplishment, and it does increase the likelyhood of finding a decent career. I know, I know, I churched it up and should have just used the filthy word I meant and said "Job", but the fact of the matter is even MJ himself has said both in the book and on this forum that "there is nothing wrong with the slow lane provided it is designed as a role in your plan to gain capital and experience that ultimately allows you to shift into the fast lane" (paraphrasing). People in college, if they are applying themselves, expand their horizons, learn to think in new and different paradigms, stretch their boundaries, extrapolate ideas into realms where they may not have previously existed (the definition of innovation), and ultimately learn a skillset to sufficiently grant them the confidence to be able to handle the rigors of empire building (which is not for the timid.) All of these are noble and worthwhile motives, and just the fact that they know they have a safety net may raise the risk tolerance of these individuals to "step off the ledge" and plunge into entrepreneurship. In argument, Socrates often pushed his students to "Know the domain of their own ignorance," meaning that even if they did not know an answer it was acceptable so long as they realize they do not know, so they can proceed to learn what they do not know. There is more to attaining a degree than simply the cost analysis/time analysis/cost of time value/opportunity cost value; there are more indirect attributes to such a pursuit that can act as an asset in a qualitative way, but not necessarily quantitative ways. These qualitative assets exist only at the personal level, and as such there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

To surmise, whether or not to attend is a VERY personal choice, and one that should be based upon the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. No one can tell you which way to go, that you must decide for yourself (the prime characteristic of an entrepreneur). Also, I have read this entire thread, and the thing I found most disturbing is the "war camping" of attend vs. not attend. It has been statistically proven that honors students would be successful even if they did not go to college, the reason being is that they are hard wired for success, striving, ambition, and a higher set of personal standards. The same could be said of this forum, the people here are of an ilk and caliber that lends itself to entrepreneurial endeavor and success; this is how you found this place to begin with. The people here found this place pursuing a set of individulas with similar values and drive. However, if you look to the left at my reg date, you will see I have been around this forum for a long time, and the most disconcerting thing to me is the lack of respect for diversity being shown to fellow entrepreneurs. If someone chooses to educate themselves, that is their prerogative, and I think I have clearly shown that such a course should not be viewed as unfathomable. If it is your opinion that such a course of action is folly, one needn't say "You simpleton slow-laner, enjoy scrubbing floors for minimum wage" but can certainly say "Well I don't agree with a college degree for X and Y reason, so I personally wouldn't pursue it, but YMMV." Really, the difference is EQ, it has been shown that emotional intelligence is 7x more important to executives and business leaders than technical training, degree pedigree, or lineage. On this forum, much as in the real world, there is a diverse collection of like-minded individuals engaged in similar pursuits and as such is a wealth of varying opinion from which we all can learn when shared appropriately. Would you talk to your potential clients/customers/business partners/consultants in such a tone? I only ask because I know a great many people on this site collaborate on various projects and seek out specialists in skills from this forum to bolster areas of weakness in their own pursuits, so you very well may be.

My apologies if I hijacked your thread Mike39, and I offer you the sincerest best regards in your future endeavors, regardless of the path you choose.

 

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[socaldude]

At college one can learn alot of life skills as its an valid institution to grow and to develop new skills that can carry a student way into employment.

There is no such thing as the "college experience" where you learn and grow. I know its blasphemy. You see, when people leave their parents home for college, they get freedom and independence. Now lets say you DIDN'T go to college, but instead you moved to another state to live on your own and support yourself. Again you will feel like you are in control of your life and free from dependency. People somehow confuse that college is somehow the cause of this new freedom and independence from home and they call it the "college experience".

I am currently in college and although I am paying my way cash-debt free, I regret going. I found that there is NOTHING in college that you cannot experience or do OUTSIDE of college. For example: Need a girlfriend? well then go talk to that girl at the supermarket like i do. Need to network? Then join forums and linkedin etc. Need to know how to think? learn how to use a damn library. Need friends? put a damn smile on your face and start becoming interested in people. need to know something? then use damn google and buy books. You see its all there.

All things equal, who is going to get where he wants to go faster? The entrepreneur who DOESNT go to college and spends his time learning on his own terms and supporting himself OR the entrepreneur who racks up student debt and spends his time taking classes like "5th century history"?

 

[Kak]

Well I graduated with a business degree last week. Guess what, not a single spark of influence came of it. LMAO. I didnt expect it but some do.

Now im building a business that could have already been built. I guess Ill cold call the alumni list and sell to their companies, get something out of it.

 

[sam22]

I think many people seem to miss the point of college. It's not to help you get a job. It's not to make you smart. It's not to help you fit into society.

It's to get you to think critically about culture. It's to get you to become an informed consumer of culture.

Interesting thought - maybe that was the original intention of college, but for most students today, thinking about culture is no longer the reason for going to college. And if thinking about culture is the point of college, that's one expensive lesson.

The #1 product/service colleges sell is the dream of getting a job, which in turn implies a steady income and 401k, etc. blah blah blah.

That's why college is called an "investment" by some. And that's the reason why people drop $100k to $200k (or borrow that much) for an undergrad degree - because they expect an ROI in the form of a job. Except everything is starting to look like the housing crisis. Mark Cuban wrote a great blog post comparing the housing crisis to this education bubble.

 

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[CommonCents]

It's too general of a question. It depends. But my answer overall is college is worth it, but you must be smart and apply yourself. A very small % of people have the ambition, knowledge etc...to skip college. A similar question, is it a waste of time to start a business? For most: Yes. But kinda irrelevant.

But, for the masses, college improves your chances in life. Plenty of stats to back that up. It is unfair to use examples of Gates etc....plus Gates probably had more than college equivalent of knowledge, IQ that most don't have, coupled with more importantly, AMBITION. A Gates is more rare than a lightning strike. Me, I like high probability plays.

Having said that, all colleges aren't the same. Do homework on where you can go to get the best education in your area of interest for the money. I went to Georgia Tech as in state and it was dirt cheap for the education at the time. Out of state tuition for most schools are a major ripoff.

In the ideal world, HS students should be made to work a year or two before entering college. Again, you get out of it what you put into it. You can choose a crap school, take crap fluff courses, party too much(party is freakin great!, don't get me wrong) and you'll come out a waste. Working a year or two, struggling, would give young people a taste of the real world and provide much more motivation to apply themselves in college.

For every 1 self made entrepreneur that didn't go to college I bet you could find 1,000 successful entrepreneurs that went to college and worked in corporate world for a few years and branched off into their own gig in their industry.

Budding entrepreneurs should learn sales, marketing, accounting, and business law. There are even entrepreneur focused programs now, that I didnt have back then. Some building blocks you will use for the rest of your life. You can argue that you can learn much of this free online etc... Most people just don't have the discipline at that age and need more of a structured program. Nothing wrong with that.

College isn't for everyone. I think vocational schools will make a comeback as well. They have been tarnished as low grade. Many people just arent cut out for college but were pressured into going, instead of vocational school to learn a trade. ie. People often laugh at plumbers, but they can make major bank and get the last laugh when making bank deposits after learning the trade, getting a few years experience working for others, then going out on their own. RotoRooter is major fast lane.

There is a general feeling among many entrepreneur forums/discussions that it is cool or needed to be a one person renegade to succeed. NOTHING could be further from the truth. A great network and connections is a huge advantage to success. Again, I like high probability quadrants.

EX. how many hedge fund billionaires/hundred millionaires started one out of high school? out of college? probably zero. Most got their undergrad in ivy league, MBA or PHD then WORKED for others before branching out. Overall, ask any successful entrepreneur and you'll find the vast majority have a college education and have worked in the world for years.

I think peoples' ideas of entrepreneurs being solo disruptive renegades are skewed by the media, because often those types are chronicled in the media. You don't read many stories about the Millionaires Next Door types who learned a trade and branched out or went to college, worked in industry, then branched out etc....

The idea is look at your area of interest and study the best path to success. What tools do you need? What is the best way to acquire them? Re-inventing the wheel by yourself is very very difficult.

There is also a misnomer that entrepreneurs love taking big risks(more like failed entrepreneurs). That is false. Successful entrepreneurs do everything they can to MINIMIZE risk. A proper college education can help tremendously. Obviously there are always exceptions, but I kinda like taking the path of least resistance and high probability. That's gonna be different for each person and each industry.

 

[LamboMP]

Not a waste of time at all. Most people aren't capable of being entrepreneurs. It takes a certain person, almost of an obsessive nature, to innovate and bring value to the world.

 

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[Runum]

8 Ways Business School Can Be An Incubator For Your Startup

Are you ready to drop $100,000?

I started business school in the fall of 2010. When I applied, I had no intention of starting a company. I was attending to help grow my family’s business. However, your path can change. Mine did.

In March of 2011, I began work on ZipFit.me. I was part way through the business school program and tried to get the most I could out of it. Here is how Chicago Booth helped ZipFit.me:

8 Ways Business School Can Be An Incubator For Your Startup - Forbes

It's not a black/white decision. Here are some ways that college may be of benefit.

 

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[Kak]

LMAO ZDS. I would give up my 4 years just to square away the 4k I have left on my loan.

 

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[Steele Concept]

Go to college. Learn. Socialize, exercise, party get laid. College is equally important for the education and social skill development IMHO.

 

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[GetShitDone]

I've been in college for a few weeks now and in terms of going to class/homework I can't stand it mostly because of the fact that I've always hated school in general when it comes to doing the "work". I'm only here because my parents made me go but I am on the brink of launching my company at the same time.

Once I get enough of an income to be able to move out/live alone, I am dropping out/moving out and focusing on growing my company and future ventures.. Meeting people in college is great and the social settings are pretty different from high school though.

 

[RBefort]

College is a huge waste of time if you use it to slack off and party all the time. I didn't party, but had serious, time-consuming relationships that probably werent going anywhere, worked full time at fast food joints, Walmart, etc (hadn't found fastlane stuff yet; found poker, but not really on the same level as fastlane). I was going to be like the usual rat race and slug my way through it....I was a 4.0 in HS, but my grades took a downward spiral once I got further in (naturally, all I cared about was poker). Like said above, I would pick something that would further you in some way. I got a degree in Mathematics just because I enjoyed it (thought I was going Actuary route then), and ended up quoting insurance as an Underwriter. I would definitely spend more time getting a bunch of scholarships so I could eliminate some of the debt, save/determine other methods to pile up cash to pay for school so I didn't have to work through it, and socialize/network greatly. College is one of the best times of your life. If I had to do it over, I would study more, save more from poker, never work a day at a dumb job, and party on the weekend evenings, if I had enough time to work on fastlane ideas as well. I did not have any knowledge of Fastlane at the time, so Fastlane wasn't really on my list of things to do lol.

My friend is in college right now and seems to have a knack for creativeness and Fastlane spirit than I do, as well as a more successful poker player. He is going in Acctg right now because his brother is partner at his own firm and keeping up with the Joneses. He definitlely doesn't want this lifestyle, doesn't think he would enjoy acctg, etc. Wants to do more health and fitness, but that would probably make squat. He always tells me it's too late to change and throw more money towards school, and wishes he just moved to Florida on the beach and stuff before going back after poker shut down. Just seems like a huge waste until you sort out your interests/goals and lay out how you would benefit the most from the experience.

 

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[Kak]

A million in revenue is dfferent than a million in profit though. Not that hard, but keeps the jokers out. I have 4 MLMers in my networking group. Honestly it is a bunch of people who have no leads and are desperate to get them from others in the group who also have no leads. Anything less than EO will be bullshit. I want to join EO in 2013.

I am sure they don't expect you to be at that mark when you are looking for an apprenticeship. Just call and go for it. See when the next meeting is and ask them of you can take 5 minutes to introduce yourself.

 

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[Kak]

Yes



There you got a straight answer to your question.

 

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[zzaxx]

I didn't read through the entire thread, so forgive me if someone has already posted this article. I'm not advocating one way or another. I have a lot of education (graduate/undergraduate engineering) and I'm sending my kids to college - IF they have a plan for a marketable degree. That being said, many degrees aren't going to help you much with either Fastlane or Slowlane success.

The Pernicious Myth that You Don't Need College to Be an Entrepreneur

 

[Vigilante]

Shit.

Nobody told me I could not succeed as an entrepreneur if I didn't finish college. I guess I better go back and finish up.

Or...

List of college dropout billionaires - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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