Business Education Before Fastlane?

[adiakritos]

Working on my BA soon.

I love to learn. Business knowledge makes me feel empowered. My question is if its worth it the time.

More specifically, is jumping into business endeavors before or after a better idea than just working towards a business without any schooling.

 

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[Darkside]

Working on my BA soon.

I love to learn. Business knowledge makes me feel empowered. My question is if its worth it the time.

More specifically, is jumping into business endeavors before or after a better idea than just working towards a business without any schooling.

If you are intending to become an entrepreneur then you'd just be wasting your time trying to get a business degree. You'd learn more about business by actually starting one and making mistakes then spending years trying to get a piece of paper.

Business degrees are only useful if you want to work for another business as a management type; you'll need the degree because they won't hire you without one.

 

[jeandearme]

As Darkside mentioned.

You will learn more from one-year entrepreunership than from 5 years of business college. Why is that?

In college - they will show You problems, situations and theory.

In life - You will (probably) be tricked by others, see that not everyone is fair, that sometimes You have to step back, and sometimes attack. You will be in this situations as a hero, not an observer. And You have no book there - You must think sharp and even in places You maybe don't like so much.

In college - You learn how to fight...in theory for 5 years, and then fight.

In life - You fight...and learn by the way (hard way, to be honest). But after 5 years in live entrepreneurship You will be soooo mch better than guys after college.

Best thing to do is to attend college and do business both.

 

[GlobalWealth]

More specifically, is jumping into business endeavors before or after a better idea than just working towards a business without any schooling.

I attended university and acquired my degree after starting, running and selling a few companies so my experience is a bit different.

1st of all, you will learn an enormous amount by just doing as the others have said. There is no better teacher than experience. Be prepared to fail and learn from the mistakes.

However, I do think quality business education can be beneficial. You will learn some things that can save you headaches later on.

If the BA appeals to you, go for it. You can also get that first startup off the ground while you are a student. At many uni's you will have lots of resources to take advantage of so that can be a huge benefit.

 

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[adiakritos]

Thanks guys!

 

[Lights]

Personally, if you enjoy it and want to do it, then do it. A college degree doesn't hurt, but it's just sometimes not necessary, but it doesn't hurt (except huge debts)

 

[Brootal]

Everyone has already hit most of the benefits of each side. However; don't rule out the fact that you will likely meet some like-minded individuals while completing your degree, who may either partner with you or help you grow your own business.

 

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[mayana]

I have a Master's in Business - I picked a good school with a strong Entrepreneurship program. We focused on a lot of really cool projects and I met some awesome, creative entrepreneurs. I worked on a business throughout school and have a business now. The knowledge that I have (which is by NO means anywhere complete!!!) came from a combination of experience and school.

Do I think that you NEED to get a business degree to be more successful? ABSOLUTELY NOT! It's only a personal choice - and you are completely fine either way you decide to do.

By the way, I went to a cheap public university. I think I would do it again at a cheap school, but I don't think it would have been worth paying more money for the degree (if that helps in making your decision).

 

[healthstatus]

Ask your business professor how many businesses they have run. If the answer is 2 or less, run away. A few accounting, finance, statistics, public speaking and a debate class are handy to have under your belt.

 

[Kak]

Ive got a BA in entrepreneurial business, but I have to say my life changed when I met a guy that started an internet business at Texadolphia.

I bought him his meal, It literally changed my entire view on life after listening to what this guy had to say. I was a slow laner prior to the talk. I understand now.

Read the WSJ every day and business school will be worthless.

The only thing a degree gets you is credibility which can be useful not just for working for someone but for becoming business partners.

 

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[healthstatus]

I have a friend that serves on a Board with Bill Gate's father, he said he and and his wife cried for a couple of hours the night that Bill called them and said he was dropping out of college to start a software company. They just knew that he was throwing any opportunity to make it really big.

 

[adiakritos]

thanks guys, your feedback is really helpful and encouraging.

The only thing I can see school useful for is the knowledge tools it'll provide me.

Like what healthstatus said about the accounting, statistics, finance...etc classes as being useful.

You guys just made that more clear to me.

Thanks again!

 

[GlobalWealth]

The only thing I can see school useful for is the knowledge tools it'll provide me.

don't underestimate the power of the connections you can make

 

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[adiakritos]

true that. Damn I've got to keep that in mind. for serious!

 

[puckman]

I guess I am old school and not with the current trend of bashing college. I think you should do both at the same time. Its more likely that when you are balancing studying and running a business, college will be your biggest priority. And once you have a degree, you will have it for life, and no one can take it away from you.

Once you drop out of school, it 10x harder to go back and finish when you are older. Then if you have babies, forget it. Then you are 35 and miserable in a crappy job without a degree and a wife that wont let you go back to get your degree. And if you are, you are still working nights and weekends.

I ran a construction business and went to college at the same time. My degree took 6 years. I went to school at night in grubby construction clothes. I worked, studied and went to class on the summers and weekends. I earned a decent living which paid for school and kept me from going insane working with morons.

Here is my recommendation
-Go to College
-Start businesses
-Do both at the same time.
-Quit partying and going to baseball games like normal dbag americans
-Dont quit college unless your business starts to earn at least $1M in revenue or JT shows up and buys you drinks.

 

[DeletedUser2]

I love people with BA degrees, they make my best employees. and I never have to worry about the competition of them starting the same biz.

I do agree that while there can be great connections in collage, a good networking skill can do that in real life anyway. You need to develop that skill regardless.

I also agree, Start a biz and do collage at the same time. You will see both sides, and one will make the decision for you.

I went to college for 3 semesters. I found out quick, that its just not a good fit for how I learn, and how I operate in the world. I subsequently went on to start and run 14 diff businesses, and take one public as well. so college is no longer the indicator of success it once was.
action and continual education through experience is, IMHO

 

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[Denise]

Once you drop out of school, it 10x harder to go back and finish when you are older. Then if you have babies, forget it. Then you are 35 and miserable in a crappy job without a degree and a wife that wont let you go back to get your degree. And if you are, you are still working nights and weekends.

If you are still very young, getting your degree will not hurt you! If times get tough for you entrepreneurial-wise, getting hired for a "job" temporarily will be easier with a degree than without one. Learn from me, I did it all a$$ backwards and put myself through a few of the most stressful years of my life! I went straight from high school to work, because I was planning on starting my own business (just didn't know what kind), and I didn't want to wrack up college tuition bills when I could be using that money for my business. Long story short, I got sucked into the job world, got married, had kids, accumulated mortgage debt, got divorced, and THEN decided I was going to get my college degree!!

The biggest thing it proved to me is that I am capable of doing ANYTHING! A single mother of 2, working a full-time job, running a household alone, and going to college full-time, and still graduating with a 4.0 GPA..... talk about stressful!! Determination and commitment to success was needed, but if I was to do it all over again, I would have gone to college straight out of high school.

Yet still, I have my Bachelors degree in business, and I am still trying to come up with that one idea to get on the fastlane!
:cheers:

 

[puckman]

Learn from me, I did it all a$$ backwards and put myself through a few of the most stressful years of my life! I went straight from high school to work, because I was planning on starting my own business (just didn't know what kind), The biggest thing it proved to me is that I am capable of doing ANYTHING! A single mother of 2, working a full-time job, running a household alone, and going to college full-time, and still graduating with a 4.0 GPA.....

you rock and thank you for this voice of reason. I also graduated with 3.8 while I ran a fully functioning construction company at the age of 22 that I later sold off at the age of 26.

If you really want to do what Gates/Zuck did, go to college and build at the same time. Would Zuck/Gates have had the same opportunities had they originally not gone to college? doubtful.

Contrary to what you heard above, I would also use this time to study what your passion is, and not boring topics like statistics and accounting. Study arts and music, study science, study what you really care about. When the times comes that you actually need an accountant, hire one, they are relatively cheap. This will be only time in your life where you are 'allowed' to following your passions. Do it now, because until you get to the level of MJ will you be able to do it again.

 

[adiakritos]

thanks for sharing puckman and denise.

quite frankly I'm not sure I'd be getting married or having children before I've made my millions.

@zen******* - what you just said gets me so stoked I feel like the incredible hunk is gonna burst out of me and dominate the world =)

 

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[puckman]

most babies happen unexpectedly. no one, or very few people plan to have kids, and when they do, they are usually 40. just saying, much of life happens unexpectedly, and with todays economy and environment, you want as much net underneath you as possible