Business school: is it worth it ?

[Ahmet1054]

Hi Fastlaners !

I'm sending this message right from my supply chain course, in a business school.

I have marketing, accounting, supply chain, corporate finance... lessons but I have the feeling that this is too superficial knowledge.

I am wondering if it's really worth it to go on that way. I now that education (especially in a business school) is not a prerequisite to fastlane wealth but I think that it could be a boon as this gives me the basis in several domains (marketing, accounting, supply chain...).

Do you guys have any idea to improve my time at school ? How can I use this asset better ?

Thx !

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TonyStark]

It's only worth how much you're willing to get out of it.

 

[Nicoknowsbest]

Do you guys have any idea to improve my time at school ? How can I use this asset better ?

Start putting your knowledge into action.

Get your hands dirty in the real world.

See where you can take it.

 

[GoodluckChuck]

If I attended business school when I was 18 I would have sat around wondering if any of the information I was getting was useful...

If I went with the knowledge I have today I would completely immerse myself in it and try to suck every drop of infornation and experience out of every person I came by and situation I found myself in. I would make friends with the smartest students and teachers and try and start some businesses. Some of the most successful businesses have been started by college kids while they were in college. I would focus 100% on the educational experience and forget about partying and wasting my time... I would make some good choices to set myself up for the future.

If I knew what I know now when I was younger...
Good luck.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[FeaRxUnLeAsHeD]

I'm going to be writing a book this year. It's going to have two parts.

Part 1. Should I go to business school - my journey through to and through the top entrepreneurial school in the country (US).
Part 2. How I made $237,000 to pay for college - discussing all the ways to help pay for your education - negotiating financial aid, community college, scholarships, work-study, working internships, starting businesses, side-hustling, etc.

There are way too many factors for you to consider with business school. If you're accumulating tens and thousands of dollars of debt from a generic business program, you should probably just drop out - but not without a plan.

Lot of people on this form like to preach the fastlane - and in a unicorn-style fashion - like you should just drop out of school and you'll be on your way to the fast lane... that can't be further from the truth.

Take STRATEGIC risks - business school might be one of them - it might NOT be. Run an ROI analysis and see if it's worth the time and $ you're going to spend for the things you're going to get in return.

Be sure to factor in the education, the potential for income on a job after school, the network, connections, people, structure, knowledge, etc.

Then on the other end, calculate the time you have to spend and the money as well.

If the math doesn't work, go back to the drawing board and find a better strategy than business school.

 

[Ahmet1054]

If I attended business school when I was 18 I would have sat around wondering if any of the information I was getting was useful...

If I went with the knowledge I have today I would completely immerse myself in it and try to suck every drop of infornation and experience out of every person I came by and situation I found myself in. I would make friends with the smartest students and teachers and try and start some businesses. Some of the most successful businesses have been started by college kids while they were in college. I would focus 100% on the educational experience and forget about partying and wasting my time... I would make some good choices to set myself up for the future.

If I knew what I know now when I was younger...
Good luck.

Thx ! I ain't no interested in getting loose every saturday night because I paied the school, not to party and chill but to learn something. Nevertheless, my brother-in-law lambasted (not that far) me when I started the school because he told me that I have to know that a master's degree from a business school, today, is worth almost nothing.

So, I'm thinking...

 

[GoodluckChuck]

The degree is just a piece of paper. The exposure and experience is where the value is in my opinion. These other guys have made some great points about the specifics.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[G-Man]

It's only worth how much you're willing to get out of it.

x2.

I found a lot of what I've learned I've used my whole life, but like anything else, it's what you're willing to work to get out of it,.... and is there a cheaper/faster alternative? Example:

One the key decision making metrics I learned in finance school was basing decisions on probability adjusted discounted future values. This is one of the most worthwhile concepts I've learned anywhere. Then I come on the forum, and somewhat scoffed as folks were discussing the same concept under a different name in a foreverjobless article.

Can Someone Dumb Down 'Expected Value' for Me?

Realized afterwards that this 20 yr old kid on this forum, because he's more curious than I was at that age, had stumbled onto an extremely powerful concept that I had to go to a 4 year university and have spoon fed to me in between hangovers.

Business school is worth it if you appreciate the opportunity you have and really throw yourself into it!

 

[jesseissorude]

MBA graduate here. It was a waste of time. I should have just started my business 2 years earlier.


But, getting an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering was the best decision of my life.

Business school is great if you go to ivy league and make connections. If you are just going to a state business school, save your money.

 

[TheDillon__]

This thread should tell you that the answer is clear: It's a nice, firm, maybe.

Inevitably - education is going to fit everyone's plan differently. There are some business owners out there who wouldn't have had the knowledge necessary to start their business without going to school - likewise, there are myriad entrepreneurs who didn't need school to find success.

Inevitably, this is a road that you're going to have to pave for yourself. However, that doesn't mean that you have to be otherwise inactive!

Like many here are saying - go ahead, start your own business. It's definitely possible to start building something on the side while you go throughout the classes you currently have.

Decide you don't want to quit school? Cool - now you have a side project that pays for your classes.
Decide you want to quit school? Cool - now you have an income in place with a system you can leverage.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TonyStark]

School is great for the experience, but as far as developing a great entrepreneurial mindset, you're going to have to do that on your own.

 

[Drew D]

I'n thinking this too. My mom's going to throw me out if I don't go to college. I'm 20. My businesses I'm wanting to start up mean nothing to her. All the books I've read and udemy courses mean nothing if "there's no piece of paper to put on a resume".

She's dead set on me working for someone else regardless of the income I can potentially make from working at home, being my own boss. Like it's only socially acceptable to work for someone else, even if it means less income and freedom.

I'm thinking of just going for business administration to please her and accept whatever debt I'll have after school. I've already schooled myself on the subject for the past year so it won't teach me anything books and this forum already haven't, but at least it's a piece of paper I can frame and hang on my wall and never, ever use. Lol.

 

[Jon L]

I know of only one person with an MBA that is really taking advantage of it. He went more for the title and the networking than anything. He would have done well whether or not he got the degree.

Everyone else that I know are maybe making an extra $20-$40k/year because they have an MBA.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[GoodluckChuck]

I'n thinking this too. My mom's going to throw me out if I don't go to college. I'm 20. My businesses I'm wanting to start up mean nothing to her. All the books I've read and udemy courses mean nothing if "there's no piece of paper to put on a resume".

She's dead set on me working for someone else regardless of the income I can potentially make from working at home, being my own boss. Like it's only socially acceptable to work for someone else, even if it means less income and freedom.

I'm thinking of just going for business administration to please her and accept whatever debt I'll have after school. I've already schooled myself on the subject for the past year so it won't teach me anything books and this forum already haven't, but at least it's a piece of paper I can frame and hang on my wall and never, ever use. Lol.

Sooner or later you are going to start making your own decisions. Then you won't have anyone else to blame for your situation but yourself. You can blame your mom for college debt if you let her decide it's the right move. It won't work out very well though.

My parents were wrong, and their parents before them. Nobody knows what Best for me but me, and I bet the same is true for you. Good for thought.

 

[lifese]

I've been in supply chain business school going on 4 years now. About to take a 5th since I never did any electives but only because they're pretty much paying me several thousand each semester to only take electives (swimming, bowling, other random classes) all next year haha.

What I've learned in class, about business anyways, is mostly garbage and a waste of time. Granted this is coming from someone who realized this and has only shown up to class for test days since halfway through freshman year. Though being able to do this at a 4-year state university should tell you how "great" the business knowledge they teach is.

But, like others have said, it's what you make out of it. There are a lot of connections to be made and experiences to be had in college. I've gained more knowledge about business and goals from this compared to actual class.

Checkout some of the programs your school offers that are applicable to your major. For example, I'm working with global companies to help solve major supply chain problems in place of a normal class. Gives me hands on experience, which isn't exciting to me since I don't plan to get a job in my degree or any job. But, it lets me make connections and see real problems that big corporations are having so I can find a solution to sell to them later

It's risk vs reward. I have my living expenses covered and get paid to get a degree that I can fall back on if in some unfortunate future I need to. If I had to pay fat stacks of cash or be in debt, I wouldn't do it. Then again, I'm still in college so take what I say with a grain of salt

 

[Pilot35]

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[amp0193]

How can I use this asset better ?

Make a supply chain of your own.