GO TO COLLEGE... A little Rant.

[Isaac Odongo]

This is the dumbest shit I have ever stumbled across. Basically all you say is: "Do not dare to believe in yourself, but look how great I am" The part about how we are going to fail anyways sounds like it comes straight from the slow lane. I m 18 and about to build my first business, if I would listen to this shit and let myself get influenced by stuff like this I could never make it. i won t succeed if I put 50% into it I have to stand fully behind my ideas. i wouldn t do stuff others won t even try if I wouldn t be different so yeah school may be good and stuff but shut up with your "you won t make it anyway" mentality

I don't think he said you will ultimately fail. He said business is hard and beginners usually get shocked by how hard it is. As a result many give up altogether. It is up to each one of us to make sure we don't fall off. And we don't need to make hell about that.

 

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[jamesgatz]

I don't think he said you will ultimately fail. He said business is hard and beginners usually get shocked by how hard it is. As a result many give up altogether. It is up to each one of us to make sure we don't fall off. And we don't need to make hell about that.

Yes fr but why would you let that thoughts get to you? if you always work with those thoughts in the back of your head you won t be fully commited

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Yes fr but why would you let that thoughts get to you? if you always work with those thoughts in the back of your head you won t be fully commited

Not necessarily that way. It is to have a fair idea of where I am going. I can carry whatever I anticipate will help me, even if it is only my grit. And use it whenever those challenges appear. I know it is not honeymoon. Not a bed of roses. I get out ready for a fight. I get surprises but never shocks that shake me out because I am out for the fight. That's the general message in MJ's books and all useful entrepreneurship books.

 

[DistressedDenim]

You on the other hand took a shot, it failed, and all the memories you got out of 18-22 is your business failing, your parents yelling at you, you losing friends. etc.

This is my situation, after dropping out of college, being homeless, obtaining schizophrenia, and getting beat up on the streets, with no remorse from my friends. Yet in my one year of college, I had an astounding amount of fun. Yet here I am just going for gold out here on my own with a web design business. Sometimes people never learn.

I'm sure I'll go back to college if this fails. But at some point your brain switches, and "having fun" goes from F*cking around to seeing yourself become a master at your crafts.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

I might go out for a diploma in project planning and management some time later.

No jokes about it.

 

[Stan_]

Do you really think all those losers who do nothing but party and bang chicks are going to be sad in 10 years.

They might be, but they are going to have some great memories..

Some "great memories"? Give me a break.
Reminds me a little of the "Ministry of Entertainment" chapter in Unscripted .

I never understood this "go to parties, have fun" selling point of college, especially the "building memories" (clearly as in banging chicks and getting drunk) part.
If after 10 years of living my "best" memories are the ones where I'd get drunk at a party or some sort of banging of chicks that would make me REALLY depressed to think about.
As if I literally wasted my other part of life.

Firstly why exactly can't you get similar experience from just joining normal groups of people and just making friends normally if that is such a big problem.
Secondly (and this is straight up true) most college "friends" are not friends. They will disappear when you graduate and will forget about you. You are friends to a drug, not of each other. Most interactions are not deep so what's there to be so nostalgic about.
But more importantly I want to do something with my life. I want to have an impact on the world. I want to live to my full potential. I'm not saying partying or hanging with friends is bad.

Get real friends
Have experiences that are deep with them
And also achieve things in life
Those for me are great memories

(yes, I did go to college)

 

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[jamesgatz]

This is my situation, after dropping out of college, being homeless, obtaining schizophrenia, and getting beat up on the streets, with no remorse from my friends. Yet in my one year of college, I had an astounding amount of fun. Yet here I am just going for gold out here on my own with a web design business. Sometimes people never learn.

I'm sure I'll go back to college if this fails. But at some point your brain switches, and "having fun" goes from F*cking around to seeing yourself become a master at your crafts.

How tf did you take all that shit and still got beat up in the streets. That shit caught me off guard

 

[Nevah Lucky]

Finally somebody got fed up with all those posts. I'm in college and I'm not in debt, I love it. I have made many friends, experienced things I never thought I would. Witnessed things I never thought I'd see, I love it. All while doing this I'm working on a business. I wouldn't drop out of school for my business or quit my job as of yet. But if the time came where I could and be successful, then I would do it. I'm in school for everything it comes with and yes for the fall back plan if I don't make it to the fastlane.

Hey just wondering, 12 years later what's the progression of your fastlane's looking like? I'm planning out a business system that I will implement over my college years and just curious on how it has been for you.

 

[Spenny]

I'm surprised that no one has commented on this thread in a while. This is an age-old debate that I feel can be summarised with this photo.


I'm going to try to give a comprehensive answer based on:

• What I've seen in this thread
• Wisdom I've picked up over the past four years of pondering this question as an entrepreneur.

There are so many variables, conditions, and factors that a 1 or 0 answer is inappropriate. People are correct, depending on their perspective. I feel like I can give a lot of perspective on this, as I've just graduated from a three-year course in chemistry at a UK university. I've spent a while making this post because I know how confusing it is to make the right choice & I'd have loved to have seen a post like this when deciding.

My Take

The path to the Fastlane destination SO variable. Some may need to travel over hills, others across oceans, many through forests and others through arid deserts. Some may need to travel across continents.

It's like telling you, "This is the best vehicle" when I have zero context on where you are starting. It's stupid. What you should be doing is asking:

• Where are you starting?
• What's the distance?
• What environments are you going through?
• Do you have other passengers?
• How much cargo space?
• What MPG is best for the journey?
• Do you need to change your vehicle?

All of which answers with "it depends". I'd never tell you what car (or even if it's a car) to buy unless you have the context. Don't let anyone influence you unless they have the context (and honestly, you can only answer it for yourself).

It's the same reason why consuming guru content gets you nowhere: you're not thinking for yourself & looking for an easy way rather than considering how to build the vehicle myself. What are the specifications? Is "college" as a mechanical component a part of that specification?

I leaned into the entrepreneurial side of the university. I didn't get crazy grades on my scorecards but gained invaluable leadership and business experience. In contrast, my friend, who is looking to be a potential consultant for Japanese-English businesses in chemistry, got grades above the highest to prove his credibility and get an industry placement. His vehicle is different to mine. He has a different destination.

So, build your vehicle. Take control. Here are some questions for you to answer:

• What is my long-term strategy & does college fit in?
  • Are you beginning your business journey? Starting a fastlane business? Picking up a new hobby? Getting on top of your health? Partying? You decide and create the foundations of who you imagine the Fastlane version of you is. If you don't know, write down who you think you'll be in 10 years, then devote your time to that image NOW. Is college a part of that?
• How will this benefit me in my entrepreneurial pursuits?
• How will I spend my time outside of classes effectively?
  • What is there to do? Classes only make up a portion UNLESS you want to be valedictorian.
• Am I picking a basket weaving degree? Am I happy with that?
  • I'm a STEM believer through and through science, maths, engineering, and tech, all of which lead to well-paid slowlane careers. I'm glad I've got the piece of mind of a backstop rather than an all-or-nothing approach. I'd rather not play that game, as I could be on my arse for years at a time rather than a couple of months.
  • If you pick otherwise, be cautious. It's okay to choose something you love, but isn't that similar to starting a business you're passionate about? Does that fulfil demand? My chemistry degree is a borderline case of a good degree, as others like engineering or compsci pay far better.
• Can I go overseas to get a cheaper education?
  • Europe has very cheap tuition in many places. Germany comes to mind.
  • UK nationals don't have a debt, but rather a tax (with 9% over £27,500) that gets wiped after 30 years. I don't think internationals have the same benefit.
  • US debt is nuts. I can't blame people for arguing so fiercely on this.
• Does this weigh out the opportunity cost?
  • Figure out the debt. Figure out the time sink in hours. What could you do at that time? Do you have somewhere to invest that money?
  • Do you have a business now that is doing sales? Why grow it?
  • Think also about the experience gained. Sitting in your room doing nothing isn't a good use of college. Going out and experiencing the college is. People will overlook that having funny stories lets people (friends, lovers, clients) relate to you better. You don't need college, but having funny stories from it is easy.
• Can I take full advantage of what the university has to offer?
  • Can you go to all of the clubs that you want to? Are you in the right state of health? Will you work? What will your qualification go to? My goal was to get comfortable with business & get a slowlane qualification, but I've been able to fund myself on savings. What is your situation?
• Am I naive? (I'm looking at my younger fastlaner peers)
  • The anti-school rhetoric is considerable - I can't blame you for not liking it. It has its downfalls.
  • But do you even have evidence you can do business yet? No? Then, there is no evidence you can do business.
  • School is an excellent way to treat yourself like a startup. Refine processes, develop new methods, and learn. It does help. Teachers may not do shit, but you certainly can. It's your future, after all. Open a textbook, goddamn it.
  • Consider university or college if you don't have a business supporting you. Also, look at apprenticeships because many of them are great. A job/college doesn't resign you to slowlane forever while you figure stuff out.
  • If you have a business, get going, scale, scale, scale. Experience is worth triple & if all fails, an employer will snap your hand off with REAL business experience. Many graduates are clueless. I'm finding it now as I look for work to assist me in ventures.

Questions are better because they get YOU to think. Do a WADM if you have too much flying around.

With that said, I've also looked through and picked out some of the greatest GOLD moments from the thread.

Summary of GOLD posts in the GOLD post.

I'm honestly tired of seeing pointless debates like this go on in the forum. The college debate for entrepreneurs is like debating religion. People have different perspectives based on their beliefs and experiences, but they refuse to accept there are other perspectives outside of their own.

Instead people take their highly opinionated statements and try to shove it down others throats to prove that they are right, when in fact there is no right and wrong. Going to college may be for you, it may not be for you. It may be the best decision of your life, it may be the worst decision of your life. (Hint: The individual determines if he/she will be successful, not a college degree or lack of it.)

If you think college is right for you, good, but you don't need to go out and argue with people when they disagree. And same vise versa. Eventually the argument almost always breaks down to personal attacks and people getting frustrated. If you chose to present your opinions, do it with the acceptance that other people may disagree and that is ok.

Presenting your viewpoint is fine, but don't present it if you feel the need to debate it to the death with anyone who questions it. Jack presented a valid point for people considering college to look at; you don't see him in here in this soup of useless discussion debating why he is right and you are wrong.

Pros of college:
- usually leads to steady slowlane employment which can put food on the table and experience in your brain while you work on your fastlane on the side
- can in very limited situations lead to lucrative slowlane employment - banking, law, etc.
- you learn things at a high level (but not things that can't be learned outside of school)
- (Added by Spenny - Allows you to fund a business)
Cons of college:
- can be prohibitively expensive - may not earn a return on the investment
- opportunity cost (time that could be spent on fastlane venture) is significant - 4 years
- a moderate likelihood you won't even use what you learned

Sure, there are pros and cons to both. But first, lemme clear up some misconceptions that people have about college:

1) You can't work or start a business while in college. Bullshit: I did it, and the biz keeps me clothed, housed, and fed. College takes, if you want good grades, about 25 hours a week, with 15 of that being lectures, 5 of that being assignments, and the other 5 being studying. (Also C's get degrees, and a lot of people won't look at your GPA before looking at your skills)

2) You will go into debt by going to college. Also bullshit. If you're 18 and plan to go to college, start at a local community college and work your way through, then transfer up to a 4-year university. Smart students whose parents make less than $90k/year can go to high-ranked private institutions and most of them will give a large chunk of need-based aid.

3) Going to college will kill their Fastlane dreams. Also bullshit! There are entrepreneur clubs at most colleges, although don't be surprised when you're FAR more advanced than most of the other people there. That's okay, though: teach them and help them out.

4) This is less about college and more about jobs, and that is that getting a job is bad. Angus grass-fed BULLSHIT. Jobs suck, don't get me wrong. But getting a job might be the best thing you could ever do for your entrepreneurial career. It might END your entrepreneurial ambitions, in which case you weren't cut out to be one anyway (sorry). It also might teach you a little something about a business to get into. You might find a need that nobody else can see. You might learn some skills that you can build your own service business off of. You might meet people that will help you later on down the road.

Another couple tidbits:

• I'm not too fond of the mutually exclusive nature of how some have approached college or not. I know in UK universities that experiences vary a lot. I went from a lanky partier in my first year to a teetotal health and business fanatic in my third year.
• Part of the experience is the luck of the draw, but it is what you make of it. If there is a time to try something, it is at university. Nowhere else are people going to be more accepting & open. That means you can reinvent yourself, change your name, and become "that guy/girl". Everyone is super freaked out & people crave for someone to guide them. Be that person, whether organising the pre-clubbing parties or the club events. Position yourself as who you want to be known by.
  • The position I wanted to be was an investor & business guy. For a while, people would refer to me as the student entrepreneur for the university. I got into some wacky meetings & had elevated connections because of that status.
• Pick carefully on where you go to. Don't just look at the grades of the universities; look if the stuff that matters to you is there. Clubs/societies & dorm stereotypes were a significant factor.
• I know that in the UK, many schools need the funding universities pay them to get students to university. There is such an emphasis because a "finders fee" is paid when a student is signed on & it looks great for the school. Listen to what is best for you.
• Nobody has the answers. You can only go with your intuition. Do a WADM if in doubt.
• Don't you find it funny how people tout "not being college educated" as a badge of honour? I've never understood this, but it's mentioned a lot because it's almost a "defy the odds" success story that an American-centric view loves to eat up. It implies a statistical unlikelihood of succeeding, which you don't want to be a part of if you can avoid it. The game you're playing is allowing yourself to keep pulling that gumball machine. Will college assist you in letting you pull that over and over again? Do you need it?

My personal experience of university: Very Positive

• Walked away with a degree in chemistry.
• I learned much about investing, business & entrepreneurship in my spare time.
• I started my first successful business. A couple of others are in the graveyard (RIP).
• I made plenty of friends and lovers along the way.
• I collected hundreds of photos of nights out I had that I'll hold until I'm dead.
• I prioritised my health from being teetotal & dedicating myself to the gym.
• I have met hundreds of people in my leadership society roles, nights out, and lectures.
• Cultivated a "F*ck it" attitude to trying things
  • Not being afraid of getting in front of a stage of people.
  • Not being afraid of talking to someone I see as attractive.
  • Not being afraid of being cheeky & asking for something.
  • Not being afraid of being humbled by trying something new.
• My debt is not really a debt.
  • UK "debt" is more of a tax. Anything over £27,500 will trigger a taxable event of 9% of anything over that figure. EG £30,000 = £2,500 taxable * 9% rate = £225 required to pay. After 30 years, this figure is wiped to zero. I may or may not pay it off depending on alternative investments.

In the graduation hall, I found it challenging to keep my composure, as I had changed a lot. Being at University didn't do that for me, but it was a great environment where I could explore & fall face flat. It's like how a plant can thrive with the correct fertiliser - university allows so many things to be easy to try. The plant does the work, but it sure helps to be in a greenhouse with good fertiliser.

My biggest lessons for life (regardless of Uni)

• Force yourself to say yes to stuff.
  • A friend invites you out to something? Sure, I'll go. Is there an opportunity nearby? Why not? Is there someone you want to speak to? Go on, what's the harm?
  • I've made life friends, mentorship opportunities, business opportunities, and more with this strategy. It gets you out of your comfort zone and feels fantastic to conquer.
  • Of course, when work needs to happen, please do it. Otherwise, don't be lazy.
• Just show up.
  • I swear most of winning is just showing up to stuff people don't want to do. People didn't go to the gym because they were hungover, didn't feel like it, or didn't want to. That goes the same for clubs I joined or events I attended. People are lazy, don't be a part of the majority. You'll get ahead quickly.
• No one is going to do it for you.
  • No one can make decisions or do the work to get you to where you want to be. You're the most significant stakeholder in your life and the navigator of your ship. How you react and what you choose is down to you, and the consequences, whatever they are, are your fault. Take ownership of you. You're a big boy/girl now. Make the most of EVERYTHING thrown your way because one day, you'll look back in either regret or joy. Choose joy.
  • It's also up to you what you make of life. I met business bros, crypto bros, trading bros, gym bros, politics debaters, international students from across the world, nerdy STEM students, quirky art history students, toffs, communists, dancers, party demons, druggies, geniuses and straight-up morons - all sorts. What fascinated me was that every decision they made led them up to this point.

Again, it is what you make of it. If you go to university for an art degree, stay isolated & not get out of your comfort zone, then don't be surprised when you're on the forum whining about how university is a scam.

This is a long post, but I hope this helps someone. Being in your teens & trying to pick something good for you, never mind Fastlane, can be very confusing. Listen to your intuition.

 

[Kevin88660]

I'm surprised that no one has commented on this thread in a while. This is an age-old debate that I feel can be summarised with this photo.

View attachment 57536
I'm going to try to give a comprehensive answer based on:

• What I've seen in this thread
• Wisdom I've picked up over the past four years of pondering this question as an entrepreneur.

There are so many variables, conditions, and factors that a 1 or 0 answer is inappropriate. People are correct, depending on their perspective. I feel like I can give a lot of perspective on this, as I've just graduated from a three-year course in chemistry at a UK university. I've spent a while making this post because I know how confusing it is to make the right choice & I'd have loved to have seen a post like this when deciding.

My Take

The path to the Fastlane destination SO variable. Some may need to travel over hills, others across oceans, many through forests and others through arid deserts. Some may need to travel across continents.

It's like telling you, "This is the best vehicle" when I have zero context on where you are starting. It's stupid. What you should be doing is asking:

• Where are you starting?
• What's the distance?
• What environments are you going through?
• Do you have other passengers?
• How much cargo space?
• What MPG is best for the journey?
• Do you need to change your vehicle?

All of which answers with "it depends". I'd never tell you what car (or even if it's a car) to buy unless you have the context. Don't let anyone influence you unless they have the context (and honestly, you can only answer it for yourself).

It's the same reason why consuming guru content gets you nowhere: you're not thinking for yourself & looking for an easy way rather than considering how to build the vehicle myself. What are the specifications? Is "college" as a mechanical component a part of that specification?

I leaned into the entrepreneurial side of the university. I didn't get crazy grades on my scorecards but gained invaluable leadership and business experience. In contrast, my friend, who is looking to be a potential consultant for Japanese-English businesses in chemistry, got grades above the highest to prove his credibility and get an industry placement. His vehicle is different to mine. He has a different destination.

So, build your vehicle. Take control. Here are some questions for you to answer:

• What is my long-term strategy & does college fit in?
  • Are you beginning your business journey? Starting a fastlane business? Picking up a new hobby? Getting on top of your health? Partying? You decide and create the foundations of who you imagine the Fastlane version of you is. If you don't know, write down who you think you'll be in 10 years, then devote your time to that image NOW. Is college a part of that?
• How will this benefit me in my entrepreneurial pursuits?
• How will I spend my time outside of classes effectively?
  • What is there to do? Classes only make up a portion UNLESS you want to be valedictorian.
• Am I picking a basket weaving degree? Am I happy with that?
  • I'm a STEM believer through and through science, maths, engineering, and tech, all of which lead to well-paid slowlane careers. I'm glad I've got the piece of mind of a backstop rather than an all-or-nothing approach. I'd rather not play that game, as I could be on my arse for years at a time rather than a couple of months.
  • If you pick otherwise, be cautious. It's okay to choose something you love, but isn't that similar to starting a business you're passionate about? Does that fulfil demand? My chemistry degree is a borderline case of a good degree, as others like engineering or compsci pay far better.
• Can I go overseas to get a cheaper education?
  • Europe has very cheap tuition in many places. Germany comes to mind.
  • UK nationals don't have a debt, but rather a tax (with 9% over £27,500) that gets wiped after 30 years. I don't think internationals have the same benefit.
  • US debt is nuts. I can't blame people for arguing so fiercely on this.
• Does this weigh out the opportunity cost?
  • Figure out the debt. Figure out the time sink in hours. What could you do at that time? Do you have somewhere to invest that money?
  • Do you have a business now that is doing sales? Why grow it?
  • Think also about the experience gained. Sitting in your room doing nothing isn't a good use of college. Going out and experiencing the college is. People will overlook that having funny stories lets people (friends, lovers, clients) relate to you better. You don't need college, but having funny stories from it is easy.
• Can I take full advantage of what the university has to offer?
  • Can you go to all of the clubs that you want to? Are you in the right state of health? Will you work? What will your qualification go to? My goal was to get comfortable with business & get a slowlane qualification, but I've been able to fund myself on savings. What is your situation?
• Am I naive? (I'm looking at my younger fastlaner peers)
  • The anti-school rhetoric is considerable - I can't blame you for not liking it. It has its downfalls.
  • But do you even have evidence you can do business yet? No? Then, there is no evidence you can do business.
  • School is an excellent way to treat yourself like a startup. Refine processes, develop new methods, and learn. It does help. Teachers may not do shit, but you certainly can. It's your future, after all. Open a textbook, goddamn it.
  • Consider university or college if you don't have a business supporting you. Also, look at apprenticeships because many of them are great. A job/college doesn't resign you to slowlane forever while you figure stuff out.
  • If you have a business, get going, scale, scale, scale. Experience is worth triple & if all fails, an employer will snap your hand off with REAL business experience. Many graduates are clueless. I'm finding it now as I look for work to assist me in ventures.

Questions are better because they get YOU to think. Do a WADM if you have too much flying around.

With that said, I've also looked through and picked out some of the greatest GOLD moments from the thread.

Summary of GOLD posts in the GOLD post.




Another couple tidbits:

• I'm not too fond of the mutually exclusive nature of how some have approached college or not. I know in UK universities that experiences vary a lot. I went from a lanky partier in my first year to a teetotal health and business fanatic in my third year.
• Part of the experience is the luck of the draw, but it is what you make of it. If there is a time to try something, it is at university. Nowhere else are people going to be more accepting & open. That means you can reinvent yourself, change your name, and become "that guy/girl". Everyone is super freaked out & people crave for someone to guide them. Be that person, whether organising the pre-clubbing parties or the club events. Position yourself as who you want to be known by.
  • The position I wanted to be was an investor & business guy. For a while, people would refer to me as the student entrepreneur for the university. I got into some wacky meetings & had elevated connections because of that status.
• Pick carefully on where you go to. Don't just look at the grades of the universities; look if the stuff that matters to you is there. Clubs/societies & dorm stereotypes were a significant factor.
• I know that in the UK, many schools need the funding universities pay them to get students to university. There is such an emphasis because a "finders fee" is paid when a student is signed on & it looks great for the school. Listen to what is best for you.
• Nobody has the answers. You can only go with your intuition. Do a WADM if in doubt.
• Don't you find it funny how people tout "not being college educated" as a badge of honour? I've never understood this, but it's mentioned a lot because it's almost a "defy the odds" success story that an American-centric view loves to eat up. It implies a statistical unlikelihood of succeeding, which you don't want to be a part of if you can avoid it. The game you're playing is allowing yourself to keep pulling that gumball machine. Will college assist you in letting you pull that over and over again? Do you need it?

My personal experience of university: Very Positive

• Walked away with a degree in chemistry.
• I learned much about investing, business & entrepreneurship in my spare time.
• I started my first successful business. A couple of others are in the graveyard (RIP).
• I made plenty of friends and lovers along the way.
• I collected hundreds of photos of nights out I had that I'll hold until I'm dead.
• I prioritised my health from being teetotal & dedicating myself to the gym.
• I have met hundreds of people in my leadership society roles, nights out, and lectures.
• Cultivated a "F*ck it" attitude to trying things
  • Not being afraid of getting in front of a stage of people.
  • Not being afraid of talking to someone I see as attractive.
  • Not being afraid of being cheeky & asking for something.
  • Not being afraid of being humbled by trying something new.
• My debt is not really a debt.
  • UK "debt" is more of a tax. Anything over £27,500 will trigger a taxable event of 9% of anything over that figure. EG £30,000 = £2,500 taxable * 9% rate = £225 required to pay. After 30 years, this figure is wiped to zero. I may or may not pay it off depending on alternative investments.

In the graduation hall, I found it challenging to keep my composure, as I had changed a lot. Being at University didn't do that for me, but it was a great environment where I could explore & fall face flat. It's like how a plant can thrive with the correct fertiliser - university allows so many things to be easy to try. The plant does the work, but it sure helps to be in a greenhouse with good fertiliser.

My biggest lessons for life (regardless of Uni)

• Force yourself to say yes to stuff.
  • A friend invites you out to something? Sure, I'll go. Is there an opportunity nearby? Why not? Is there someone you want to speak to? Go on, what's the harm?
  • I've made life friends, mentorship opportunities, business opportunities, and more with this strategy. It gets you out of your comfort zone and feels fantastic to conquer.
  • Of course, when work needs to happen, please do it. Otherwise, don't be lazy.
• Just show up.
  • I swear most of winning is just showing up to stuff people don't want to do. People didn't go to the gym because they were hungover, didn't feel like it, or didn't want to. That goes the same for clubs I joined or events I attended. People are lazy, don't be a part of the majority. You'll get ahead quickly.
• No one is going to do it for you.
  • No one can make decisions or do the work to get you to where you want to be. You're the most significant stakeholder in your life and the navigator of your ship. How you react and what you choose is down to you, and the consequences, whatever they are, are your fault. Take ownership of you. You're a big boy/girl now. Make the most of EVERYTHING thrown your way because one day, you'll look back in either regret or joy. Choose joy.
  • It's also up to you what you make of life. I met business bros, crypto bros, trading bros, gym bros, politics debaters, international students from across the world, nerdy STEM students, quirky art history students, toffs, communists, dancers, party demons, druggies, geniuses and straight-up morons - all sorts. What fascinated me was that every decision they made led them up to this point.

Again, it is what you make of it. If you go to university for an art degree, stay isolated & not get out of your comfort zone, then don't be surprised when you're on the forum whining about how university is a scam.

This is a long post, but I hope this helps someone. Being in your teens & trying to pick something good for you, never mind Fastlane, can be very confusing. Listen to your intuition.

When I assess such questions I always ask what the “default state” should be.

People who already know strongly what they want to do, very often do not need to go through universities. In other words people who should skip universities are those who are very certain about the decisions.

If you need to seek an opinion, then the answer is no, you should go and finish your study first.

Most people don’t mature fast these days. I would say the default state of four years degree with two years working experience is kind of ideal.

 

[Nevah Lucky]

Hey you didn't hear this from me but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests student loan payments should not exceed 8% of your gross salary. They're actively telling people to not pay off their debt as quickly as possible. How twisted is that?

 

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[Benny.Liquid]

On this site, over and over, people ask, should I go to school, It's free, it's expensive, is it a waste of time? It's this or that.

Let me tell you something. For all your wanting to be great, for all your needing to be great, for all the lies you tell yourself about how great you are.

You are probably not and odds are you are going to fail. Sorry but it is true. Business is tough, if you think School is hard, wait tell you open a business.

It's 4, well maybe for some of you slow ones 6 years. from 18-22... Go get the experience. Go live your life, have fun.

Do you really think all those losers who do nothing but party and bang chicks are going to be sad in 10 years.

They might be, but they are going to have some great memories..

You on the other hand took a shot, it failed, and all the memories you got out of 18-22 is your business failing, your parents yelling at you, you losing friends. etc.


I myself never went to college, and I am one of the lucky ones who made money right out of the gate. But most of you won't be lucky. Trust me on that.

Go to School, have fun. learn. Open a business if you have to and see. Even the great Bills Gates had a business going before he dropped out.

I agree with your thoughts on failure, and the toughness of being in the real world, but I cannot for the life of me understand why you would tell people to go put themselves into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt for "Living your life, and having fun". Sorry I think that's a stupid thing to tell youth today. The better thought is "Will going to college help me on the critical path to creating the future I envision for myself?" My guess is 9 out of 10 times the answer is no. You would better off going out and getting jobs, learning skills from real world experience, and yes even failing. Failure teaches one of the best lessons in life, tenacity, which will take you farther than any dribble they teach in colleges. You would find far more success in taking a course on introspection, and analysis then going to college. Something like that can be found in a 10-20 min YouTube video not 4 years and 100,000 down the drain for paper.

For the life DON'T GO TO COLLEGE IF IT DOES NOT BENEFIT YOUR PATH!! You will regret everyday the staggering amounts of debt you acquire from it. You will then most likely sit dwelling on the past, and hating yourself for screwing around for 4 years, while you could have just been building yourself, your business, YOUR LIFE! You want the fastest way to be a M.O.D.E.L Citizen, a scripted life, then listen to this guy and go to college to get brainwashed, and indebt yourself, for the sake of fun and living. All that's going to ingrain in your mind is to be a side walker, and spend, spend, spend. College is a scam, don't do it.

 

[Pupper Master]

A perspective I've found that is often ignored is that a degree in a specific field provides you authority and creates invaluable industry connections. The same way a business needs branding to succeed, you - as an entrepreneur - need it as well. For example, an MBA from a top-tier university in the UK, USA, and some places in Europe will provide you access to tons of invaluable resources that you wouldn't otherwise get. People will take you more seriously, you have the ability to leverage your alumni network and create connections with industry leaders easier. You are not a random kid from the street anymore asking for something.


Can you succeed without a degree? Without a doubt. However, it makes things so much easier when things are at stake, plus it gives you a safety net to fail. You will be in a much better position to land a high-paying job if you have a degree, save money, and try again. Not all degrees are created equal, but it's outright foolish to say that a degree is worthless.


If you are from the US, I'd stay away from the trap that is student loans, unless you get accepted into a top-tier Ivy League university. If you don't - look into EU & UK universities. UK Russell Group universities are the equivalent of Ivy in the US, they hold tons of higher rankings, if not the highest in the world. For example, Warwick Business School in the UK is consistently ranked top 1-2 for Global Online MBA in the world. The MBA only costs around $60K for the two years, where a traditional Wharton MBA would run you 200k easily.


If you look at it pragmatically and from a business perspective, thanks to covid, an online degree is hands down the best you can get. You have the flexibility to work and pay the degree off while doing the MBA. Where traditional MBAs are full-time, in-person and will saddle you with debt if you aren't rich already. Online MBAs are just the superior choice if you don't have time to dick around. They offer the same caliber of education and networking opportunities, if not better due to attracting like-minded people from all over the world.

There's a reason why top MBA graduates are getting paid $1m/yr while working a 9 to 5. If you have the opportunity to get a degree without being trapped in debt, take it.

Edit: another advantage of a degree is that you gain access to perfect M.O.D.E.L employees for your own organization, who will have a similar skillset to yours.
For example a Harvard grad isn't going to work for some random web design company, especially with a founder who has no degree, even if he can offer an equivalent salary. However if a Harvard grad started a web design company, there's a way higher chance, you'd be able to land another Harvard grad as your employee, even for a lower salary than the rando due to prestige alone.
Effectively, your talent pool becomes so much bigger. For a 2-year, $60k investment, I think it's a no-brainer.

 

[Tomco]

On this site, over and over, people ask, should I go to school, It's free, it's expensive, is it a waste of time? It's this or that.

Let me tell you something. For all your wanting to be great, for all your needing to be great, for all the lies you tell yourself about how great you are.

You are probably not and odds are you are going to fail. Sorry but it is true. Business is tough, if you think School is hard, wait tell you open a business.

It's 4, well maybe for some of you slow ones 6 years. from 18-22... Go get the experience. Go live your life, have fun.

Do you really think all those losers who do nothing but party and bang chicks are going to be sad in 10 years.

They might be, but they are going to have some great memories..

You on the other hand took a shot, it failed, and all the memories you got out of 18-22 is your business failing, your parents yelling at you, you losing friends. etc.


I myself never went to college, and I am one of the lucky ones who made money right out of the gate. But most of you won't be lucky. Trust me on that.

Go to School, have fun. learn. Open a business if you have to and see. Even the great Bills Gates had a business going before he dropped out.

I went through a phase where I didn't want to pursue school so I could do more business stuff. These online gurus nowadays seem to spout this kind of wisdom as the only way to get into a succesful business.

However, I completely agree with what you said, since I personally went through it. Doing business is not as straightforward as it seems, and school isn't as useless as it's made to be. Always be ambitious and try new things, but its also good to have something to fall back on. In the end, its all about the experiences isn't it?