go to college?

[lightandfree]

Hello everyone!

I just joined the forum today. I am pondering the idea of going to college or vocational school to gain skills that will transfer to an entrepreneurial venture. I was in the army as a signal operator and have unused education benefits I can use. At the moment I don't feel like I have enough capital or marketable skills to start a business. Is it worth it to go to college? What career or skills would be the most valuable to pursue? A couple of paths I was considering were HVAC tech, personal trainer, or organic farmer, and eventually going into business for myself. I haven't been the biggest fan of computers but am open to learning more skills that apply to this field. I greatly appreciate any feedback, thanks!

 

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[2dads]

Hello everyone!

I just joined the forum today. I am pondering the idea of going to college or vocational school to gain skills that will transfer to an entrepreneurial venture. I was in the army as a signal operator and have unused education benefits I can use. At the moment I don't feel like I have enough capital or marketable skills to start a business. Is it worth it to go to college? What career or skills would be the most valuable to pursue? A couple of paths I was considering were HVAC tech, personal trainer, or organic farmer, and eventually going into business for myself. I haven't been the biggest fan of computers but am open to learning more skills that apply to this field. I greatly appreciate any feedback, thanks

How long is a piece of string?

100% dependent on your own goals, locations and circumstances:

Go to/ go back school, sure why not and heck no at the same time. If your grants allow you to learn a in demand skill & be paid for it and it is a part of your end goal. Then sure!!

Would I say just go school to stud for the sake of studying, no – much better ways to earn and learn out their.

Out of careers you mentioned I will give my input:

HVAC tech – in demand skill in most areas, no idea on yours but sure (here in my country it is 3-4 years and you can ok money)

Personal trainer – No, unless your going to do a youtube channel, have course for sale and an app – the entry level is too easy and a rush to the bottom.

Organic farmer - in demand skill in most areas

Get out & fix an issue, see a market and give it a shot – make some money and then use the skills to jump into something more Lucrative.

Simple example>
My friend is an electrician, he makes ok money.
He has decided to niche down in his business to offer automation and build warehouses. His hourly rate has increased due to his expertise and his clientele are now willing to pay more.
At the same time, he is learning a new skill to manufacture items for his customers and build a product range in a market not well looked after in our area. Using the skills and business he created as an electrician.

Best of luck, start now – do something and stop letting this notion such as “not the biggest fan of computers” hold you back.

 

[lightandfree]

How long is a piece of string?

100% dependent on your own goals, locations and circumstances:

Go to/ go back school, sure why not and heck no at the same time. If your grants allow you to learn a in demand skill & be paid for it and it is a part of your end goal. Then sure!!

Would I say just go school to stud for the sake of studying, no – much better ways to earn and learn out their.

Out of careers you mentioned I will give my input:

HVAC tech – in demand skill in most areas, no idea on yours but sure (here in my country it is 3-4 years and you can ok money)

Personal trainer – No, unless your going to do a youtube channel, have course for sale and an app – the entry level is too easy and a rush to the bottom.

Organic farmer - in demand skill in most areas

Get out & fix an issue, see a market and give it a shot – make some money and then use the skills to jump into something more Lucrative.

Simple example>
My friend is an electrician, he makes ok money.
He has decided to niche down in his business to offer automation and build warehouses. His hourly rate has increased due to his expertise and his clientele are now willing to pay more.
At the same time, he is learning a new skill to manufacture items for his customers and build a product range in a market not well looked after in our area. Using the skills and business he created as an electrician.

Best of luck, start now – do something and stop letting this notion such as “not the biggest fan of computers” hold you back.

Thanks for the response! I'm glad your friend was able to succeed in that niche. I'm a young single guy with no ties really anywhere. Planning to begin something soon but a little unsure where to start. I ideally would like to go into a field I have some passion or interest in. I am open to going into something that doesn't seem suitable to me too

 

[loop101]

Unless you are going to start off self-employed, I suggest getting a degree. If you ever work for a larger company, your experience there will largely be determined by your level of education. As we go in to a recession, and people lose jobs, a degree will look better to a potential employer than no degree. It implies you are smarter than average, finish what you started, and are able to follow rules. On this forum (I think) most people are either already self-employed or working on it, and a college education is a lot less important and sometimes a distraction. Learning a trade is a good idea because they can help you save money (fix your car), earn money (fix neighbors car), and be self-employed (auto-mechanic). Some of the richest people I've personally known, were plumbers.

 

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[bray]

Go to college if you want to go to college if it aligns with your goals then do it. Here is a good thread I would recommend to read The definitive answer to whether you should study at university

 

[wiktorg5]

For me, college is less about the degree or even skills earned and more about the people you meet.
In my opinion, there is a greater chance of meeting someone with the same vision as you if you study the same.
And it might be easier to start a business with someone with a bit different set of skills and you will create a great team.

This is a great place to develop ideas too as you can learn about things you haven't heard about and they can be quite interesting.

 

[Selfmadeujjwal]

According to me the best way to start and build a successful business is

1. Instead of going to college, get a course for learning a high income skill. You can your skill by implementing the ikigai formula:

What you're good at?
What you love to do?
What the world's needs?
What you can be paid for?

2. Start reaching out to the leaders of the market and work with them for at least 6-12 months. Because working with a leader can implant you with the entrepreneurial and leadership skills that you'll need in future.

3. Now it's the best time to start your business. You can implement everything whatever you've learnt in this period of time.

I hope it helps

 

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[Kak]

Based on your desired industries I wouldn’t, and I went to a pretty prestigious business school.

Go to work at an HVAC company or an organic farm, and learn the ropes. View the time of working for someone else as going to school. Eagerly seek to learn and ask a lot of questions. If the job isn’t educating you find another. This makes you money instead of losing you money.

College never gets that specific. They’ll jerk you around and make you take 20 unrelated classes to every one you actually take to the bank. You’ll have to learn everything on the job anyway. Short circuit it and start your life now.

The rest of your education needs to come from self motivation. Dive into books. Forget you own a TV. You’ll do well.