Why I Chose to Go to College

[Greyson F]

This website stands as one of my greatest assets in terms of resources, knowledge, information, and motivation to get myself up out of bed each morning and create something new for the world. However, I believe a lot of people have misrepresented MJ's philosophy on the terms of education. It's all I ever see on this website is discouragement to attend college, telling kids my age to "drop out and go start and fail businesses" instead of advising them to attend an institution of higher learning. Let me break it down for you:

To start a business, you need money, an idea, a better process for that idea, and connections from people.
Comment if that's wrong!

Most 18 year old kids don't start out with fantastic amounts of money...

Dropout's Money Outlook:

• A high school degree or GED leaves you little in terms of opportunities to begin accumulating money
• Most jobs require more time than the money being received
  
• A drop-out must either pay for an apartment, or pray their parents will give them charity

Collegiate's Money Outlook:

• Attending college provides amazing opportunities for overpaying jobs that give INTERN-LIKE EXPERIENCE!
• Your time in college is nearly expenses free for as long as you stay in. This means no loans, no housing costs, no meal costs for 4 ENTIRE YEARS!
• Overpaying Jobs + Lessened Costs + Business Knowledge = A HEAD START

Most 18 year old kids don't start out with the innate ability to receive and act on an idea...

Dropouts Process:

• Find an idea
• Learn the small, pointless stuff required in business the hard way through mistakes
• Have the ability to obtain needed resources that keep a business running

Collegiate's Process:

• Find an idea
• Be learning the backbone and foundation of business practice WHILE you are starting it
• Gain resources from the college, from grants, from professors
• Have backing from mentors who will streamline your process, that will make each and every attempt exponentially better

Most 18 year old kids don't start out with a very extensive network...and as everyone knows, knowing the right people has the ability to bypass the above problems of money and the ability to create a process.

A Dropout's Network:

• Run around town and online searching for people and convincing them you're worth it
• Sniffing a$$ for people until they finally find you useful

A Colliate's Network:

• Immediate connections with professionals, professors, and the University itself, all who LOVE students with passion for success
• Access to a network of already successful alumni's who can aid and expand your network
• Every student on campus, every fraternity on campus which leads to national networks, every organization on campus, every. single. thing. about. college.

So for those of you who absolutely adore dropping out and failing when you could be succeeding, more to you. As for me, I choose college.

 

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[AubreyJ]

While I don't disagree with you, I also don't agree with you either.

Yeah, you are right. For some people dropping out is a bad decision- they are better off spending the money in college, networking, learning, and working on their business on the side. But for others, it is most certainly the right decision.

I know that for me, I hated school, I couldn't sit in a classroom for 6 hours a day and listen to a lecture, or sit in the library reading a book for 2 hours- I just can't retain the information that way. I also had to pay for my own college education- and so I wasn't willing to spend more money on school when I could be spending that on my business. I have learned a lot more over this last year of being out of school, than I ever did throughout all my years of school- and it is much better than sitting in class, wasting thousands of dollars, while learning something that probably wouldn't serve me any real purpose when things are all said and done.

The whole "should I drop out?" question is a stupid question anyways, because no one here is going to know the answer to that- there is no generic "yes" or "no" answer to that question because everyone is different. Just because dropping out was the right decision for me doesn't mean it's the right decision for everyone else, just like staying in school was the right thing for you, but that doesn't mean that is the solution for everyone.

The fact of the matter is, you can succeed with or without a college education- it just depends on which path is the right path for you.

 

[Deleted21704]

A Dropout's Network:

• Run around town and online searching for people and convincing them you're worth it
• Sniffing a$$ for people until they finally find you useful

College doesn't prevent this from happening. Existing networks are only useful to a point.

 

[jockinbox]

To start a business, you need money, an idea, a better process for that idea, and connections from people.
Comment if that's wrong!

That's wrong

 

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[contract]

"An institution of higher learning"

Colleges today are far from this..

 

[MJ DeMarco]

o start a business, you need money, an idea, a better process for that idea, and connections from people.

Wrong.

I can speak for myself, I had ZERO connections, heck, I didn't even have any friends or family when I jumped ship.

That said, the right connections do have significant value and add to your probabilities of succeeding.

As with all of these "do I go to college" threads, the correct answer is never absolute and is highly person specific. There are many ways of getting it done and college does not include or exclude that path. Neither do "connections".

 

[marklov]

When I went to college I just barely did enough that was necessary to pass the classes and exams because at the time I saw it as a farce.

Before I read MJ's book I really saw college and many other things for what they really were I just instinctively knew there was more to life than this step 1-2-3-4 system but just didn't know how to make sense of it all and looking back at it now from a more mature standpoint I should have done more in college because no knowledge is useless no matter the source.

Its not until I read the book which I saw as recommended reading on a PUA forum (lol) that I was able to really see that there are more options in life than what your are "given" but that doesn't mean forsaking opportunities , honestly what's two years when you're young.

College is a personal thing and I think alot of persons are just https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...te-time-and-money-playing-entrepreneur.53375/ with the emphasis on time when they make the decision not to go to college.

 

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[GuestUser113]

To start a business, you need money, an idea, a better process for that idea, and connections from people.
Comment if that's wrong!

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-money-no-idea-no-education-no-problem.52285/

 

[SBS.95]

Nobody here really knocks college as a blanket statement. It's just that it's not necessary for many businesses.

For instance, most people here are interested in online companies. There's no need to go to college to learn web design. Either pay someone to do it for you, or learn it yourself. I've learned more about coding from W3Schools and Udacity then any college course. As for classes related to running a business, I've yet to have one that I found more valuable then INSIDERS threads on this forum. I've got another year and a half to go, so who knows, maybe that'll change, but thus far they have all been jokes (and I'm an entrepreneurship minor- which by the way is a worthless joke as well.)

• Your time in college is nearly expenses free for as long as you stay in. This means no loans, no housing costs, no meal costs for 4 ENTIRE YEARS!

Bullshit. It's not expense free, you're simply putting off expenses. Ignoring them for a couple years. This is not even close to the same thing. College costs are insane, especially if you live on campus, and they are only rising every year.

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder as if everyone on this forum is looking down on you for going to college. Nobody cares either way. I'm going to college too, and at this point I figure I'm close enough to finishing I may as well. But I can't say it was worth the money, nor can I say I would recommend it if you know you want to build a business.

• Attending college provides amazing opportunities for overpaying jobs that give INTERN-LIKE EXPERIENCE!

I was under the impression that attending college gave you an opportunity to feel pressured into getting a job to pay back incredible amounts of debt.

 

[integrity]

Dropouts Process:

• Learn the small, pointless stuff required in business the hard way through mistakes

I don't think any knowledge gained starting a business is ever "pointless."

 

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[integrity]

Look man, nobody is bashing you or anyone for wanting to go to college.

But you're over exaggerating a biased opinion on what it's like to opt-out of college to start a business.

In my own personal experience, I stopped going to college after my first year because it was too expensive for me (at that time) and I didn't want to take out a loan. I also saw people with degrees working the same entry-level sales jobs as I was (at that time) because they couldn't find work elsewhere.

That made me realize that a college education could not guarantee my success no more than a job was any guarantee of stability.

I went into business for myself with barely any money, no connections and very little credit.

2 years later after many failures and and struggles, I'm blessed to say that I can comfortably pay for a 4-year degree right now if I wanted to. Had I chosen to remain in school back then I'd probably be sitting in class right now, in debt, living paycheck to paycheck. Hoping that once I obtained my degree I'd be able to find a better job to pay back all my debts. Needless to say, I'm glad I took the risk.

I'll probably go back to school later on, once my business is at the point where I have enough free time to do so. Perhaps I'll study economics or something.. Still have to figure that out.

 

[sle3pyguii]

Money:
Money can be gotten by anyone. It's true that the higher paying jobs require degrees sometimes, but most would value experience more than schooling. 4 years of experience VS 0 experience + degree w/ some internship. I can almost bet the 4 year will win out almost every single time.

Also, college is very rarely free (unless you got a free ride through scholarships and grants). You are either charging money to your future or to your parents.

Process:
There is really only one process:

Idea -> Validate -> Execute -> Repeat

School may help you with seeing ideas, but it may also keep you from others you could've seen outside of college.
School may help you execute, but it can also throw so many concepts, theories, charts and other stuff in your head that you never get out of analysis paralysis to execute.

Network:
There's really no difference here for the dropout and the college student. You can't join a frat, but you can certainly hang out and party with them as a drop out. You don't have to officially join a club, but you can certainly hang out and go to meetings. Profs don't ask if you're a student if you just want to talk to them. Alumni databases have become pretty useless for their contact info thanks to LinkedIn and Google.

I get what you're trying to do, but instead of balancing the "debate" (if we can even call it that), you are going to the other extreme.

Everyone's lives are different. College works for some, while it doesn't for others.

 

[DeletedUser394]

I refresh the forum 100 times in the past two days waiting for it to come back.. just to read this shit?

Kittens are dying and ebola is spreading. Stop the madness.

I'm in uni, and plan to finish uni barring some huge financial gain or illness. But these pro college threads piss me off just as much as the cons and the never ending debates that ensue.

You don't need to justify your opinions/actions to anyone. Just live your life.

 

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[GuestUser113]

I refresh the forum 100 times in the past two days waiting for it to come back.. just to read this shit?

Kittens are dying and ebola is spreading. Stop the madness.

I'm in uni, and plan to finish uni barring some huge financial gain or illness. But these pro college threads piss me off just as much as the cons and the never ending debates that ensue.

You don't need to justify your opinions/actions to anyone. Just live your life.

I would like to know where the "rant" comes in? It is more of a drama then anything. Like we really give two shits. Nope.

 

[RBefort]

Sure, your time is expense free if your loans are subsidized....but then youre slapped with a 50-60k bill after. And, i dont believe what i received was anywhere near this amount intrinsically. Huge waste of time for most part, but i did enjoy the atmosphere. Btw, i got out and made less than 40k a yr weeeee

 

[samuraijack]

But these pro college threads piss me off just as much as the cons and the never ending debates that ensue.

You don't need to justify your opinions/actions to anyone.

Seriously. If you are doing what you think is right for you, then you don't need to justify to anyone else. There are people who graduate from college and go on to become fastlaners, and there are ones who work in starbucks. At the same time there are people who drop out and become fastlaners, and there are ones who also work in starbucks. It's really up to you.

 

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[Greyson F]

To everyone that has replied, I thank you, because as a young human being, I really needed some input on this whole topic. I have read every single reply, and @RichKid I made no intention for this to start drama. My purpose in this post was aimed at the fact that I didn't understand why college was so frowned upon, and why it appears as if its shameful to attend college in the eyes of the entrecommunity.

I learned alot through this post, and I got some good insight from both sides. I wasn't looking for negativity, or insults. I enjoyed sharing my opinion about it to learn from the opinions of others, and as all of you noticed in my post, I still have alot to learn. Much of what I said wasn't correct about starting and running a business, and those who corrected me have better straightened my path towards reaching my goals as an entrepreneur.

I'd like to know more about the process that someone goes through who drops out and starts a business, because I realize that my opinion was significantly biased, and I've come to the observation that I do not possess the right to make the judgments I made up there without the ability to truly discern between the two paths.

Thanks to all who kept this conversation interesting and informative.

Greyson

 

[integrity]

Regardless of why college is frowned upon (or looked up to), that should not matter to you.

What should matter is what you want to do. You're going to have to understand that there will always be people who will not agree with your choices and look down on them, especially when you opt to take the road less traveled by (entrepreneurship).

If you want to go to college, go for it. Make the best of it! If not, that's fine too. There's no cookie-cutter answer for this question -- it depends on you. And just because you decide to opt-out of a formal eduction doesn't mean you're skipping out on educating yourself; quite the contrary.

As far as the process for dropping out, I don't think there's a lot more to it other than just getting to work. You have to take action and use the resources you have around you to the best of your abilities. Bootstrapping, hustling, getting creative, acquiring new skillsets, educating yourself, and non-stop action-taking would be at the top of my list.

 

[DeletedUser394]

Regardless of why college is frowned upon (or looked up to), that should not matter to you.

What should matter is what you want to do. You're going to have to understand that there will always be people who will not agree with your choices and look down on them, especially when you opt to take the road less traveled by (entrepreneurship).

If you want to go to college, go for it. Make the best of it! If not, that's fine too. There's no cookie-cutter answer for this question -- it depends on you. And just because you decide to opt-out of a formal eduction doesn't mean you're skipping out on educating yourself; quite the contrary.

As far as the process for dropping out, I don't think there's a lot more to it other than just getting to work. You have to take action and use the resources you have around you to the best of your abilities. Bootstrapping, hustling, getting creative, acquiring new skillsets, educating yourself, and non-stop action-taking would be at the top of my list.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

Those baby kittens may just live to see another day.

 

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