Comments on: Is college really necessary?

By: Happy, but never satisfied.

Happy, but never satisfied. — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:19:01 +0000

I started my own audio engineering company in my sophomore year of high school, which never really made me much of a living, but I continued doing it on weekends through my 20s. I had been playing around with computers since I was 8, which would be around 1984.

So, straight out of high school, I started working for a local ISP which was started by a couple of college drop-outs, and where I learned unix and some simple html and cgi. This was 1992. As an aside, that ISP went under in 2000, and I have no idea what happened to the guys who started it.

I quit working there in 1994 to go for one semester of college at Penn State. I hated it. I really wanted to get on with my degree classes, but they had me setup for 2 years worth in general education classes, which bored the crap out of me. So, I dropped out, moved out of state and started working for a startup called ‘insure.com’, doing light duty html and cgi work.

I then got the college itch again, and thought perhaps I could make another attempt. This time I was aiming for a college in TN that had a great music business program. When I made it down here, I couldn’t get residency the first year, and couldn’t get a good job. So I started my own web development and hosting company. This was in 2000. I sold that company this year (2007), and I’m now working full time for a large corporation, and part time for a ministry. I never made it back to college, and probably never will.

I guess that my point is that whether you go to college or not, you need to be willing to continue to learn, adapt and sacrifice.

My experiences would be equivalent to a BS in Computer Science and an MBA, and in the end at 33 years old, It has taken me near to 15 years to get where I am now. I probably could have gotten a corporate job quicker had I just gone to school and gotten a BSCS and an MBA … but I wouldn’t have any of the experiences that I got from succeeding (and sometimes failing) at running my own shop. Not to mention the cool hard cash that I sold it for.

Oh… and I’m starting to get the entrepreneur itch again…I’ve got this idea that some buddies and I have been working on. We’ll see how it goes!

By: 15 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Didn't Need College | College-Startup

15 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Didn't Need College | College-Startup — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:47:06 +0000

[...] natural to wonder whether college is really necessary. A college degree, as many have found, is no guarantee of a good career. On the flipside, there [...]

By: College the Smart Way | Pearsonified

College the Smart Way | Pearsonified — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:05:06 +0000

[...] While I’m here, I figure I may as well take the time to comment on everything that interests me. Today, Daniel-san, I want to share with you my thoughts on college and how that drunken mess experience fits into the puzzle that is your life. This weekend, I was over at a friend of mine’s site, College Startup, and he wrote a great post (which also features a solid discussion) about whether or not college is necessary for future success. [...]

By: Lady in her 40's

Lady in her 40's — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:44:45 +0000

I believe college is a total waste of time and money unless you know why you are there and what you want. My parents paid my undergrad and MADE me go right after high school. I was a good student but hated it and couldn’t wait to graduate. I didn’t “party” because my parents paid for me to study, not play so I don’t buy the social component argument for why college is necessary. After school, I was so burnt out, I just wasted time bouncing from one thing to another. My degree was pretty useless in the real world. Those years “doing nothing” is where I got my REAL education and later when I went to graduate school in my late 30′s on my own dime and time, it was worth every penny and I was happy to be there. I ultimately wound up working for myself in a completely different field altogether than any of my degrees. I’m self taught and I spent a lot of time getting real world experience instead of ivory tower academic book knowledge. I now have a son who is not really all that interested in college and in fact, is not real fond of school. If he chooses to not attend college, it really won’t bother me. In fact, I hope he takes some time off after high school to learn about the world before he decides how he wants to contribute to it and whether or not he wants to attend college. Life and the world are far better teachers than any you will find in the halls of academia. He’ll find his place in the world at his own pace and in his own way and, I believe, will be a better person for it.

By: Conspiracy Bob

Conspiracy Bob — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 08:08:44 +0000

A college degree can only benefit you. Highly recommended to finish at least a 4-year degree even if you never use it.

By: egon

egon — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 18:27:40 +0000

I know I’m a bit late here but this is a very interesting question that I have been tossing around for a few months now. I’m really trying to decide where I want to go. I’m interested in web dev, but I really don’t have the resources or time to go to school for it. Even if I did though is what concerns me, it seems with low level jobs in that field it is possible to attain a position without a degree, but more difficult. Either way, I do not want to do that for the rest of my career, I want to be self-employed. Problem is, I have to have the money to start a business and without college i will not have that money. **sigh**

By: Shaun Carter

Shaun Carter — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 08:50:05 +0000

I think college is a great experience. I am 20 years old and granted I only had the “true college experience” for one year right after High School, I wish I could go back. Now I am working full-time and attending college at half time pace. For the career field I wish to enter, Finance, a 4 year college degree is a must… too bad it’s going to take me 6-8 years or so to get it.

By: Al

Al — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:21:06 +0000

Definitely College is worth. A place to make friends for the rest of your life and enjoy learning. Just make sure you choose the right career. Don�t let others decide for you just pursue what you really love. It could be art, cars, cooking, anything…

By: Damon Z

Damon Z — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:14:35 +0000

I think the great thing about college is it gives you a chance to figure out what you want to do and learn at the same time. If you’ve figured it out then the wait for the degree can be very long… If you haven’t, hurry .

By: Devin Reams | Is college worth it? | devinreams.com

Devin Reams | Is college worth it? | devinreams.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 05:00:21 +0000

[...] Ben asked and answered the question, Chris added his two cents, now it’s my turn: Is college really necessary? [...]