Back To School...

[Karl Ericksen]

Kevin, something to consider is choosing a field that can cover a broad selection of jobs or fields, such as business. Not many companies will hire you because of your major, but more becuase you have the paper.

While in college, I do Strongly suggest that you diversify your elective type courses in which you choose the topic. This will open up your mind and experence to alot of different option you otherwise may have not known even existed.

Jeremy is right in his post, however, I think he would agree he did gain some business skills and savy via his education.

[GregW]

This is sort of the same question I asked myself very recently. I finished the first year of Physics in Uni at the end of June, and I had the summer off until the end of September when I was due to go back for the second year. I had about 3 good months of working full-time for myself, and I loved it. I learnt loads by myself and it didn't even feel like work. This got me thinking as to whether or not I really wanted to go back to studying full time.

I talked about this with close friends, and decided that I would go back for two weeks to see how I felt. After the first week and a half, I was confident that my focus was no longer in Physics, and that I wanted to work on affiliating full time. So I talked with my tutor and parents and they were comfortable with my choice - they know I'm not stupid. This was literally about 4 weeks ago, and I don't regret the decision at all. I am still living in the city of my Uni, which gives me the benefits of Uni life (drinking) without having to attend lectures.

The question is that are you taking this business course because it is something that you really want to do, or is it because you feel as though it is "the done thing"? If you plan on doing affiliating full time then you would be able to learn much more stuff that is specific to your work, and you will be able to earn more money more quickly.

At the end of the day though, a degree is a degree, and it leaves the door open for plenty of things later on down the line - that's what made my decision to leave Uni so difficult.

However, University is not a now or never decision. I know that if things do not work out how I would like, I can always go back and start the course again or try something different. At the moment though, affiliating exactly what I want to do, and I do not want to commit to anything else nearly as much as I do this.

I know you're post wasn't a "school or affiliating" question, but I thought this would be relevant. I wouldn't want to sway your decision one way or the other, because that's up to you.

[JohnH]

I really think college is a big "head fake" (see Randy Pausch). The whole time you are learning stuff about the pine ecosystem, accounting, business law, etc. You may be learning some of this stuff but what you are REALLY learning to do is to push yourself further and achieve what you thought impossible. That and social skills.

With that being said I wouldn't take a course just to get a piece of paper. Unless of course you need that piece of paper to get a job.

[KevinMcC]

Some great posts, thanks guys.

[themike537]

Got a quick question that I think is relevant to the original post. For those of you who graduated and say there's advantages to finishing college besides the financial aspects of having a degree to get a job, what are they?

Off the top of my head, I'd say:

1. Lose social experience of college (could be alleviated by continuing to live in your college town)
2. Networking opportunities (although I feel like people on these forums are much better connections than people I meet at college)
3. ??

[Hazo]

Hey Kevin,

I was in a fairly similar situation to you and I still kind of am. I was studying Business Management and Commerce but not really focused on it at all. I've decided to drop Commerce, although the accounting and financial aspects of it can be handy, it's not the direction I want to take. With Business Management I'm majoring in International Business which I find I can learn a bit from and is interesting. The path I've chosen to take is just to see what my work schedule is like and then choose subjects accordingly. Having to do it part time doesn't really bother me.

I've always taken roads different to the norm and I think University is a waste of time for the most part. People around you will be negative if you choose to leave but it's your decision. Even if you don't go back next semester you can choose to go back if you want. If you are similar to me and just want to run your own businesses, then do it. But you don't have to leave Uni entirely. Not sure how it is where you are, but where I am it's no big deal just to do what subjects I choose over a period of time. I don't find Uni that time consuming anyway.

Think about what you want and make the decision, otherwise you will regret it. At least this way you did your own thing.

Nick

[MPC]

Kevin, let me tell you a something about education - I'm a big advocate of it. I have 7 years of University under my belt (Should have been 6, but the first year was all about getting drunk and partying lol!). Here's what I learned:

It's not really about what they teach. You do it because you want options in life. Sure, you'll study in a branch that is of interest to you, but that will not define what you'll end up doing for a career. Going trought the process sucessfully means you'll develop good work habbits along the way and that is something that will benefit you for life. The knowledge itself will be, for the most part, forgotten when you're done. If you don't apply what you learn, you forget about it. Maybe not completely, but things sure become fuzzy.

I hated school. I hate learning in a classroom. I learn by doing. That's just me. Yet I've done all those years so I could get the damn piece of paper that our society judges our abilities by, even if in reality it is a poor measure.

In relation to poker, going to college will mean you'll have more "outs". It doesn't mean you'll win the hand every time. But I do recomend you get some kind of diploma becuase you never know what kind of hand you'll be dealt in life.

[KevinMcC]

Just did a little update of my situation on my blog for anyone who is interested...

College vs No College for Internet Entrepreneur