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Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

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Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#41

Post by RobbieStats »

goldfeld wrote: post #30

Sounds like a horrible idea full of assumptions and pressure, as opposed to offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually), a nice option for those who can afford it. Not everyone has to be coaxed into entrepreneurship, it's an evil of our consumerist age. Your kid would probably rather participate in society at large than in your suicidal runway idea of a romanticized youth of m…

I take it you didn't read the article. The whole point is to provide more options than the single track path that has dominated the post high school mindset, not to say they have to go one way or another.

Plenty of great entrepreneurs start their company with little to no experience. Having done both, I think you can learn a lot more starting a company than you can at college.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#42

Post by Broken_Hippo »

bsbechtel wrote: post #3
Broken_Hippo wrote: post #2

I always knew kids that wanted to start their own business - at least in high school and college. I grew up poor-to-middle class, nothing special, living in Indiana. I'm about 39 now. Some folks just don't consider it so young, just like changing professions in one's late 20's. It usually goes along with the dream of not having to answer to a boss and/or working hours one wants to work, but not always. But I do think…

It would help a lot in making this a viable option if more companies gave credit/valued the experience a young person gains by trying to start their own company. Outside of the Bay Area, this is a rare occurance.

Actually, it depends on the industry you are applying for. If you are OK with something like retail management - something that is generally a path for folks without college anyway - you can generally hire in above entry level. Same with some other industries and jobs - mostly because you are more likely to meet the experience requirements. Your pay might or might not be on par with someone with a degree, but at that point you might be able to remedy that.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#43

Post by pirocks »

notadoc wrote: post #36
goldfeld wrote: post #30

Sounds like a horrible idea full of assumptions and pressure, as opposed to offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually), a nice option for those who can afford it. Not everyone has to be coaxed into entrepreneurship, it's an evil of our consumerist age. Your kid would probably rather participate in society at large than in your suicidal runway idea of a romanticized youth of m…

> offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually) That is exactly what college is, and is supposed to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that college is a jobs training program, or a career readiness program - it's not. It was never intended to be. College is supposed to give someone a broader perspective, a more complex worldview, exposure to a vast array of topics and…

Sorry for being edgy, but please tell me where I can get jobs training for being a doctor, lawyer, etc. that isn't college. Regardless of what you think college is, college currently is primarily jobs training.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#44

Post by pirocks »

tensor wrote: post #35
keeptrying wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen parents essentially drive kids into liberal arts by pressuring kids to try everything else. Pointing a kid in the right direction is high art.

You say this as though liberal arts is bad, perhaps that's what some people want to do. Don't see anything wrong with it.

> You say this as though liberal arts is bad, perhaps that's what some people want to do. Currently in the US you have no choice (if your going to college) as to whether or not you get a liberal arts education. Pretty much every school in the US have strong general education requirements. So perhaps some people want to do liberal arts, and that's great but Imo it is being imposed on the entire society.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#45

Post by treehau5 »

notadoc wrote: post #36
goldfeld wrote: post #30

Sounds like a horrible idea full of assumptions and pressure, as opposed to offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually), a nice option for those who can afford it. Not everyone has to be coaxed into entrepreneurship, it's an evil of our consumerist age. Your kid would probably rather participate in society at large than in your suicidal runway idea of a romanticized youth of m…

> offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually) That is exactly what college is, and is supposed to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that college is a jobs training program, or a career readiness program - it's not. It was never intended to be. College is supposed to give someone a broader perspective, a more complex worldview, exposure to a vast array of topics and…

> That's it.

Actually, you scratched the surface, but it goes so much further than that -- that sadly most of our modern universities have lost sight of. I've posted this in previous comments, but universities are actually suppose to help build more just societies -- an idea Plato describes as the purpose of university, and echoed by many chancellors across the country.

"The goal of university education is to help build a fairer, more just society" - Steven Schwartz. [0]

"Plato regards education as a means to achieve justice, both individual justice and social justice." [1]

[0]: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/comment/columnists/the-...

[1]: http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations/AAI9517932/

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#46

Post by rayiner »

notadoc wrote: post #36
goldfeld wrote: post #30

Sounds like a horrible idea full of assumptions and pressure, as opposed to offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually), a nice option for those who can afford it. Not everyone has to be coaxed into entrepreneurship, it's an evil of our consumerist age. Your kid would probably rather participate in society at large than in your suicidal runway idea of a romanticized youth of m…

> offering an exploratory period of life that is college (socially and intellectually) That is exactly what college is, and is supposed to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that college is a jobs training program, or a career readiness program - it's not. It was never intended to be. College is supposed to give someone a broader perspective, a more complex worldview, exposure to a vast array of topics and…

> Many people make the mistake of thinking that college is a jobs training program, or a career readiness program - it's not. It was never intended to be. College is supposed to give someone a broader perspective, a more complex worldview, exposure to a vast array of topics and ideas, and to develop habits that are generally beneficial to any life or intellectual pursuit. That's it.

In short, it was designed as a luxury for rich kids who didn't need to contribute to society or provide for themselves. That militates towards setting up a "start something" fund (and maybe that "something" is setting up a Subway franchise or a construction company!) for your kid rather than a college fund.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#47

Post by maxerickson »

pirocks wrote: post #44
tensor wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say this as though liberal arts is bad, perhaps that's what some people want to do. Don't see anything wrong with it.

> You say this as though liberal arts is bad, perhaps that's what some people want to do. Currently in the US you have no choice (if your going to college) as to whether or not you get a liberal arts education. Pretty much every school in the US have strong general education requirements. So perhaps some people want to do liberal arts, and that's great but Imo it is being imposed on the entire society.

I don't know what they are now but I satisfied the gen ed requirements of my engineering degree with 2 classes of Spanish, 2 classes of economics, 2 classes of philosophy and 1 class of history.

I tested out of the Spanish (approximately by knowing "perro", that is knowing some basic vocabulary) and still got 8 credit hours for it.

Math, chemistry and physics (4,1 and 2 classes) are technically liberal arts, but they were also sort of applicable to my degree.

I suppose there is an argument to be made that 1.5 semesters is a "strong" requirement, but not really, especially when it includes 3-4 beginner classes that are mostly surveys.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#48

Post by 20years »

osrec wrote: post #26

I love this idea, but you need to nurture the entrepreneur in your child before giving them the money. Like a lot of people here, I have a decent degree from a good university; I can confirm that it hasn't given me much more than a foot in the door for my next interview. Most of the academic knowledge I gained, I could have learnt by myself (in fact that's what I did, even at university), and a lot of it is now redun…

"you need to nurture the entrepreneur in your child before giving them the money."

This is key imo. Even if it means starting small little business type things like selling candy at school. Teach them how to keep track of profit/losses/expenses, how to recognize opportunities and how to test the waters before jumping fully in. I do this with my 13 year old son. His most successful business so far has brought him $4500 in revenue.

I don't call it entrepreneur training or even training at all. He doesn't even really realize he is learning. It is something fun we do together and he has tasted what it feels like to make his own money. It has allowed him to save and buy his own things.

When he graduates from high school, I won't push him one way or another (college vs entrepreneurship). I will leave that up to him but I hope at least I will have given him a little taste of entrepreneurship so he can make his own choice when the time comes. I will also heavily encourage him to work a few jobs at other companies first. That in itself is a huge learning experience.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#49

Post by EduardoBautista »

hacksonx wrote: post #22
manbearpigg wrote: post #8

A fully qualified engineer will be in a much better position to provide valuable products and services than an 18 year old noob. I guess it's better than a gender studies degree, but believe it or not, undergraduate education is not completely useless. I learned a hell of a lot.

It's not completely useless ... Yet, but with the shift the world is taking (globalisation, *robotisation and move to renewables) it will be. Some engineering degree too will put not have a place in the future.

What he's saying is that a college education does not have ton map directly to a job to be useful. So even in your example an engineering degree will have some value.

Re: Replacing My Kid’s College Fund with a “Start Something” Fund

#50

Post by 20years »

manbearpigg wrote: post #8

A fully qualified engineer will be in a much better position to provide valuable products and services than an 18 year old noob. I guess it's better than a gender studies degree, but believe it or not, undergraduate education is not completely useless. I learned a hell of a lot.

"A fully qualified engineer will be in a much better position to provide valuable products and services than an 18 year old noob."

Not sure I totally agree with this. I have meet a ton of very smart fully qualified engineers who have no business sense whatsoever.

That does not mean I am discounting the engineering degree. Not at all. At least an engineering degree will generally give you a very nice return. What makes a good engineer though is not often the same as what makes a good entrepreneur.

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