I'm not sure why we are meant to judge the glorification of dropping out by a drop out more suspiciously than the glorification of academia by a European History PhD.
Don't Glorify Dropping Out
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Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#12Reminder: People who think of themselves as getting prestige from their college education may view something that challenges the prestige of college as an attack on their hard-won status.
Reminder 2: College is broken. It needs challenging.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#13The article is written by a Ph.d. That probably means he's got a vested interest in people staying in school...
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#14College is broken. Anyone who paid and went for 4 years, knows its an inefficient use of time and money. What we need to do is stop glorifying college.
College isn't broken, it's just not for everyone. I don't regret my 4 years one bit, it was the best period of my life. I had some amazing social and educational experiences that I wouldn't have received had I not attended - who knew religion and geology could be so interesting? Most importantly I received a CS degree which helped me transition into the real world and be successful today.
You may feel it was a waste of time and money but for me, it was a bargain.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#15Speaking as a high school drop out, I wouldn't recommend it for the vast majority of people. College is useful for the people you meet as much as the education you receive. That said, in Silicon Valley, a few companies on your résumé, a single high profile company and/or a major achievement is more than enough to compensate for a lack of education. Outside of Silicon Valley? Well that's another story.
>Outside of Silicon Valley? Well that's another story.
It's the same here in the Boston area. I suspect it'll be the same at most companies with heavy software work.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#16[deleted]
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#17I'm wondering how many of those who drop out of college to start companies succeed -- and by success I don't mean Zuckerberg or Gates type of success but have a profitable company and make enough money to live a comfortable (not extravagant) life?
I believe college is not for everybody or at the same stage of life (i.e., you could go back if the company you started doesn't work out). But I do agree with Thiel's point that a degree provides some level of insurance.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#18Yeah, anyone who posts their degree in their byline is going to be less than objective when writing a piece like this. Nobody likes to feel like they've been ripped off. Maybe in the future the college degree will be thought of as the Thigh Master of our generation.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#19College is broken. Anyone who paid and went for 4 years, knows its an inefficient use of time and money. What we need to do is stop glorifying college.
College isn't broken, it's just not for everyone. I don't regret my 4 years one bit, it was the best period of my life. I had some amazing social and educational experiences that I wouldn't have received had I not attended - who knew religion and geology could be so interesting? Most importantly I received a CS degree which helped me transition into the real world and be successful today. You may feel it was a waste…
The point is there's nothing you get from college that you couldn't get for free somewhere else (Internet for info and Industry gatherings for social aspects). College puts it together in a nice, easy to digest package but they vastly over charge for it.
The college model is still based around a philosophy from the 1800s when they were the sole providers of information.
Re: Don't Glorify Dropping Out
#20College is broken. Anyone who paid and went for 4 years, knows its an inefficient use of time and money. What we need to do is stop glorifying college.
It would be amazing if there was similar financial support and culture around some other structured success environment - imagine $100,000 to spend learning a craft? You could become a god in four years of concentration, not worrying about a career.
It would be interesting if someone could combine the two. Colleges give experience credit all the time. I wonder if an accredited institution could work with a company like Y-Combinator (which provides mentoring anyway) to create a business program that awarded a degree for going through a program in which you create a startup.
There would certainly have to be gen ed considerations but Universities do those online now so it wouldn't be hard to make them available.