College or not?

#1

Post by sahillavingia » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 5:23 PM UTC

Re: College or not?

#2

Post by noahkagan » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 5:32 PM UTC

Sometimes I regret going to College. I hardly learned anything. The bigger thing I got out was how to organize myself and socialize.

In hindsight if I had momentum around an idea I'd have preferred to go work on that directly. Personally I learn way more through doing than reading.

Re: College or not?

#3

Post by idigit » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 5:35 PM UTC

I went to college for 2 years, then dropped out to peruse the startup world. I can say that I've made many valuable connections being in the industry (more so than in college), and I definitely don't regret my decision dropping out.

Re: College or not?

#4

Post by powertower » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 5:58 PM UTC

I went to an engineering school that is ranked high in that department.

Many will disagree with me on this point, but I truly believe that "college education" is a scam.

College was sold to me on the premises that 1) I would be taught my job related skills there and 2) this experience would provide me with a job / or at least prepare me for a job.

Neither of these things turned out to be true. Not even 20% true. But rather 0% true.

Nothing usable was taught and by the time I was a junior in my computer engineering curriculum I doubt 50% of the class would be able to hook up a couple of batteries to produce the correct voltage needed.

Huge classes, 60 point curves, theory and mathematics without practical application, no hands on works that deals with real world use/cases.

Get them in, get them out, take their money.

I'm not saying college is useless, just that what is sold to you is not what is delivered.

I run my own business now.

Re: College or not?

#5

Post by angdis » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 5:58 PM UTC

There are, of course, exceptions but most people are better off if they finish college. Yeah, I know... "Bill Gates", "Mark Zuckerberg", "", so what?

Without that degree, it still is the case that many doors are closed and you have to work much harder and longer to get to the same places than those with a degree.

And anyway, whatever happened to education for its own sake? Not everything has to be vocationally/income centered.

Re: College or not?

#6

Post by phirephly » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 6:12 PM UTC

As a mechanical engineer, I felt that most of my classes were pretty useless. Tons of theoretical analysis, etc etc. I then got my first job, and while they were bringing me up to speed, I noticed that I was sure glad a knew a few things from two or three of my classes.

I went back and talked to some of my friends, and they had the same reaction, but with totally different classes for different companies.

So at least in MechE, a college degree gives you a light framework for the employers to build on, and really is more-so just a certification that you're not an idiot and can learn things.

Re: College or not?

#7

Post by lwhalen » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 6:18 PM UTC

I studied electrical engineering at WPI for 4 years. They were going to push me into a 5th to complete the degree, so I said "heck with this" and dropped out. It was the best decision of my life, and after having paid down $60k of my over $100k in debt, I consider my biggest mistake in life thusfar to be 'going to college' in the first place. I learned lots of cool theoretical stuff with respect to dinking around with electricity and circuits, but absolutely none of my classes prepared me for my 'real world' job of being a sysadmin (for now). I have maybe three people currently in my life that I consider good close personal friends that I met in college, but they're 'friends'. Not 'business colleagues'. My advice? If you're a fairly well-performing autodidact, don't bother with college and the staggering debt that ensues.

Re: College or not?

#8

Post by ryanmickle » Thu, Jan 06, 2011, 6:25 PM UTC

Congrats Sahil, on your decision to take some time. I trust that you'll quickly fall in love with the energy and meritocratic environment that is the startup world. Also know that you always can go back, even if USC doesn't normally allow it, the lessons you'll likely learn in the "real world" will make you a better student, if you chose to return (looking back I'm sure many of us wish we could do it "all over again").

I have a good friend who was offered the opportunity to work for a startup out of high school in 1999 after he finished an internship. Long story short, the company sold to Netscape and he always speaks highly of his experiences and the people he met. When he returned to school, rather than graduating "into" a decimated Silicon Valley job market, he rode the bubble until the 101 felt like a ghost town during rush hour. And he made his way back to school, where he was able to get exactly the education he knew he needed, based on experience. Now, just for the purposes of the case of one example, he is a YC W10 founder.

Obviously, dropping out of school to work as broad-stroked advice probably doesn't make sense, but in the case of a talented, driven entrepreneur like yourself, I say go for it.

Re: College or not?

#9

Post by nwmcsween » Fri, Jan 07, 2011, 4:22 AM UTC

Depends, do you like in depth and depending on the college/university cutting edge knowledge? Education isn't about money it's about learning about what you drive for.