I think this link started out as a post here on hn[1]. I'm not sure why the author insists on using $175k in debt as a strawman for the discussion. In the earlier thread on HN he stated that $100k, not $175k, was the actual debt figure he was confronted with. It is unfortunate because the discussion of higher-ed/debt is an important topic (I dropped out of law school for similar reasons) and the inflated debt figure needlessly cheapens the discussion.
College was my biggest mistake
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Re: College was my biggest mistake
#42He has a story very similar to mine, but I don't really use my personal anecdotes to give other people advice.
And yeah, that first job where I started making decent money after years of minimum wage?
Just like winning the powerball.
I'm very happy and grateful for what I have, but I'm even more grateful I joined a startup of such great people.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#43College was actually exactly what this guy needed. He found his passion, discovered what did and did not work for him in terms of learning, and managed to enter the job market at a time where people with his level of experience and expertise could demand salary like what he has now. Offsetting a few years in either direction and he likely would have entered the job market at a very BAD time for people without college…
A lot of people assume that college is this magical place where people find their passions... People usually don't change too much and stick to their passions well past highschool/college(meaning that they would've come to a similar conclusion with or without college). Many people cite all these CEOs and CTOs who left college and did amazing things, but these people are merely finding out that they can't learn in a classroom setting(neither can i) and pursued a different path.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#44Success is sitting right infront of you. But if he'd finished college, he'd know that "infront" is two words! But in all honesty, I also dropped out of college and I agree with the sentiment of this post wholeheartedly. In fact, I might go a step further and say that the fear and uncertainty that came with not having a degree actually pushed me to hustle harder than I think I would've otherwise.
> In fact, I might go a step further and say that the fear and uncertainty that came with not having a degree actually pushed me to hustle harder than I think I would've otherwise. Stress caused by feeling behind is not a strong endorsement in my opinion.
I'm glad it helped give me the motivation to push myself to get where I am today - and in the process learn how much that work and dedication could pay off in the long term.
I have little doubt that, had things turned out otherwise, I'd be sitting at a desk working a safe little office job in my home town.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#45The most interesting thing about this is the feedback loop. These kind of stories seem to strike a chord and in turn more people will post about this. Yet the discussion always goes along the same lines. The problem is that all of these are unavoidably anecdotal in nature and thus something that is basically impossible to discuss. Sure, it might have worked out for some and might not have worked out for others. The p…
I think these types of posts are becoming popular because we all grew up under the belief that college was the only way to become successful, and it's becoming increasingly clear that not only is that not true, it can be harmful in some cases. This is a big shift from the thinking of previous generations and probably amplified by the current looming student loan crisis and poor economy.
Yes, college works for some and not for others, but only recently has the suggestion that maybe college isn't a golden ticket to success started to sound pretty reasonable.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#46More challenging colleges teach you far more than you can teach yourselves. A top 5 computer science school churns out a much more capable and knowledgeable computer science major who is both well versed in theory and knows how computers actually works down to the bytes. Kudos to the writer, his ability to hustle is strong. There is more than one kind of talent.
I am well versed in theory and know how computers work down to the semiconductor level. (An aside: I am eternally grateful to Feynman for his wonderful book on that subject.)
Incidentally, I dropped out of high school my Junior year after I landed a programming internship at a local game studio. I have a GED.
I would say I'm capable of being put to work on any software project in any domain and in short order attain a high degree of productivity.
I spend my days researching optics and color theory. I'm the process of building a graphics research lab in my basement, and my purpose in life is to one day write a program which generates images that appear so real and so detailed that the observer would be convinced they were captured by a digital camcorder, rather than output from a 3D renderer.
Computers have been my life and passion for well over a decade. I'm 24.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#47Yup. Go 1-2 years, take as many higher level classes as you can, meet people, begin to learn world != high school, hustle for that first job.
It also helps if economy isn't in shitter like it has been for many years.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#48I often wonder how many people who write these kinds of posts actually benefitted greatly from college in ways they don't understand. For example, most people who didn't go to college can't write a blog post like this one. In short, I think most people who can write great posts about how college didn't help them actually gained a lot of their most valuable (if intangible) skills from their college experience.
Most college educated people I meet can't write half as well as the OP.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you saying that you can't learn to write without going to college?
You can learn everything you learn in college somewhere else. But it's nowhere near as easy.
I disagree with what you say, but a lot of people tend to agree with you. I'm assuming that most people haven't actually tried teaching themselves something to know what's more effective.
Re: College was my biggest mistake
#50"I could teach myself more in an afternoon than I would learn in a 10-week class"... depends on what you consider "learning". Of course you don't need to go to any class to learn Rails and get a pay check. To learn hundred other life skills you need to go to class. You are equating "success" with size of pay check. That might not be the measure for many.