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Dropping out is probably not for you

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Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#151

Post by usaar333 »

matwood wrote: post #9
edw519 wrote: post #3

The simplest test of whether or not you should drop out is this one: If you have to ask someone if you should then you shouldn't. I think I have a simpler test: Do you have a customer? Of all the things that you need to do to start a successful business, I think that getting someone to pay you for your work is the hardest. Deceptively hard. I've seen it all too often: Good technical skills. Check. Good design skills.…

I agree with you. Students have more disposable time than any other segment of the population except the unemployed/out of school. If a person in school cannot build and sell something while still in school, then dropping out isn't likely to help. Getting an MVP build and finding those first critical customers (if they even exist) should be perfectly feasible while still going to class.

I'm really not sure if that is true for those in technical majors like comp sci. While I've never had a full time job working for someone else, I definitely had more free time during summer internships (40 hour workweek) than while in school. YMMV.

Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#153

Post by bozho »

vbtemp wrote: post #129
bozho wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why I can't do compilers if I have to. I didn't take the "compilers" course in my remote study, because I wasn't interested. But when you reach a certain level of computing knowledge, you can learn anything quickly. But anyway, I agree that "mental gymnastics", "stretching your mind" and "exchanging ideas" are very important things. And so I found ways to do these things. Yes, it's not the default case wh…

"I don't see why I can't do compilers if I have to. I didn't take the "compilers" course in my remote study, because I wasn't interested. But when you reach a certain level of computing knowledge, you can learn anything quickly" Well, consider this. Here's an exercise, without googling for a solution (other than language documentation), do you think you could write your own grep? Write a reasonably performing distrib…

I very much agree that defining those theories and algorithms is not for everyone. But they are already discovered, so if I need them, I'll (yes) google them and analyze if they are suitable. Of course, I'll need to know what I'm looking for, which is the "level of computing knowledge"

And if I have to do research projects - I agree I won't be able to start as a senior researcher. Perhaps a minor assistant, it is not impossible, if I ever need to. It's not like "I've missed my chance in life to ever do compilers".

Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#155

Post by vbtemp »

bozho wrote: post #153
vbtemp wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I don't see why I can't do compilers if I have to. I didn't take the "compilers" course in my remote study, because I wasn't interested. But when you reach a certain level of computing knowledge, you can learn anything quickly" Well, consider this. Here's an exercise, without googling for a solution (other than language documentation), do you think you could write your own grep? Write a reasonably performing distrib…

I very much agree that defining those theories and algorithms is not for everyone. But they are already discovered, so if I need them, I'll (yes) google them and analyze if they are suitable. Of course, I'll need to know what I'm looking for, which is the "level of computing knowledge" And if I have to do research projects - I agree I won't be able to start as a senior researcher. Perhaps a minor assistant, it is not…

Point taken. However, my point wasn't to play gotcha. Of course everyone googles for solutions, that's how things work. It's how they should work. The point was this: what if you need to innovate something new, that necessarily needs to draw from deep results in pure theory. Those without a formal background in CS, by and large, are not equipped to make these discoveries and breakthroughs. Among dropouts I think there is a certain cognitive bias of WIKIATI (What I Know Is All There Is) - they presume their success in their achievement, and in getting professional respect and a salary allows them to say "told you so!" to the weak-willed people who stay in school, without realizing they don't know what they don't know.

Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#156

Post by adeelk »

ctdonath wrote: post #15

Notice that all the lauded examples of "well, X dropped out and made it big!" entail X starting the business during schools and being so wildly successful at it that school was just in the way. Michael Dell was spending all his waking hours building PCs in his dorm. Gates was well on his way to selling DOS to IBM. Each had already gotten to where college helps you go. Remember Gladwell's "10,000 hours" rule of thumb…

College does not qualify as ten thousand hours of practice of anything, except maybe note-taking or socializing, and this is probably why most people are not great at anything when they graduate. With all the “general requirements” and electives students take, they don’t spend anywhere near ten thousand hours practicing the field they major in, unless they’re practicing outside of classes. You can’t rely on college to give you the ten thousand hours and automatically push you to the top of your field. It can help to an extent, but, like you said, people like Gates succeed without college because they practice on their own, and there is no replacement for that.

Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#157

Post by webwright »

hessenwolf wrote: post #70
webwright wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. Passing college is cake. It requires very few hours of time compared to a real job-- it's a GREAT time to spin up a side business to see if you can generate/find demand for what you have. It's also a great time to experiment with co-founders. That said, necessity is the motherhood of invention and failure isn't going to sting THAT much. It's not terribly challenging to un-drop-out of college is it? Finally, I s…

Ha ha. That really depends on your Uni. I remember severe health problems due to the amount of study in my undergraduate.

I think folks are missing my point. If you're considering dropping out, I think you can lower your class-load to the minimum, be willing to get barely-passing grades, and test out whether you really have an interesting opportunity before you take the plunge.

School CAN be a really free time. You live in a tiny room, Have access to a cafeteria, have a 0-5min commute to work, and are surrounded by an army of peers who are segmented by interest (field of study). As evidenced by the number of startups that started in college dorm rooms, it's a great place to start a company.

Re: Dropping out is probably not for you

#158

Post by hessenwolf »

webwright wrote: post #157
hessenwolf wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ha ha. That really depends on your Uni. I remember severe health problems due to the amount of study in my undergraduate.

I think folks are missing my point. If you're considering dropping out, I think you can lower your class-load to the minimum, be willing to get barely-passing grades, and test out whether you really have an interesting opportunity before you take the plunge. School CAN be a really free time. You live in a tiny room, Have access to a cafeteria, have a 0-5min commute to work, and are surrounded by an army of peers who…

Again... wtf university did you go to? Slackers U?
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