To Attend College Or Not To Attend College..

[Abeo Maria]

How necessary does one find college?
I'm afraid of entering for the "wrong" thing, and ending up in debt.
Does anyone including @Leo Gura have an opinion on this based on experience?

[Kevin Dunlop]

Hi, yes I went to university when I was 30 years old, I loved it because the quality of the education system had dramatically improved while I was out of school learning on my own. I think you could do both - first dont go to collage what is the rush? Then when you feel more sure about it go for it. Time only makes you smarter and youll be better at it, they thought I was such a genius because my experience had given me important insights that the full time schoolers didnt get rushing straight into university. It is also common that in college one will change courses no big deal. Some schools are free no debt required. I still have the debt but there is no pressure to pay it off fast so I dont worry about it. 

[Abeo Maria]

@Kevin Dunlop thank you so much for responding! This was what I needed to hear. I'm not currently in a rush (I'm 24) and am well aware of the benefits of college, if it's within my life purpose. 
Most people encourage me to go to college with the sole purpose of making money and I can't see the complete, sole logic in thinking that way. Sure, you want your livelihood to be taken care of through education, but for me it has to be a degree i am interested in obtaining because it matches my personal development. 
Thank you, thank you

[ZenBlue]

Only you know in your gut if college is the right decision for you.

Here is my experience with it:

I went to college straight out of high school. Not because I wanted to, but only because that's what was expected of me. Sure, college did help me grow and develop as a person. I also met great people, and built lasting memories through that experience. Education wise, I have always learned a lot more just doing research online and teaching myself. To this day, I owe a lot of my knowledge to the information available on the Internet for FREE.

College didn't define my career path because I realized I want to be an entrepreneur and that's all about taking real action, not studying books. If you are talking about education, then college isn't really worth the cost. You can learn just about anything you want either through free information available online, or online courses which cost just a fraction of a college class.

Now I have a big loan to pay off, and I'm working an entry level type of job that doesn't require a college degree. I don't regret it though, because I know it was all just part of the journey on my current path.

College to me is only a necessity if you want to pursue a specific profession that requires credentials such as: Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, etc...

Edited March 15, 2016 by ZenBlue

[Damien]

@Abeo Maria I am currently in my first year of college in Switzerland. I was hesitating wether to enter college or not. Even without the debt it is a decision full of consequences. The age range my peers is from 18 to 35. What i find interesting is that the ones who seem to make the most out of it are the 21 to 26 age range. It seems that the youngest one don't really seize the opportunity and the oldest one outgrew the scholar and formal side of the education. I would recommend you do not wait too long if you want to go to college. 

I hope this is of some kind of help

Peace

[vizual]

If you want to go to college don't do a generic Business management, Social Studies, History, Art or something to that extent. If you have a interest in that might as well do your own studies from books, internet, library etc. Will save you a lot of useless time and money.

Only go if you have an interest in something in which you actually need to do practical stuff which requires some detailed instruction. Things like Med school, Engineering, Computer Science(even though you can learn to program on your own), Architecture etc.

The worst thing you can(I speak from experience) is go to college because it is expected of you. I ended up with a degree I don't like plus a nice student debt. Only go if you are passionate about the subject.

[Abeo Maria]

@Damien thank you so much. this does truly help. I'm 24, so I'm right in that bracket. and know that if I do go it'd be best to go with the next year or two.

@vizual I can agree with this. That is what I'm up against constantly...the constant expectation of college and the fear that i will need succeed if I don't have it. What's crazy is I don't have these own fears about my life, and think it's a waste to merely invest in something for pure expectation. So it's really encouraging that you've said this thank you kindly.

 

@ZenBlue I agree. most of what i want to do isn't relative to a specific profession and I a lot of people out or normalcy, expectation and tradition assume it's only right to attend school and get a "business" degree or something to that liking. which i cannot justify the expense and debt of college for an area of interest i am actually not interested in. Thank you for your response/feedback

[kibrekidusan]

I suggest you to read the bookcalled should you drop out of college.  If you can't you can have the  summary @ Julien himself book reviews.  It is a good way to start.  Keep in touch. 

[Clay]

We live in the information age, a time where anything you want to learn is readily available for you online, for free.

When you go to college, you're paying the college somewhere between $20 - $40 per hour (during lectures) and yet, you can get this same information online for free. The upside to college however, is that it gives you a guided path and holds you accountable, through scheduled lectures and tests. It also gives you a certification that you have learned X (a degree), which can help employers determine whether they should hire you for a job.

I went to college, and while I don't necessarily regret it, I don't praise it either. If you are motivated enough to learn what you want to learn on your own, and stick to it, you can reap all the benefits that college could give you, without having to be in debt after you have learned these set skills.

The question ultimately becomes: do you want to pay for guidance, or are you self-disciplined enough to self-teach yourself? There is no right or wrong answer and it comes down to being self-reflective enough to consider which decision will lead you down the better path.

[VividReality]

@Clay Curl WOW, That is Fucking Dope  You make a good point in case, and damn, nicely said!