3 ms·
> It sounds like we agree We agree in the sense that we both believe there is value in a good education. Especially a liberal arts one. I learned how to learn
by maratd 15y ago
> It sounds like we agree
We agree in the sense that we both believe there is value in a good education. Especially a liberal arts one.
I learned how to learn in college. By taking disparate subjects, I can absorb new information with ease. That is the most tangible and valuable skill I picked up. I got it by taking random subjects. The very definition of a liberal arts education.
That said, the degree itself is worthless. I never had a resume. I started my first business in college. That was 12 years ago.
For me, it might have been better to simply audit those classes or do something on my own, and put the tuition in my pocket. I have a strange feeling that applies to many people here.
- billswift 15y agoFor anyone really interested in liberal arts, you would probably be better off doing it on your own, even if college was a lot cheaper than it is. Use your money more for things that will repay the investment. There are some really good resources out there for self-study. An easy one to start with is Ron Gross's The Independent Scholar's Handbook, http://www.amazon.com/Independent-Scholars-Handbook-Ronald-Gross/dp/0201105152/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320252225&sr=8-2 http://www.amazon.com/Independent-Scholars-Handbook-Ronald-G.... But the much older (early seventies) book This Way Out is even more useful. My Amazon review: This book is in 3 parts, the last 2 Experimental Colleges and Foreign Study are too dated to be useful. Part one is the best book for college-level self-study I have used. I first read it in the early 1980s and have reread it several times since, it is only 135 pages but packed with useful advice. The biggest weakness for the current user is that it has nothing on computers or the internet, but some of its advice such as "Write lots of short papers. Long papers kill students and tutors alike. Write lots of short papers. It will teach you too write and that, as we will demonstrate later, is essential" could almost have been written for the Web (most books on creating web pages emphasize short, to the point writing). They also mention the absolute essential for self-education - you must love to read, if you don't, then stay in college where they will force you to read. http://www.amazon.com/This-way-out-alternatives-traditional/dp/0525218009/ref=cm_cr-mr-title http://www.amazon.com/This-way-out-alternatives-traditional/...
- mahyarm 15y agoDegrees are still useful for work visas! It can also help with start-a-business visas too.