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I must admit that I actually just really enjoyed college. While I can appreciate the financial hardship it may impose on some -- if it doesn't for you, it's so

I must admit that I actually just really enjoyed college. While I can appreciate the financial hardship it may impose on some -- if it doesn't for you, it's some of the best years of your life. You'll be surrounded with peers that are your age. You'll enjoy a very equal male/female ratio (at least in your living quarters and some courses), and you get to study a broad diverse set of topics constantly. And for the most part you get to select what you study. To steal a famous quote -- college is wasted on the young. ;-) I think if you were to ask most 30-50 year olds if they could drop most of their current responsibilities (with impunity) and go to college full time, the vast majority would. As someone who has started start-ups, joined start ups, consulted, and worked for F100 companies -- you have your whole life to work. I wouldn't start into it a day earlier than necessary. With that said, there may be things you love that you can do as a job and things you can do to become very rich very young. I think those opportunities are fewer and rarer than most here believe, but they do exist.

AndrewNCarr 15y ago
>I think if you were to ask most 30-50 year olds if they could drop most of their current responsibilities (with impunity) and go to college full time, the vast majority would. No. Especially not in the "Information Age". This from someone who continues to learn every day, to steal a quote "a day without learning is like a day without sunshine". When you ignore the social-club elements of college and focus on academia, there is never a moment I would drop everything and go back to college full time (or any level of time).
- kylemaxwell 15y ago
  The only reason I don't quit and go back to grad school full-time for a few years is that I can't afford it. I have a family to support now, and so doing that would be the height of irresponsibility. It's not that I don't learn every single day now, because I do and I love that. But I can't focus single-mindedly on learning stuff because it's either cool or a stepping stone to learning cool stuff. That's what I miss.
  - AndrewNCarr 15y ago
    >It's not that I don't learn every single day now, because I do and I love that. But I can't focus single-mindedly on learning stuff because it's either cool or a stepping stone to learning cool stuff. That's what I miss. Again, this is the "Information Age", dedicated knowledge acquisition no longer requires college. For many, traditional academia is not the most efficient means of learning anyway. Compare and contrast RIAA/MPAA & Music/Movies with College/University & intellectualism and learning. When the former criticizes the anti-SOPA movement, we laugh and shake our heads at their absurd cries. When the later criticizes "anti-intellectualism" (which really means anti-academia), many respond as desired, by shaking their heads at the image of ignorant peasants at the gates of intellectualism with pitch forks and torches. In both cases we have old, established, and powerful institutions trying to maintain their power. While one is starting to succumb (or perhaps adapt) to a changing and innovating market, the other continues to further entrench itself while raising its prices ever skyward. It is an interesting comparison to consider. I'll end with a pertinent quote. "Never let formal education get in the way of your learning." -Mark Twain
    - kylemaxwell 15y ago
      But even in this age, when you can learn so much by just going to your preferred search engine and typing "learn $topic", you still can't focus exclusively on that when you also have to focus on your job, etc. University gives you a few years to do that.
      - snth 15y ago
        I think people remember college through rose-colored glasses---as if college is where you do whatever you want and learn whatever you want for a few years. If you're degree-seeking, and you are pursuing a decently difficult degree like Computer Science or Engineering at a competitive college, most of your courses will be planned out for you. You may have a few "electives", but they'd better not take too much time away from your required classes. Now if you're independently wealthy and a non-degree-seeker, you really could learn whatever you wanted at whatever rate was most optimal. That's not the usual college experience. That does seem closer to a "college subscription" though.
batista 15y ago
>I think if you were to ask most 30-50 year olds if they could drop most of their current responsibilities (with impunity) and go to college full time, the vast majority would Where do I sign?

AndrewNCarr 15y ago

>I think if you were to ask most 30-50 year olds if they could drop most of their current responsibilities (with impunity) and go to college full time, the vast majority would. No. Especially not in the "Information Age". This from someone who continues to learn every day, to steal a quote "a day without learning is like a day without sunshine". When you ignore the social-club elements of college and focus on academia, there is never a moment I would drop everything and go back to college full time (or any level of time).

kylemaxwell 15y ago
The only reason I don't quit and go back to grad school full-time for a few years is that I can't afford it. I have a family to support now, and so doing that would be the height of irresponsibility. It's not that I don't learn every single day now, because I do and I love that. But I can't focus single-mindedly on learning stuff because it's either cool or a stepping stone to learning cool stuff. That's what I miss.
- AndrewNCarr 15y ago
  >It's not that I don't learn every single day now, because I do and I love that. But I can't focus single-mindedly on learning stuff because it's either cool or a stepping stone to learning cool stuff. That's what I miss. Again, this is the "Information Age", dedicated knowledge acquisition no longer requires college. For many, traditional academia is not the most efficient means of learning anyway. Compare and contrast RIAA/MPAA & Music/Movies with College/University & intellectualism and learning. When the former criticizes the anti-SOPA movement, we laugh and shake our heads at their absurd cries. When the later criticizes "anti-intellectualism" (which really means anti-academia), many respond as desired, by shaking their heads at the image of ignorant peasants at the gates of intellectualism with pitch forks and torches. In both cases we have old, established, and powerful institutions trying to maintain their power. While one is starting to succumb (or perhaps adapt) to a changing and innovating market, the other continues to further entrench itself while raising its prices ever skyward. It is an interesting comparison to consider. I'll end with a pertinent quote. "Never let formal education get in the way of your learning." -Mark Twain
  - kylemaxwell 15y ago
    But even in this age, when you can learn so much by just going to your preferred search engine and typing "learn $topic", you still can't focus exclusively on that when you also have to focus on your job, etc. University gives you a few years to do that.
    - snth 15y ago
      I think people remember college through rose-colored glasses---as if college is where you do whatever you want and learn whatever you want for a few years. If you're degree-seeking, and you are pursuing a decently difficult degree like Computer Science or Engineering at a competitive college, most of your courses will be planned out for you. You may have a few "electives", but they'd better not take too much time away from your required classes. Now if you're independently wealthy and a non-degree-seeker, you really could learn whatever you wanted at whatever rate was most optimal. That's not the usual college experience. That does seem closer to a "college subscription" though.

batista 15y ago

>I think if you were to ask most 30-50 year olds if they could drop most of their current responsibilities (with impunity) and go to college full time, the vast majority would Where do I sign?