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"College isn't worth it." I got the complete opposite message from this article. The Phish guys basically spent their college years creating the platform for t

"College isn't worth it." I got the complete opposite message from this article. The Phish guys basically spent their college years creating the platform for their future success - would that have ever happened if they'd gone into the workforce instead? Or if they'd had the pressure of "I'm a full time musician" rather than "I'm at college, it's cool if I just want to jam for 8 hours a day because I love it". Just because people drop out of college or don't use their degree, doesn't mean it's not worth it. All of your points on debt though are excellent. Be aware that there is such a thing as good debt, but it's not a common experience whereas your lessons are well worth sharing.

moron4hire 14y ago
You're reinforcing my point. If you go to college, spend money on tuition, and don't use your degree, you've wasted all that money--that you likely went into massive debt to acquire--for something you could have done without spending all of that money on tuition. I'm not saying "don't spend time not working to train for what you want to do". Don't conflate education with learning. I'm saying "don't spend money on colleges". My old university, a public school, advertises "$8 to $10k a semester for in-state students living on campus full-time". Having been through their system I know whatever they advertise is a crock of shit, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt here for a minute. Holy shit, $20k a year for just crappy place to live and shitty food to eat--if that is how you are treating it because you won't end up using your degree--is insanely expensive. So after 3 years of this, you've spent upwards of $60k on no degree. I don't think the degree itself would have been worth $80k to finish it (actually, more like $100k, because most of the people I now didn't finish their computer science degrees there in 4 years, me included). I'd have much rather ended those 5 years with project experience--and business experience!--under my belt and a little money because I'd been selling my own projects. We talk about runways with startups and how working lean extends your runway because the money is a fixed entity. Going to college is just not working lean. You're spending upwards of $55/day, just to live and practice your craft. There are LOTS of ways to live on a lot less than $55/day.
- Evbn 14y ago
  College provides a community and environment, one that served Phish well. College is a lot more than class. You can't look at their success and say what they did was wrong -- it worked for them. But anyway, Phish went to college in a different generation.

moron4hire 14y ago

You're reinforcing my point. If you go to college, spend money on tuition, and don't use your degree, you've wasted all that money--that you likely went into massive debt to acquire--for something you could have done without spending all of that money on tuition. I'm not saying "don't spend time not working to train for what you want to do". Don't conflate education with learning. I'm saying "don't spend money on colleges". My old university, a public school, advertises "$8 to $10k a semester for in-state students living on campus full-time". Having been through their system I know whatever they advertise is a crock of shit, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt here for a minute. Holy shit, $20k a year for just crappy place to live and shitty food to eat--if that is how you are treating it because you won't end up using your degree--is insanely expensive. So after 3 years of this, you've spent upwards of $60k on no degree. I don't think the degree itself would have been worth $80k to finish it (actually, more like $100k, because most of the people I now didn't finish their computer science degrees there in 4 years, me included). I'd have much rather ended those 5 years with project experience--and business experience!--under my belt and a little money because I'd been selling my own projects. We talk about runways with startups and how working lean extends your runway because the money is a fixed entity. Going to college is just not working lean. You're spending upwards of $55/day, just to live and practice your craft. There are LOTS of ways to live on a lot less than $55/day.

Evbn 14y ago
College provides a community and environment, one that served Phish well. College is a lot more than class. You can't look at their success and say what they did was wrong -- it worked for them. But anyway, Phish went to college in a different generation.