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> spending 4 years on a campus with thousands of other young people who are all there to learn and explore is transformative. You don't get that once you hit th

by zavi 13y ago

> spending 4 years on a campus with thousands of other young people who are all there to learn and explore is transformative. You don't get that once you hit the real world. It depends on the school. Most colleges aren't exactly an intellectual environment where people talk about singularity and high tech over lunch. I'll have much better luck finding a qualified cofounder just living in the Bay Area and going to meetups than at your average college that's not Harvard or Stanford.

gkoberger 13y ago
In that case, it's not that college isn't right for you, it's that you're not at the right college. I live in the Bay Area now and have gone to many meetups, and I have to unequivocally disagree that it's better than college for meeting people.
michaelochurch 13y ago
your average college that's not Harvard or Stanford I don't know why you think the intellectual tenor would be different at those colleges. My respect for Stanford took a major hit when I saw this: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1907908-stanford-band-forms-snapchat-logo-during-rose-bowl-halftime-show http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1907908-stanford-band-for... There are pockets of intellectualism at any college, but the truth is that American culture is just not very intellectual, and among the business elite there's a pronounced antiintellectualism. You're going to find more philistines than intellectuals at any college in the U.S. and, yes, that includes the top ones. Technology people aren't an exception to this. The old Silicon Valley nerds had at least an interest in history and literature and art. They weren't experts, but they agreed that it was important. The new business-oriented pseudonerds? Narrowly specialized in one technical field ("social graph logistics") and complete ignoramuses about everything else. Does that mean one shouldn't go to Harvard or Stanford? Of course not. It's great for the resume and there are a lot of connections to be made. But if you think that you're going to be discussing high intellectual concepts with most people meet-- or that the people bringing the connections and the people with high intellectual interests will have any overlap whatsoever-- you'll be disappointed.
- misingnoglic 13y ago
  That's the Stanford marching back, they're basically known for fucking around on stage and being edgy/controversial.

by zavi 13y ago

gkoberger 13y ago

In that case, it's not that college isn't right for you, it's that you're not at the right college. I live in the Bay Area now and have gone to many meetups, and I have to unequivocally disagree that it's better than college for meeting people.

michaelochurch 13y ago

your average college that's not Harvard or Stanford I don't know why you think the intellectual tenor would be different at those colleges. My respect for Stanford took a major hit when I saw this: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1907908-stanford-band-forms-snapchat-logo-during-rose-bowl-halftime-show http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1907908-stanford-band-for... There are pockets of intellectualism at any college, but the truth is that American culture is just not very intellectual, and among the business elite there's a pronounced antiintellectualism. You're going to find more philistines than intellectuals at any college in the U.S. and, yes, that includes the top ones. Technology people aren't an exception to this. The old Silicon Valley nerds had at least an interest in history and literature and art. They weren't experts, but they agreed that it was important. The new business-oriented pseudonerds? Narrowly specialized in one technical field ("social graph logistics") and complete ignoramuses about everything else. Does that mean one shouldn't go to Harvard or Stanford? Of course not. It's great for the resume and there are a lot of connections to be made. But if you think that you're going to be discussing high intellectual concepts with most people meet-- or that the people bringing the connections and the people with high intellectual interests will have any overlap whatsoever-- you'll be disappointed.

misingnoglic 13y ago
That's the Stanford marching back, they're basically known for fucking around on stage and being edgy/controversial.