<p>How many of you have legitimately asked yourself "Should I go to college?"</p>
<p>And I think a lot of you have probably heard that 45% of underclassmen don't learn anything in college: Report:</a> First two years of college show small gains - USATODAY.com</p>
<p>Or about the movement against college, Peter Thiel, Silicon Valley billionaire, who has encouraged college kids to drop out:
Peter</a> Thiel pays kids $100K to drop out of college | VentureBeat</p>
<p>Personally, I think it depends on the degree but what do you think? </p>
<p>P.S. Lets try to keep it civil, if we can. Just want to hear peoples' thoughts.</p>
<p>For some people, yes. Others (i.e. Bill Gates), then no. It all depends. I feel as if education is the key word, simple educate yourself. College might be for you,for others it could be a hobby, job, traveling experience etc.</p>
<p>I feel as though I’ve learned a great deal from my college experience. Not just academic things, but life lessons as well. It’s a different experience than just going out and finding a job after high school.</p>
<p>Yes, there are some very intelligent, highly motivated people out there who could probably skip the college experience and still work their way up and do well in life. Management is one example - most managers in my store have little or no college education, and just work their way up the chain. It doesn’t take as long as you think since retail has a high turnover rate. Other people go off and start their own companies, or do other things that lead to great careers.</p>
<p>Personally, I loved school. I love learning, and so I believe I got a lot out of my courses. My critical thinking and writing skills drastically improved. I believe I am more well-rounded to take on different opportunities that come my way. College is what you make of it. If you’re just a body in a classroom waiting to earn a degree, it won’t mean much. If you want to learn, and take full advantage of the opportunities college provides, you will get so much more from it.</p>
<p>Do you think you could have learned as much in those four years on your own? And if you do have any regrets about going to college, what are they?</p>
<p>No, I don’t think I would have learned as much. I work as an HR manager at a retail store at the moment (planning to apply to doctorate programs next year). I am surrounded by ridiculously under-qualified and unprofessional people. They do not provide me with any challenge, and if anything, I have to dumb down my language when interacting with them. At college I had courses with people generally within my intellectual capabilities, some above them, which provided more of a challenge. </p>
<p>I also majored in psych, and I found some things that I learned to be very useful when interacting with people. It made me more sensitive to things I never considered before. Sure, I could have read about those things, but learning it in a social environment brings more truth to what you’re learning.</p>
<p>I also think I had a wider variety of experiences in college than I would have had on my own. I would probably still be living at home even if I didn’t go to college. But at college, I moved out on my own for a year when I attended a school further away. I had to present a lot of projects (I am overly shy and would not have done so on my own if not a requirement for something).</p>
<p>Yes, you can read books and learn a lot on your own, but something about learning it with other people and hearing other perspectives enhances what you are learning.</p>
<p>Also, I think people try to grow up faster if they don’t go to college. Most of the kids that I went to high school with who did not attend college are now married and/or have kids. Most of my peers that went to college are not looking to get married or have kids just yet. I think you have more flexibility to experiment with who you are in college than you do if you have to get a job right out of high school.</p>
<p>In many careers the lack of a degree will limit your opportunities, either to get hired or to get promoted. It is very difficult to return to school after you are a working adult responsible for supporting yourself (and maybe others.) Worth it in terms of money? yes, if you go to a state school with reasonable fees (or to start at a CC first to really keep costs down) OR you are eligible for need based financial aid. Worth it in terms of time spent? sure, you’ll have plenty of years to be a working stiff later on.</p>
<p>You didn’t tell us your reasons or circumstances, so it is hard to give further ‘answers’ tailored to you.</p>
<p>I don’t see Thiels offer/award as a movement against education. More a protest against costs. But he is backing 20 people who have ideas to start a business. Not just anyone, and he is providing funds which are not accessible to most students. I doubt my daughter would have got a job at Google without her CS degree (it probably happens, but rarely.) Google has a history of being snobs about where you got your degree from, even. And I’m sure Facebook doesn’t hire them either.</p>
<p>Please note that many of the awardees already have at least one degree. Many went to college at an unusually early age. Many already have their own businesses. Perhaps this one’s book can help you with your decision:</p>
<p>[Dale</a> J. Stephens](<a href=“http://dalejstephens.com/]Dale”>http://dalejstephens.com/)</p>
<p>A college degree is highly valued in the marketplace, therefore college is worth it.</p>