For Me, College Is Not Worth The Time Or Money

http://www.thintz.com/essays/college-not-worth-time-or-money

by thecombjelly • 16 years ago

3 12 16 years ago

mattm• 16 years ago

Like you have discovered, a class needs to go at the pace of the average learner. If you are a person who can learn at an above average pace, classes will only slow you down.

ct2• 16 years ago

CS isn't the only thing you can learn at college. If you feel you can learn CS much faster on your own then major in something different like advanced Math, Business, etc. It will make you a more rounded person.

I got my BS degree in CS 8 years ago and although I learned some stuff from my CS class that I probably wouldn't have been exposed to if I learned on my own (like assembly, db query tree optimization, or 3d graphics).

Sure I might have learned those on my own; but I probably wouldn't have given that if I wasn't in college I'd probably be churning out business apps for a megacorp or something leaving little time to explore.

I think my time in college would've been better spent majoring in Business and then learning programming on my own. That would've given me a better edge in the startup world. But it is what it is.

ct2• 16 years ago

Secondly no offense, but Michigan Tech? Maybe try for a school somewhat closer to where you live better known for their CS program like CMU, etc?

dnautics2• 16 years ago

well clearly money is an issue for him so that is probably what helped drive his decision.

InclinedPlane• 16 years ago

Such a comment is mind-boggling to me. What crazy universe do you live in where college tuitition is free? A 4 year degree at CMU is a $160k proposition, and 4x more expensive than the equivalent in-state education at Michigan Tech.

This bit of advice is like telling someone complaining that their Honda Civic just isn't worthwhile for them anymore to try out a Ferrari.

dnautics2• 16 years ago

CS isn't the only thing you can learn at college.

E.g. writing skills? How to organize an essay?

adrianscott• 16 years ago

Bravo! Good for you -- we need more people questioning the assumption the college is always worth the time and money. The opportunities for those who have demonstrable abilities without traditional credentials are steadily increasing. It's a good curve to ride, given the upside and opportunity cost.

arn2• 16 years ago

Maybe pick a better school? I'm not from the area, so I've never heard of Michigan Technical University and don't know what their merits are from a CS perspective.

Also, dropping out near the end of your junior year seems a poor return. You've paid 3/4 of the tuition and are getting no benefit from the degree. And if everything was as easy as you say, then you should have a near perfect GPA.

As for why your employer cares. It's an easy screening criteria. Chances are % of people who don't have a college degree and are any good, is pretty low. So, it's easy to just interview the ones with college degrees, good GPAs, and come from good schools. It's an employers market out there.

cbernini• 16 years ago

I'm not part of the American system, so my two cents might not help much. Anyways I agree with you that college slows down whoever has a greater learning curve than the average college student.

But it turns ou that whatever comes next and is more challenging, requires a degree (masters program, whatever you pick). So I got to this dead end, where I __had__ to go back to college and finish it because I really wanted to get into a master's program once I'm done with it.

About employment, I'd say it's relative. Big companies nowadays are already leaning towards the idea that interpersonal skills, individal behavior end up being more important in the long term run. Of course a degree has its value, but it isn't the most important thing when you look at someone's CV.

Also, what happens here and seems to be slightly different than the north American scene is that a high percentange of the college students in Brazil have full time jobs or start on internships right after joining college, since the market is in a urge for IT professionals. Saying that, only people on State/Public colleges (which are the top notch institutions here) or with wealthy families, have the change to opt-in for extra credits, different graduation programs and so on.

Just as a conclusion, college is a decent experience if you have the time, and money (unfortunately) to enjoy it at its maximum. It is indeed a really huge investiment, and is still a requirement for most of the jobs, since if you ever get the change to be a project manager or anything like, a MBA would be a nice trophy and for that you'll need a degree for example. I'd say you should graduate, just to raise your employment chances since you seem to be a good self-taught person.

abyssknight• 16 years ago

"For me, you are not worth the time or money."

That's what I read when I see statements like this. Why? Well, as an employer, I'd think you were inexperienced and undisciplined. That said, starting your own business will certainly teach you discipline and give you experience, but it will also show a potential employer that you don't need them and that you're likely to leave.

Going to college teaches you how to interact with others and deal with their idiosyncrasies (and maybe discover some of your own). You get socially acclimated, and have the chance to meet some crazy intelligent people. Can you do that on your own? Sure, but the density at college is much higher, thus the probability of a meaningful encounter is also much higher. See dating, as well.

For Me, College Is Not Worth The Time Or Money

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