College is a waste of time. Here’s why. Back home in California, there’s a piece of paper stashed away in a room of my parents home.
On that paper reads: Kyle Trouble, Bachelor of Economics.
You know how much that piece of paper cost me? Well, a lot. A lot more than the money it cost to buy the $10 wooden frame at Office Depot. A lot more than it cost to actually print the text on the page. And those are just the monetary values. Nothing to do with time, which we all know is the most valuable thing.
And so whilst I’d never undoubtedly declare that one should or should not go to college, I do have some thoughts on the matter. Take them as you wish.
A BRIEF RECAP
For those of you who don’t know me too well, here’s the rundown of my CV.
- From 14-18, I was working in computer shops; both technical and sales
- (I also did web design on the side)
- I went to college at 18 with the intention of studying computer engineering
- My best friend (10 years my senior, great mentor) got a job at a very good computer data systems company and told me he’d get me a job; and to get any degree I wanted
- I didn’t want to follow my dad in those exact footsteps of getting an engineering degree, so I switched to Economics
- I graduated early (3.5 years) at 21 and started a job where I made $70 in my first year
- I left that company after 1.5 years to work at a think tank where I made close to $100k
- 1.5 years later I left to be a professional blogger
Yes, I needed the college experience to take some of those steps, but actually…I could have cut out steps three through seven and still ended up where I am today. Easily.
Just continuing my high school web design business would have eventually gotten me here.
I could have easily been out of those kids riddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt instead of a career with no degree that makes hundreds of thousands. I was lucky to escape with only $5k–thank you to my parents generosity and my insane work ethic (a commissioned sales job selling speakers in college was easy peasy money for me).
COLLEGE IS A WASTE OF TIME
First off, college is not like it’s depicted in American Pie. At all.
And yes, having the “college” experience was cool. That part I am glad for. However, I didn’t partake in it. I didn’t drink. Didn’t smoke. Didn’t do stupid shit. I raced on the triathlon team. I was up at 5:00am many days, which meant I was in bed by 10:00pm.
I didn’t have a true college experience, but I can look back now and see why.
Well, why?
Because almost all of them turned out to be total fucking losers. Many of my college classmates are working as baristas, pet stores, or, my favorite–they’re still in school.
Meanwhile, I’ve lived in the two best cities in California, cleared six figures at age 23, traveled all around the world, and started my own business. So looking back, I can’t say that the “college experience” was something I missed out on, anyway. Just being there for the first year and witnessing the madness would have been enough. Hell, maybe even the first month would have satiated my curiosity.
Okay, humble brag over.
BUT, BUT, BUT…
Simply put, I look back at my education now and think…well, college is a waste of time. Sure, it was the “expected” thing to do. Coming from a family of college-educated folk, it was expected I attend university. I would have been shamed otherwise. And there is certainly a lot of power in familial pressure at that age.
While I won’t go as far as to say I regret it, if I were to do it again I would at least think a little bit harder about it. Knowing what I know today–that I don’t want to work for a corporation–I would be hard pressed to find a reason to attend university. It’s that bit of knowledge at the end of the road that changed everything…
With that being said, here is my advice to the young dudes out there.
If you have visions of being a free man, owning a business, and not being a slave to the machine–think long and hard if you want to invest 4+ years and $100k+ into an education. Not that it makes it wrong. And sure, everyone wants those things on paper. Think if you truly want it, because it’s not a life for everyone.
My last piece of advice is this.
Being a slave is never fun. A job you hate is slavery. Student loans are slavery. A gigantic mortgage you can’t afford is slavery (I dodged that one, thankfully).
Slavery is not the way.
University, for many, is that first step. Towards slavery. And college is a waste of time for many. So think long and hard before just blinding agreeing to be one.
The best valued college out there these days is Tinder and Texting University. At just $.17 (yes, 17 CENTS) a day, you’ll be hard pressed to have a more sexually satisfying experience.
It’s better than American Pie ===> Click here to find out more.
I’d say if you can get a degree and leave with only 5k of debt, do it (If you’re getting a real degree where you can leave making at least 50-60k). Go to parties, have fun, if you’re reading something like this, you’ve already got a leg up on the competition as far as girls go. You will never be in closer proximity to hot 18-19 year old girls making poor decisions than you will be in college.
That said, get a real degree so you have something to fall back on. And get at least decent grades. I partied all the time in school but I also graduated with a 3.5 undergrad and 3.875 grad school. (Grad school was easy and I had to do it to sit for the CPA)
Also, if you’re not a school person and you’d struggle to get middling grades, don’t go. If you have no self control and will party 35k of tuition away with nothing to show, don’t go. Go to the cheapest school you can.
Exactly. Do not go 100k into debt for an education. 100k is a lot of money. You’ll be behind the 8 ball till you’re 40.
Agreed, as long as one those “poor decisions” don’t result in falsified rape charge.
The average IQ of college undergrades is 115 & 125 for PhD’s.
Community Colleges are a better route for many aside for Learning a practical skill you can test drive with much lower costs.
Trade schools are even better. Can make a butt load of money as a welder or electrician.
Hell, even a plumber.
You ever do any plumbing? You know why they make a lot? It is disgusting. If you can handle the smell and the shit (literally) it is great money.
The key is to own the plumbing business after a few years of trench work.
That why actual shop courses are valuable during high school. Had my way even young man would graduate with a skilled trade and a foreign language.
Comunity colleges offer a cost effective way to test drive college.
Oh how I wish I’d studied Russian in high school and college now..
I got lucky with only $5k.
The problem is those jobs that pay $60k are few and far between…add in the fact that most people get BS degrees and it’s just a disaster.
Yeah, I have 0 student loan debt thanks to my parents. You really gotta do your research for college now. None of this ‘hope and pray’ crap. Engineering will probably still get you a decent 50-60k job. Accounting probably will too. For the love of God, do not go to law school, get a marketing degree, or any social science degree.
If you’re good with your hands, trade schools probably the better option. If you can code, you probably don’t have to go to college to get a job but that’s not really my world.
60k is not a lot in a lot of the country….:/
Ok, how much of your success do equate to genetics ( naturally intelligent, gregarious, mental drive & physical energy.) compared to your environment ( work and social ethics, Red pill awareness, family resources, compounded experience & timing.)?
Might as well break this down one by one.
Natural intelligence: Not to be too narcissistic, but frankly I’m probably in the top 5%, maybe higher.
Gregarious: I had to learn that one myself. Didn’t come naturally.
Mental Drive/Energy: High
Work Ethic: Very helpful, learned from my Dad
Red Pill Awareness: Probably the biggest point that would now make me skip college.
Family Resources: Ha, none of those. I haven’t taken money from my parents since my first year or two of college. Won’t be inheriting much, if any, either. I grew up…uncomfortably middle class, if that makes sense. There wasn’t a lot of extra.
Timing: Don’t believe this played a part in it.
I really think the RP stuff is the icing on the cake. Had i known everything, I would have simply continued my high school web design business–I was 16 and charging $2-3k for websites; albeit only doing them a few times a year.
I always had the work ethic. I was extremely successful at my office career (six figures at 23).
It’s the RP stuff that made me rethink my whole life as far as education.
With that being said, I have no regrets.
The main waste of college is when you think about “opportunity cost”. The money you could have made otherwise in these 3,5 and a half years and the things you could have learnt elsewhere plus the fact that the degree itself and the things you learnt are not useful, if you dont work in a 9-5 job
Even minimum wage would be $15k a year. Multiply that by 4 and you’re looking at $60k. No small laughing matter.
Great point.
If I have dropped out or not gone to college at all, I would be having a hard time with my WordPress blog now. I would probably be having a hard time with my drawing of clip arts too. I have taken maybe 4 English classes and 3 drawing classes during college. I have no regrets.
If you have dropped out of college or never have gone at all, I say to you good luck if you are trying to write good blog posts.
How can you write well if you have not taken English class(es)?
You sound like a retard