College?

[lime]

Hello:

I'm currently a new freshman this fall at a well known college in Colorado. I got accepted into the business program - an honor from what all my conselors and other adults have said, however I'm beginning to have second thoughts...

1) Most of all the other "business" majors are stupid! They don't know the first thing about business and although I do, I have to sit thru all of the Intro classes with 400+ people...and that doesn't just exist freshman year. I talked to some of the senior professors and they all said that will continue until your Junior year!
2) I feel like I'm wasting time that I'll never get back. I'm not a party guy and I like to keep more to myself than go out a get wasted or what not.
3) I already have a successful business that I actually cut back to have more time for college. I started the business when I was 10 (lawn care) and have grown it pretty big for a part time operation while in highschool. Before cutting back I was grossing $100K+...that was mostly summer work too.

I dunno what to do. I know I can always learn more, but why pay out thousands a year to get herded into a room and listen to a boring lecture? I can learn alot on my own...I think I've done okay so far. I don't want to be cutting lawns forever, it was a good fit for high school, but I'm not sure if wasting 4-6 (or more) years at college and paying for it all the while is worth it...

My parents want me to go to college, but yet they also see my point. I think they want me to at least get my undergrad...but since I want to go into renewable energy, would I miss my prime time to enter if I'm in college for the next 4 years?

Ugh! Any advice?

...Any way to skip under grad and just get an MBA?

Thanks

[akula]

from what I gather, you can't do postgrad studies (MBA) without undergrad

then, your decision is one of whther to stay in or drop out

this topic has been covered in depth on this forum

http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/for...searchid=83954

[Deejay]

I wouldn't be asking a forum of 'young' entrepreneurs this question. Surly there is someone at your college you can talk to about this?

If you are making enough without college (is it $100,000 gross.....but $1 net?) then I personally wouldn't bother with college.

[nado]

...Any way to skip under grad and just get an MBA?

Doubt it.

Have a search in the forums for some responses... it's been covered a lot. I've also considered what the benefits are in staying in uni/college.

In the end it comes down to a decision YOU have to make.

I think on one hand college can be a waste of time and you could have built numerous successful businesses during that time.

On the other hand, if you can find a balance between business and college it can be beneficial. As you have increased networking where you might be able to find other students who can help you with your ventures. You also have access to extended resources and support from professors etc. Plus it can just be a very cushy environment to start businesses, as failure doesn't impact much at all.

I dunno, I'm still kinda torn between the two. For now I'm staying as I have a lot of free time, but if a business of mine picks up and requires more of my time, I will defer uni/college at the drop of a hat.

To give you an idea, I've been passing (I only want/need to pass) quite well going into uni only 1 hour per week (only mandatory class/tutorial). But I'll have to start going in for the max 14 hours per week soon as I didn't go too well in the last exam lol.

It's up to you. Not sure how old you currently are, but under 25 doesn't tend to be any entrepreneurs "prime"... I think 25+ is the sweet spot according to the young rich lists around the place. I'll be finished with my degree when I'm 21, which gives me at least a good 20 years of solid entrepreneurial fun

cheers
nathan

[E320]

On one hand, giving someone a life-changing advice might be a too big responsibility for me, yet on the other... I understand that we went to different colleges in different parts of the world, but all I can say from my own 1.5 years of college experience is that it truly is a wast of time.

The main subject that we were learning for 1.5 years, I, as well as everyone else, could have learned on our own withing some 3 month at most, I believe. Everything else was just useless blah, blah, blah for almost 2 years.

For example, Politics that we were "learning" for half a year had ended with a test that had questions such as
"what is an ability to ignite other people with your ideas?"
a) charisma
b) a parlament
or c) a speaker

So, at least in my understanding, it is better to believe in yourself and do whatever you think is right for you, then listen to whoever thinks he know what's right for everybody.

Good Luck!

[stand856]

Did you look into on-line colleges and degrees you can get?
I mean you can be running your business, and also taking classes at the same time.

[WanganRunner]

Go to college and get a degree, for the following reasons:

A.) It's fun, both the academic and social aspects. Take some classes that interest you.

B.) It's good to be taken seriously, even when you're an entrepeneur. Just because no one's hiring you doesn't mean that you don't still have to make a good impression on people from time to time. At least in the United States, not attending college carries with it a certain limiting stigma, and you don't want that if you have the choice.

C.) It's a hedge. None of us like to think that our ventures could fail, but they can, and a solid education will give you a backup plan so you can return to fight another day.

D.) You might actually learn something. College DOES exist for a reason, and while boring freshman intro courses are indeed boring and often redundant, not all of college is like that. I majored in Finance and Econ and I learned tons of stuff that I still apply to my ventures to this day.

E.) If you want an MBA, which IMO you should get (I am), you have to go to undergrad. MBAs are a great way to meet other businesspeople and make contacts while in school, which is extremely valuable to anyone who has or thinks they have entrepreneurial tendancies.

[Bestmiler]

I'm in the same situation as you (except for a business that makes $100,000). Im a freshman at a university in NY. Most of my classes are pretty big (ex: principles of microeconomics - 200ppl). I would stay in school and learn the most that you can from these classes. You just have to be patient.

[MsNadi]

A few things to keep in mind: you're a freshman. 1st year in college - and not only that, but at most, 6 weeks into classes. You haven't had midterms. You haven't been assigned your semester long projects. And hello! The purpose of the 1st year of college is not to get you academically assimilated - but more so socially assimilated, because college is a HUGE adjustment.

That being said, I'd wait at least until you've completed at least a year. It's one thing to belive the process will be a waste of time after having gone through the entire end to end process (semester start through end) twice.

You may want to explore options that allow you to "outsource" or hire to fulfill some of your labor demands. At this stage in the game, since you've already experienced SOME success (and great success at that!). It may be more to your advantage to focus on building your brand and hiring a few part time or as-needed people so you can grow your customer base without YOU directly being involved (doing the lawn care).

Maybe focusing on more advertising/marketing or referrals to increase your # of customers that are fulfilled using as-needed employees. Who knows - at college you may find a huge source of willing lablorees (assuming you live near the ocllege) - studnets are broke and need money.

In other words, stick it out for a little while (at least a semester). And start thinking of how you could use the collegiate situation to further grow your business.

A friend of a friend started out doing lawn care when he was 17. Four years later, he has taken that experience and expanded into landscape and averages $600K a year in income (about $4MM a year in receivables). There's a lot you can do with your existing business.

[DaveAPN]

Trust me, if you're on a board like this and already thinking in this light, you're miles ahead of 90% of your classmates. You should've seen some of the morons in the business classes at Cal State Long Beach! However, that doesn't mean its not worth your while.

Unless you're totally dedicated to entering the tech industry (who's learning curves tend to be faster than any college can keep up with), your degree will eventually open more doors than you realize.

Join as many clubs & social organizations as you can. This networking process pays off in spades down the road, and also helps you create great friendships for the long run.

Trust me man, I've hopped through 5 colleges and the better part of 3 degrees. Enjoy college for what it is.

Oh.

Drink lots and lots of beer. It helps.

Cheers,

[zyry0301]

dude, I am graduating this year, and went through the same thing as you. Geography, History of Rock N' Roll Music...common what a waste of time.

But the great thing is no matter what your business major is, it give you a taste of what all is out there. You'll learn the marketing, finance, accounting, business law, etc...Having the whole package of knowledge can only help to further enhance your business...

Plus you can always make money, you can never be 21 year old college kid again. I'm sure you talk to anyone, and they would love to be back in college again. Plus you can still do that job in the summer

[akula]

if I was to start over again, I'd take the advice from a multitude of very smart, older people on the following issue "When you were about 18, what did you do that you most regret and/or what did you *not* do that you most regret?"

personally, I wish the startup bug didn't hit me utill I was out of uni.

if I could go back, I'd take some crappy job and spend a lot more time travelling, hitting clubs, getting drunk and setting the record for most first dates in a single week

work sucks

people ought to work so they can enjoy life

with startups, you live so you can work...so your startup can survive

it's pretty messed up

I'd delay getting into that for as long as possible

[MsNadi]

Check the blog. We did a post on business vs school.

I love how people compare business and school by looking at schools' LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR. If you went through 4 years of college and the only things that come to mind are History of Rock and Roll and Geography, I'd say you wasted 4 years and a lot of your parents money.

Unlike high school where they MADE you do certain things, college is what you make of it. Yea, its cliched. But its true. You don't have to choose a worthwhile major if you don't want to. You don't have to go to class if you don't want to. Hell, as long as you pay, and keep paying, you really don't HAVE to do much of anything.

That being said, why is it that some people come out of college with connections and opportunities - working for senators and internships with top fashion houses despite not knowing a damn thing about politics or couture? Connections.

Quit whining and starting thinking of how you could use the situation to your advantage. And if after some SERIOUS thought (not history of rock and roll thought) you decide that it still has nothing to offer... take an additional semester of classes that can help your business (graphics design, finance, strategic management) and get out.

But I'm with Akula. Looking back - college was waaaay too much fun to pass up.

Everyone points at the .0001% of college dropouts that were successful (Gates, Dell, Kanye West haha). No one talks about the 99.999% of college drop outs who dropped out and if you asked THEM, if they could do it all over again, would have gone to school.

[E320]

Surely everybody's got his own way to walk in life and most times it's fun to look back thinking yes, I could have done something different, but whatever I did - I did it my way.

... as for me, if only I could turn back time for some 5-10 years ( 22 now ), the first thing I'd do would be quit that useless dumbing-down school I went to. Maybe I'd go to a better school, maybe not... but for one thing I'm sure I would use each and every opportunity for making business, as well as going to all business classes and workshops I could...

[zyry0301]

If you went through 4 years of college and the only things that come to mind are History of Rock and Roll and Geography, I'd say you wasted 4 years and a lot of your parents money.

I think you misinterpreted what I said. I was saying how taking dumb generals as a freshman was a waste of my time, but the other classes once you move past generals are extremely benificiary.