Was school worth it? Did you even go?

This is true, with the proviso that a good idea is useless w/o the vision, drive, hustle, perseverance and some START UP $$$ to back it up.

 

I majored in philosophy, got my BA back in 1980, today I own/run a successful business. Without a doubt, it requires less brain power to operate the business, than it does to understand even one chapter of some of the denser material I studied.... for a thorough mind fcuk, try reading/comprehending Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, you could spend years studying that book...

 

Today, higher education basically involves job training, many grads I talk to are well versed in their specialized fields, but usually ignorant about literature, art, history, the cultural patrimony handed down by those who came before them. I am glad I took a stab at absorbing a little of it before I settled down to the grind of making a buck. Believe me, a well rounded education has its own intrinsic value, and can help enrich your life.

 

Here is one of my favorite quotes I felt was related to what Mr. Vroom said.

 

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent..." ---Calvin Coolidge

We need doctors, engineers, chemists these guys have to go to school otherwise uneducated bums like myself would have to suffer

 

Hahaha....

 

Interesting that someone admit to this.

 

This reminds me a little of Mako's thread about "view new posts"....in that it's a bit self serving, and leaves the "heavy lifting" for others to do.

 

Nothing wrong with that but in the end, only a very small percentage of people can really be entrepreneurs. Working for a living truly is easier in many regards even if many of the hardcore entrepreneurs couldn't get an Engineering/Med/Business/Law degree to save their life.

 

This is a great thread.

 

I'll throw my 2 cents in here and I'll be short about it.

 

I got my Associates in Electrical Engineering right out of high school, only because my parents made me go to school right away. I kind of got burnt out on the whole thing. I think mostly because it wasn't really my choice to go.

 

Now that I am older, I really want to go back, and since my job will pay 100% for me to go back, I am going to.

 

But also, now that I am older and more mature, I have had time to look at things in my life and see what I really like, I know what I want to go back to school for. I am going to double major in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. I have always had and engineering thought process. But didn't realize it until I was older, that it was much more mechanically based. I do a lot now in electical testing of advanced weapons at my current job, and that is why I will finish my electrical engineering degree also.

 

The other reason I am going back is because, as it has been pointed out, unfortunately most employers look for that little piece of paper when even considering someone for a job. Don't take that statement as me saying "engineers don't need certificates". But I am not sure I want to be a "Engineer" in the literal sense of being a designer, I would just like to have the paper to back it up, if the situation ever comes that I do want to be an "Engineer" . I really enjoy my job now, and though I would like to make more money, I am very happy with the amount of time I get to spend with my wife and daughter, to me that is much more important than having a lot of money.

 

I think it's best to determine if you have haters in your company/engineering industry.....in my boat it's not a question of if, but how many.

 

Trust me when I say this....it's easier than you think to draw the wrath of envious/jealous employees over the most simple things like having an Engineering degree, PE license, MBA, etc...naturally this is retarded behavior on their part, but is how the world works unfortunately.

 

It may even be intimidating to superiors as well. "Super resumes" in the degree/license/certification aspect aren't ultra common, and it's known to ruffle feathers for this very reason.

 

Not that you shouldn't pursue these things, but my advice is to not make a big deal or brag about it...

 

On a positive note, it's a good thing you want to go back and you'll have interesting perspectives now that the average 18-22 year old could not have. At times I wish I could be back in it to appreciate certain things more!

 

Could not have said it better. Figure out what you want to do with your life. People are afraid of taking a year or two off after HS before college, but I wish I could have done it to get to know myself a bit better. Picking your major is a major problem for a lot of kids since they do not know what they want to do - this created over medicated borderline suicidal employees down the line. Full disclosure - I have no idea what I am doing with my life either, but I'm working on it.

 

Problem with most people is they do not go back to school....and they STILL don't "know who they are".

I do not recommend taking time after HS before college, not unless you really have something you want to do. You will find it much harder to go back and you might not. Depending on your goal, you can sometimes manage both school and entrepreneurial stuff.

I think it's best to determine if you have haters in your company/engineering industry.....in my boat it's not a question of if, but how many.

 

Trust me when I say this....it's easier than you think to draw the wrath of envious/jealous employees over the most simple things like having an Engineering degree, PE license, MBA, etc...naturally this is retarded behavior on their part, but is how the world works unfortunately.

 

It may even be intimidating to superiors as well. "Super resumes" in the degree/license/certification aspect aren't ultra common, and it's known to ruffle feathers for this very reason.

 

Not that you shouldn't pursue these things, but my advice is to not make a big deal or brag about it...

 

On a positive note, it's a good thing you want to go back and you'll have interesting perspectives now that the average 18-22 year old could not have. At times I wish I could be back in it to appreciate certain things more!

 

I agree, it is very easy in the work place for people to be intimidated and therefore jealous because they are afraid that you are smarter than them. I have no intentions of making it blatantly known that I have a degree or degrees. I will have them strictly for my own knowledge, unless the time arises that I want to pursue a different job. It was not known to most people at work except for my boss, that I had an associates in electrical engineering. He really didn't know until I started troubleshooting a lot of the things I was testing, and he asked how I knew what I was doing. So the further advancement of my education is now strictly for my self.

I agree, it is very easy in the work place for people to be intimidated and therefore jealous because they are afraid that you are smarter than them. I have no intentions of making it blatantly known that I have a degree or degrees. I will have them strictly for my own knowledge, unless the time arises that I want to pursue a different job. It was not known to most people at work except for my boss, that I had an associates in electrical engineering. He really didn't know until I started troubleshooting a lot of the things I was testing, and he asked how I knew what I was doing. So the further advancement of my education is now strictly for my self.

 

Good.