For love OR money?

[compoundinglife]

Well, that's unfortunate.

 

What's even more unfortunate is how so many people are marks for the formal education system. After decades of indoctrination through after school specials and government propaganda, it has become almost a sacred cow that going to school is good for you.

 

It probably is, to an extent, but it's no silver bullet and can be very harmful to yourself if you take it too far. As a fourth grade dropout, I am in a better position than a lot of people who spent money on college educations because they bought in to the delusion that college is the golden ticket to the good life.

 

This is the sort of thing that happens when people don't stop to ask questions. College must be good for me, because I've been told it was ever since I was 4 years old. Everyone else is doing it, and the whole country can't be full of idiots, right?

 

The combination of social proof and positive reinforcement from those in authority makes for a hell of a cocktail, and an even more wicked hangover.

 

Scott, I would think you make an error here. It is not because it worked out well for you than it would for everyone. I tend to think that statistically, people who drop out of school so young won't really succeed, they would proably have many problems just dealing with simple real-life situation because they would miss important skills like reading, writing and counting a bit. Education is statistically better for the whole population, even though there always will be some people that would have done better otherwise.

 

I dopped out of high school when I was 16. It has worked out well for me. Luckily I had motivation that I was able to harness outside of public schools and I was also was able to learn some life lessons that most people probably would not learn until later if they ever did. I think this eventually became an edge.

 

That being said I have never encouraged anyone to take the path I did because I think that most people are not cut out for it and being a drop out will put most at a huge disadvantage.

 

IMO when you find someone who took a non traditional path such as dropping out and became successful, chances are they would have been successful no matter what. They had the nessecary drive, confidence, apitutde or other character traits that are needed. Their success is based on their character and maybe a tad of luck, but the choice to drop out of school or not to college in the big picture is IMO probably not a big deciding factor in the grand scheme of things. I think for these type of people life is basically a "choose your own adventure" where as long you stay aware from all the choices that lead to early death, prison etc..Then  the pontential outcomes are all above average.

 

 

[LC]

ukvalueinvestment,

 

I think it would be a shame. I've experienced university in the USA and Canada. The trend of education in the USA is definitely a downward one, and Canada seems to be following suit. The days of academic learning and then "getting out there" in the real world are mostly gone. Look at pricing at private US colleges: it's all very similar. It resembles an oligarchy and the ones getting screwed are students.

[ScottHall]

Well, that's unfortunate.

 

What's even more unfortunate is how so many people are marks for the formal education system. After decades of indoctrination through after school specials and government propaganda, it has become almost a sacred cow that going to school is good for you.

 

It probably is, to an extent, but it's no silver bullet and can be very harmful to yourself if you take it too far. As a fourth grade dropout, I am in a better position than a lot of people who spent money on college educations because they bought in to the delusion that college is the golden ticket to the good life.

 

This is the sort of thing that happens when people don't stop to ask questions. College must be good for me, because I've been told it was ever since I was 4 years old. Everyone else is doing it, and the whole country can't be full of idiots, right?

 

The combination of social proof and positive reinforcement from those in authority makes for a hell of a cocktail, and an even more wicked hangover.

 

Scott, I would think you make an error here. It is not because it worked out well for you than it would for everyone. I tend to think that statistically, people who drop out of school so young won't really succeed, they would proably have many problems just dealing with simple real-life situation because they would miss important skills like reading, writing and counting a bit. Education is statistically better for the whole population, even though there always will be some people that would have done better otherwise.

 

Hi Jeff,

 

I'm not sure what you mean by an error. I didn't say anyone should follow my path or that it's ideal, and indeed, I did say that having a formal education is probably a net benefit to a certain point.

 

All I was saying is that when you cross that point, you get in to trouble. And at that point, it is very possible to end up in a situation where you can end up worse off than a dropout because your indebtedness more than offsets your higher earnings power.

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

How did you manage to drop out of the fourth grade?  The police would take my kids away if I tried that on them.

 

Home schooling?

 

Hi Ericopoly,

 

Merkhet is basically right. I started "home schooling," which was still halfway supervised by the school district. Eventually my family moved, and we just didn't register with the new school district. No one really cared.

 

I should note we were from the backwaters of California. A little hick town of about 500 people in the Shasta Cascade region.

[Uccmal]

 

 

I dopped out of high school when I was 16. It has worked out well for me. Luckily I had motivation that I was able to harness outside of public schools and I was also was able to learn some life lessons that most people probably would not learn until later if they ever did. I think this eventually became an edge.

 

IMO when you find someone who took a non traditional path such as dropping out and became successful, chances are they would have been successful no matter what. They had the nessecary drive, confidence, apitutde or other character traits that are needed. Their success is based on their character and maybe a tad of luck, but the choice to drop out of school or not to college in the big picture is IMO probably not a big deciding factor in the grand scheme of things.

 

I am glad your "dopping" out of high school worked, and that you had the " nessecary"drive, and "apitutde " .  Sorry couldn't resist.  We will just assume these are typos. :-)

 

I agree with taking your own path, when you have one.  I didn't.  Hindsight is 20/20 though.  I realize I could have gotten a job anywhere, learned everything I could have, rinsed, repeated, and done very well in the end.  I was raised and fixated on having an education. 

 

My son is 10 and has realized that most of his learning isn't happening at school. 

[AzCactus]

In general education is a good thing.  That being said things could vary on a case by case basis.  There are obviously going to be people who drop out of high school or college and end up being great successes.  However, by and large though education does matter and many studies show the positive correlation between education and income.  In my opinion someone in that sort of situation would not prevent a date or two or even a relationship, however it may effect how soon finances get merged. 

 

All the above being said this question was posed nearly a year ago and I am wondering if the author has an update.  I did not read all 8 pages of posts so if there is an update that I skipped over that is on me. 

[randomep]

 

 

You must never confuse knowledge with education and if you have the drive you will a way to succeed even in the face of insurmountable odds.

 

+1 very well said and though it may sound cliche, I am just realizing this as I enter my 40s

[compoundinglife]

 

 

I dopped out of high school when I was 16. It has worked out well for me. Luckily I had motivation that I was able to harness outside of public schools and I was also was able to learn some life lessons that most people probably would not learn until later if they ever did. I think this eventually became an edge.

 

IMO when you find someone who took a non traditional path such as dropping out and became successful, chances are they would have been successful no matter what. They had the nessecary drive, confidence, apitutde or other character traits that are needed. Their success is based on their character and maybe a tad of luck, but the choice to drop out of school or not to college in the big picture is IMO probably not a big deciding factor in the grand scheme of things.

 

I am glad your "dopping" out of high school worked, and that you had the " nessecary"drive, and "apitutde " .  Sorry couldn't resist.  We will just assume these are typos. :-)

 

I agree with taking your own path, when you have one.  I didn't.  Hindsight is 20/20 though.  I realize I could have gotten a job anywhere, learned everything I could have, rinsed, repeated, and done very well in the end.  I was raised and fixated on having an education. 

 

My son is 10 and has realized that most of his learning isn't happening at school.

 

Touché, thats what I get for having spell check turned off :)

 

[Palantir]

Pics or she doesn't exist?