I'm currently 19 and enrolled into Bachelor of Computer Science course which will last 4.5 years. Is it even worth it?
I want to learn it for two reasons:
- I have a financial safety net, should any of my entrepreneurial endeavors go haywire.
- I want to gain more knowledge in software and app development, as many of my business ideas will require such knowledge (or enough money to hire people who have such knowledge).
It sounds fine and dandy, but something about having to spend 4.5 years in college/university just doesn't feel right.
I am also currently in the works of going into an eco-friendly business and also possibly saving to buy a house in the next 12-18 months.
I will definitely get more software development knowledge from doing this course, but I will lose valuable time which I could be spending in the eco-friendly business I may or may not be committing to with a like-minded friend. I will also be saving around $7,000/year of studying (which is essential for someone who is saving for a house).
What are your guys' opinions?
Cheers.
Intrepid_Place53900 1 4y ago
First, how much are you paying for college? What's your debt going to be at the end of it?
what do you expect to earn your first 5 years in your area of focus?
Over the long term, a tech degree will earn you a good living. Is it worth it?
It depends upon what you want out of life. Eco Friendly is the cool thing, how much cash can you make at it, both short term and long term? What's your ceiling in pay? With a tech degree, especially if you get into mgmt, it's pretty high.
So, again, it depend upon what you want.
Flaky_Session 4y ago
It's going to cost about $7,000/year to study. I can comfortably afford it, but I'm more worried about losing valuable time that I could be spending working on the business.
Yes, I am sure I will earn a "good living", but that's not what I really want out of life. I'm trying to have FU amounts of money, not just owning a home and a steady income which I can use to buy cool things every so often.
I am hoping to make around $50,000/year from the business within the next two-years. This number will only scale once our market share increases.
Again, that sounds great, but I'd still be in a job working for someone who makes 10x the amount of money I'm making. Not really what I'm looking for in life.
[deleted] 4y ago
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Flaky_Session 4y ago
Immediately after college, I would have lost lots of money due to school fees. In a few years after that... it's hard to say.
Of course, we're already in the works of a signing an NDA. We understand these things.
Bulba 4y ago
Check the position of your university on the QS World University Rankings.
If it is on the top 10, you would be stupid to drop out, unless you are the next Elon Musk.
The lower your course appears on this rank, the less it will pay off. If it doesn't appear at all, it is a shot in the dark.
Flaky_Session 4y ago
The highest ranked university in my country (Australia) is all the way at rank 39 and the university I'm attending is at rank 141.
grilledcheesaroo 4y ago
It's not worth it and your reasoning for financial safety nets is total dumb line of thinking. You can be fired at the drop of a hat, and you will most likely be heavily in debt.. how is that financial safety?
Flaky_Session 4y ago
I agree and I think that the pandemic did nothing but bring to light that financial safety is BS
whytehorse2021 4y ago
I spent 11 years in computers. I learned it through trade school back in the day before you could go to college for it. I was replaced by H1-B workers from India and so were many of my friends who went to college. I hated my job and it was mostly accounting BS programming. Eventually I ended up in farming and made a fortune. Next time you're out in the countryside pay attention to those mansions next to the farms.
Flaky_Session 4y ago
That's an interesting perspective. Thanks for the advice.
jormigaso 4y ago
how did you do it? any pattern poor rp guys like me can emulate?
whytehorse2021 4y ago
Beginning farmer program. There is a huge shortage of farmers and the gov't has extensive assistance programs in the US. Or if you wanna go it alone check out Joel Salatin the lunatic farmer but I recommend taking any and all assistance.
thedonuts352 4y ago
College isn't a financial safety net. It's a financial death trap for most people. The only people who need to attend college are those pursuing particular careers like medicine, law, education, and maybe science and engineering. For almost any other career, and you're better off not attending college. The reason college grads earn more on average is because they are smarter and harder working on average, not because they have degrees. If you're smart, you don't need college to become a high achiever, and if you're not smart, you have no business attending. Find other ways to acquire knowledge and skills--the internet makes it possible to learn anything, and get experience in many almost any field through platforms that allow people to work as contractors. Economic potential is about skills, NOT degrees.