What level of formal education do you have?

[MichaelCorfman]

As affiliates we are generally self-employed and answer to ourselves for how well or how poorly we do. So credentials like college degrees are frequently less important to us in getting ahead than they are in other industries. And in the computer industry in particular, there are well known examples of billionaires that dropped out of college to start a business.

Anyway, with Steven graduating this past week from Law School (announced in the thread CityGuard Graduates from Law School!), and with another child of mine (who used to help in process GPWA member applications) finishing college and graduating this coming weekend, I decided to ask about the educational experience of GPWA members in this week's poll.

Besides answering the poll question, be sure to post about your educational experience and your thoughts about education in general. Was school a good and worthwhile experience for you? Did you have more than enough of it, or do you wish you had more, or were you Goldilocks and got it just right for yourself?

Michael

[Renee]

In Australia there is huge pressure to go to uni as soon as you leave school. They even have you start filling in forms in your last year of school as to what you want to do when you leave. Some people still have no idea.

I wanted to do medicine so when I didn't get high enough marks, my next choice was linguistics. I didn't get into that either and I had no 3rd choice, so I reluctantly did something that was nothing like either of those - computer science.

I would have been better off waiting a year and deciding what I really wanted to do than to just choose anything. In my first year I got HDs because it was something new and I liked it, but after that I hated every second of it. I failed every second class and by the third year I just dropped out. So almost $20,000 later I dropped out and still didn't have any qualification apart from an advanced diploma in IT.

I taught myself from around 14 years old how to make websites, so while I was at uni one of my jobs was a web dev for an engineering company (at one time I had 3 jobs). That was my last job before I started at Rewards Affiliates.

NOW is when I'd want to study. I have more patience and there are things out there I actually WANT to learn about. I mean, I'm not saying I ended up in a bad place because I love my job and seem to be good at it. Sometimes I do wonder though if I would have been happier cutting up brains and participating in amazing findings within neuroplasticity. Everyone says you're never too old to start, but at 33 years old living alone and away from any kind of support there is no way I'd be able to financially support myself while completing a medicine degree.

So my thoughts on higher education are that if you are not passionate about it, don't do it. Find something you're passionate about and put your heart and soul into it. The output of that would be so much greater than the 50% you'd put into not loving it.

In relation to my current job, teaching myself how to code was the only thing I've ever learnt that I've brought to this job. Some of the coding from my comp sci degree has been useful but it's all stuff that I'd have taught myself anyway.

[Sherlock]

I have MA in economics (BA 3yrs, MA 2yrs) with honors. Completely useless. I am hiring just people who do not have a degree, because schools either turn people into lazy creatures or lazy creatures who hope in comfortable middle class life go there.

Human science is a joke without a doubt. Medicine/tech universities are of course something else. But IT graduates are narrow people with tunnel vision, who care only about (clean) code. They not just do not understand that the website is here to convert and make money (and that their salary is not the lowest). All of them I found were even proud that they have nothing to do with money and monetization. No cooperation with project manager etc. Their trying to understand a problem is zero, trying to help someone the same. It is not just programmers but also server admins. I have a theory that the code itself is changing the brain of poeple who do it too much, so they can not communicate with other people. Alternative theory is that only autists go to study IT. It is better to give a chance to outsiders who know nothing and create from them usable IT employees that do what is needed.

University education nowadays is a hybrid between a hobby and learning how to max credit.

[sweetbet]

I have a 4 year university degree which was a total waste of time for me. I ended up getting a casual, high stress, low pay job and quit shortly afterwards. Then I got into this business, and I'm not leaving

Renee summed it up perfectly when she said:

So my thoughts on higher education are that if you are not passionate about it, don't do it. Find something you're passionate about and put your heart and soul into it. The output of that would be so much greater than the 50% you'd put into not loving it.

[sampendleton]

I have a four-year college or university degree.
And I wasn't able to pursue my degree because I got diverted in to the different field.
Degree is just a degree, but knowledge, skill and experience is necessary.

[Juan Roman]

I have a four-year university degree in English Language and Literature, so I cannot say it hasn't helped. But, I am so glad to have ended up in the online gaming industry immediately after getting my degree. This is much more interesting and lucrative than translating pages of text or working as a teacher, especially where I am coming from.

[Syndicate]

BSc Structural Engineering - Never worked for anyone other than myself, but came in handy when property developing in London. I must add i've never judged anyone on formal education before employing them or otherwise, but would it bother me if my daughter didn't go on to study - Yes!! Because it would have cost me 100k in private schooling by then and i'm pragmatic about investment!

[dfiocch]

3 years Military Academy (ex-officer), 5 years of uni but... still studying lol (4 exams remaining + thesis, informatic engineering).

[FruityJelena]

I graduated on a Law College 2 years ago, after years of studying I was dragging around one exam for 3 years - finances! Meanwhile I lost an interest for law, because I fell in love with this industry and also there were some significant changes in the law system and organisation of my country, which pushed me even further of an idea to be a lawyer. My mom is a lawyer and seeing how stressed sometimes she was, got me thinking that I don't need it in my life... Plus, our education system is bad - teach us so many unnecessary things, almost without any practical. When I look back, I probably wouldn't have an idea how does a lawsuit look, if I didn't see it from my mom. They didn't teach us to make one on college, just loads of theories, historical details, principles, legal norms - but practice turns to be really different sometimes.

Fortunately, there is so many opportunities, courses and sources nowadays to learn something new and improve your skills, knowledge and learn something new. There's almost no excuse to don't know something that interest or surrounds you, because everything is available. There are good language lessons and apps, there are sites with detailed lessons of coding, for example. Sometimes it seems like you can learn whatever you want on the internet

[golfbettingsystem]

BSc degree in Economics with Accountancy, did the IDM Direct Marketing Diploma a few years later while in a marketing role.

Actually worked far harder and got far more out of my A-levels (Maths, French, Economics & Politics) than anything subsequent to that, however that may well have a lot to do with hitting 18 years of age and the freedom that University gives.

On the plus side, my highest break at snooker came on leaps and bounds while at Uni.

[Triple7]

I got just secundary school. I tried university one year, but to me it was a total bullshit and waste of time. I did not like to study, I did not find it an interesting idea to work hard and than end in some low paid job, etc.

A lot of university people are very theoretic people. I don't like that. I prefer pragmatic people. A lot of studies are a joke too and are costing the community quite a bunch of money.

I worked with a lot of university people at a financial and I got sick of it. Everybody making bla bla bla about models, vague theories, formal things and if people were doing something, it was something to put themself in the spotlight for making "the next step". Because they're always "developing" instead of just doing their job.

[Moonlight Cat]

I have university degree (law).

[TheGooner]

Less than 12 years education - I was out of what you could call High School as quickly as possible. University was rare - perhaps 5% of the population attended in my time - and I'd had enough of pompous teachers and rote learning to last a lifetime.

Into the work force at age 16 as a computer operator of a big industrial mainframe (magnetic tapes, paper tape, punch cards), and eventually into computer programming and a career in IT. Funnily enough this company did not employ many University grads.

The only time the lack of a tertiary qualification affect me was when the local IBM organisation rejected my application to be a programmer, despite topping their aptitude testing, they were very American in their educational requirements - and I'm not sure that I would have been a good fit into their culture.

[TravG]

I finished my MBA 2 years ago. I honestly went back to school to get my MBA to really appease my family. When I quit my job to do affiliate marketing full time they did not "get it" so it was easier to say I was going to grad school. Luckily in the two years I was working on my MBA my websites really took off and they now realize there is money to be made in this business.

Nonetheless, I am glad I did it just in case I ever need to get a "real" job in the future.

[FruityJelena]

The only time the lack of a tertiary qualification affect me was when the local IBM organisation rejected my application to be a programmer, despite topping their aptitude testing, they were very American in their educational requirements - and I'm not sure that I would have been a good fit into their culture.

That's strange Many big and good companies I've heard from didn't want to see a diploma, but previous work (portfolio), knowledge and experience on the job interview.. Which is the right attitude in my opinion.

[RacingJim]

Did HND computing for 2 years then topped it up to a degree at uni. The HND was much more useful and practical, the degree got me the piece of paper I needed to get better job opportunities.

I definitely wouldn't knock education at all. It gave me a foothold to better jobs and better opportunities and led me on the path to doing this full time. Everyone's route is different and I wouldn't judge either way.

[Miles_FTA]

I love looking at the smart art I have on my walls that point to My Marketing Degree and Sports Management Degree ..Studied directly after school 5 Years to complete the degrees and qualified top 10 in the Class happy i have these to fall back on if ever leave this Field .. always good to have studied even if its just a fall back we all cant be millionaires or Lotto winners as much as wed like too but ultimately its the school of life and hard knocks that taught me more in life than any pieces of paper Ive been presented.

Education is very important but Life teaches you more than any 4 walls ever could

[Triple7]

That's strange Many big and good companies I've heard from didn't want to see a diploma, but previous work (portfolio), knowledge and experience on the job interview.. Which is the right attitude in my opinion.

That last one is so true, but not every company is like this. Some companies just work with checkboxes that need to be checked.

[TheGooner]

Many big and good companies I've heard from didn't want to see a diploma, but previous work (portfolio)

Not wanting to point out the age gap Jelena ... but I suspect that you are a wee bit younger than I am ...
It was far less of a meritocracy back then ...


IBM in 1984 was pretty much straight up and down and everything was cookie-cut from head office USA. The line had been "degree preferred on the application" but it turned out that actually they would not offer a spot without one - it didn't fit their "remuneration profiles".

The recruiting guy was apologetic as they'd clearly wasted my time with the tests (they took #2 to #6 instead).

Not to worry - walked next door and found a programming job with a banking conglomerate that was just getting into ATM machines and EFT-POS devices - and to be honest that was a far better cultural fit for me at that stage of life.

Just getting down and dirty with machine code and transaction switching working all sorts of crazy hours bringing machines and device to market for the first time - Programmer heaven - and sending signals all over the globe 10 years before the internet was a thing ...


Today I agree .. degrees are 10 a penny ... and given too easily after a student has spent 50K+ on a course ...
(education as a business model - WTF?)

So companies are far less impressed by a BA holder - and much more likely to say show me what you can do.

[FruityJelena]

Wow, so it was in 1984th??

That's year of my birth