Comments on: Your College is Not a Technical School

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:57:01 +0000

I’ve been a “senior” now with 124 hours of credit and it doesn’t look like I’ll be out of school for another 3 semesters (last one will be an internship). I’ve had to deal with a lot of self serving people, administration, and people that just don’t know what the hell is going on. I’m caught in a tough place. Finish school for a degree that doesn’t mean a thing (music), just to say I finished. Or take a break, possibly dropping out, to pursue an entrepreneurial career as a disk jockey, studio owner, or the dream of performing in a rock band and going on tour etc. I feel like my life can go 2 ways at this point. I think if I finish school I’ll be setup to work for someone rather than do my own thing. Which in the end I would like to be on my own anyways. So I really question what finishing really means other than “you didn’t quit, you stuck it through, and here’s a piece of paper that may help you with a job.”

I really enjoyed the article and wished I had this perspective earlier about meeting more people and making mistakes etc. We are all brainwashed into focusing hard on grades and missing out on social activities. Just about 95% of the time I feel restricted to a high school mind set in that I can’t say what I feel. When I do say what I feel even if addressing issues in a “professional” manner inside or outside of class I get grilled for it. It felt real good to know that I’ve been doing some of things you mentioned in the article. Starting a business (DJ occasionally), started a songwriter’s circle, created a website designed to promote musicians for free with articles to keep bringing fans back. I learned about affiliate marketing and a ton of web design even though I used a WYSIWYG.

It is true that you can learn most of anything you need in a textbook independently. A lot my time in school was spent half asleep because the professor teaching clearly was not meant to be a teacher. Here’s a question. Do professors who teach education courses (or teach period) have to have an education degree or some experience? I find that ironic because you don’t, at least not here. Education degrees are required to teach in public schools.

Anyways, so I have a bunch of options. Thanks for the article. It brought me at the very least an enlightenment to a new approach to college.

By: Rachel GT

Rachel GT — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:43:12 +0000

Thank you for this article! It was very very encouraging.

I am here at college for 1. the relationship and networking 2. the leadership opportunities and then 3. the classes

Yes this does show with my 2.4 GPA (although I am an engineering major at Georgia Tech…) and I do want to bring that up. But I have gotten WAY more experience from being the president of my sorority, starting a business in wedding planning, being publicist in the a cappella group i was in, being a recruiter for the football team, and more!

By: E

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:11:34 +0000

Let me back up this article. I was hired by a Fortune 100 straight out of college with a 2.4 GPA and a BA in Theology. Soon after I was bought out by another firm who actually didn’t ask me once what my GPA or Degree was in. Instead of focusing on getting A’s (or B’s in some cases I started a concert promotion business, ran a political campaign, and started an investments club, all while playing college basketball. Relationships & networking got me into multiple interviews and continue to get me clients/business. I value education a great deal, but let’s be honest, “education” has become ‘can you cram an enormous amount of information into your brain in a short time frame?’

Great article Ramit!

By: tumelo

tumelo — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:15:08 +0000

Howzit. You have a point. However remember that the current private sector worships degrees from “top universities”. And people are constantly are fed with the propaganda that they need a degree. Therefore a possible solution to exploit this madness, is for drop-outs to control the economies of the world and hire other excellent drop-outs as managers. In this way conventional business methods may not be able to compete on the drop-outs’ level because some people learn, some people remember most people do nothing. Hence the majority of degree-holders will be like a ready supply of local gold mine-workers. This I have concluded is the purpose of university in South Africa.

By: Barbara Saunders

Barbara Saunders — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:01:38 +0000

Ramit, I love this post. I went to Stanford also and had similar priorities. Sad to say, I wasn’t thinking in terms of my own business then!

1. Friends
2. Exploring “the great, big world”
3. Classes

Twenty years later, I have no regrets about that D in stats due to skipping too many classes to see Grateful Dead shows. When I had to learn stats on a recent job, I picked up a book and learned! The alternative experience I chose in 1985 is no longer available.

I majored in psychology and have “used it” in every career and workplace, not to mention in my personal life. I often have to restrain my laughter when various nuts I come across ask, “Are you sorry you didn’t use your psych degree?”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:41:20 +0000

Agreed. Some people here at Stanford are always asking, “but what sort of job are you going to get with THAT major?” I don’t look at it that way. I chose my major so I can take classes I enjoy, and I’ll make projects on my own. I can MAKE my own career if I want to – I don’t have to be pigeonholed into a career that “fits” my major.

By: David

David — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:39:40 +0000

Here’s another take for those who are taking the post way too literally. Ramit’s telling a story. Captivating stories often include controversial statements because they are an extremely effective way to convey a point, and also to get people to remember what the writer is trying to say.

We should understand these guidelines, and think about how they apply to our own unique situation. If everyone took my words literally, I would be a damn rich man. Just like in a job interview, it’s about the meta data. She did this project and got this GPA, Ramit said having a 3.0 is better than a 4.0, but what’s beneath that exterior? Don’t judge a book by its cover.

By: Ramit Sethi

Ramit Sethi — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:18:59 +0000

Jonathan: Exactly.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:15:06 +0000

Ramit, I’ve been reading a lot of these comments, and it amazes me how many people seem to lack reading comprehension. They totally misunderstand what you said in your article.

Let me try to sum it up it more simple terms. Ramit is not saying “be mediocre and just get a 3.0 and you’ll be fine.” No, Ramit stated that you should try to get the best grades that you can, but you need to make sure you get out there, meet people, and experience things. Don’t just sit in a library all day.

It’s about balance. That’s all, people. It is much more impressive for me to tell a future employer how I started my own successful startup with some friends and how I will use that experience to help the company grow than just going in there with a “4.0″ (or a 3.9 in my case) on my resume. But if you can have both, then do it.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:59:48 +0000

Give me a break! Yes, it is important to have experiences outside of the classroom while in college, but good grades DO mean something. A huge segment of my graduating class pursued graduate school, and the ones with B averages did not make it into competitive programs. Also, an A Average says to an employer, “I took my job as a student seriously.” Plenty of us managed to get A averages while still managing to work, volunteer (I tutored low-income children), and have friends. No, I did not go out and party every night, and yes, I spent a lot of time in the library.