while I enjoyed the classes getting my MS, it didn't have any positive effect on my career. Negative, actually, because I had a job offer I turned down to finish it up and when I came back I was lucky to get a new offer, but it wasn't nearly as good, plus missed a year of full time salary. I'm in software engineering
the fact that I got extra time via ADA protections on my ACT was listed on the information given to universities illegally. It's highly probable that I would have gotten into a much higher tier uni if not for this. Ended up going to a liberal arts school in the south, and learned a lot more then I would have if I had stayed in Cali. Qualified Yes.
Well, now I'm not sure what you mean by qualified. The qualification I made was that "For what I intend to do as a career". If I had chosen a different career path, university would have been less of a waste.
It's not worthwhile to dwell on regrets, but if I'm honest, I wasted my time and energy in my education both in my choice of school and how I chose to take advantage of it. I don't regret having traveled my path, but I recognize that I did not do the things that would have benefited me both in the things I desire now and the things I desired then. I'm a strong no.
SFAI got me to San Francisco and the BBSes and I had a whole lot of experiences that I wouldn’t trade. But as far as the school? I was a cartoonist and I thought I was supposed to grow up and become a painter. That’s kind of sad, to be wrapped up in a awful guess about the expectations on me. I could have taken printmaking classes and actually learned some technique, but didn’t. And I left early. None of that is the school’s fault, but I made a ton of lousy choices.
I loved my college experience. I was miserable in K-12 and didn't even graduate high school, so I'm glad to at least have had one educational experience that worked for me.
I had undiagnosed issues that affected my scholastic performance, and my mother died when I was 17. So, I really was not in a good state for better choices. I got a lot out of my community college and state school, but I do wish I could see what life might have been like if things had been different. But who knows? That’s also why I started working in tech when I did, which has led to a fulfilling career, so perhaps I am better off.
I missed the poll, but as the first person in my family to go to university, I wish I’d understood better how the system worked. For instance I didn’t understand the existence of advanced degrees or why you would bother trying for high grades in university when having a bachelors degree was a true/false condition. I didn’t know what a liberal arts education was or why you might want to study something without a direct vocational path. And I didn’t understand that universities have different vibes and politics, and that that might make a difference. I’m not sure if i really had much choice in where I went (I chose based on scholarship availability so I could move out of a bad home situation) but I know that I wound up at an institution and in a field of study that didn’t work out for me.
I'm *less* interested in your choices about the University of Singapore logo and motto, your choices about the University of Nebraska football team mascot, or your choices about whether or not to read the Wikipedia article on the University of Helsinki.
I'm *more* interested about your choices of whether to study at university, where to go if so, and what to do while there.
I had poor grades in high school due to untreated ADHD, and my parents were broke, so I had bad prospects for college.
A couple of years in, I got involved with an equity stake in a local for-profit BBS as it converted to an ISP. Quit school to work full time at my shot at the big time.
Later, things went south. I won’t point fingers but let’s say my ouster was a group effort that included all of us. I was emotionally devastated and sank into a pretty deep hole. Didn’t have much to fall back on, so I moved to Silicon Valley and started bouncing around different startups.
I landed on my feet and mostly stayed there, and the older I got the more quaint the idea of returning to school sounded. Like taking up gardening or collecting old computers.
It’s a regret, though, despite the fact that I did ok.
I read mathematics at Merton College Oxford and I did so in the last possible year to come out of it debt free; I didn't have to pay any tuition fees and my living expenses were subsidised.
This is what the world used to be like, what was possible and affordable (by the state) not very long ago.
I went just enough to work at the college radio station, started my own company and got into the web at the dawn of it. Ended up convincing someone to hire me during the first dot.com boom. I regret not being interested because I’m not good at school. I’m self-conscious about it. I’m only now getting around to figuring that out many years later.
Qualified no. My parents pressured me into immediately attending a four year college. 17 yo me had not a crumb of a plan future wise, but the only thing I didn’t hate was music. So I went to music school. While I did very much enjoy my time there and do miss it today, I put very little effort into anything but performing. Halfway through junior year decided healthcare would be a better option income wise. Still finished my degree and graduated with 100k in debt. (cont.)
Then I did 3 more semesters of pre-med before I decided I didn’t want to be in school much longer. Did another 4 classes to apply to a masters in athletic training only to not apply because my honest answer to the personal statement was “Idk it sounded interesting” Quit school to work full-time in EMS and healthcare and hope an inspired career choice would emerge. It didn’t until a year ago and then I almost went back to school for a CS degree. (cont. 2/3)
Ended up deciding against it since I was interested in web dev and you’re lucky to find a program that even offers one class in web dev. But I’m finally excited to be job hunting and excited about development ten years later and I don’t even wanna know how much debt.
Basically teenagers shouldn’t be pressured or feel obligated to fully commit to school until they’re ready. I wish I had just put my foot down and gone to a community college the first couple years while I figured things out.
Sorry for the long reply, but I’m salty about all that and then spending a mere year (in comparison) learning for free and with the most exciting and highest paying job prospects of my life and I didn’t even “go to school” for it
I feel lucky than being in Scotland I had a choice of several great unis. Mostly I loved Uni as I finally met people like me. Both on my course (Physics) and socially (science fiction) after my school years of being considered a weirdo. And now I’m a teacher so can try to help this generation of pupils.
I grew up on a college campus my dad was a prof, when I attended as an undergraduate I had *no* *idea* of value what had been presented to me, I still managed to take advantage of it, I am very privileged and grateful.
I was lucky to have parents that didn’t pressure me. Although I missed several years of high-school, I got on a vocational IT college programme which I excelled at. But I didn’t much want to do IT, so enrolled on a university graphic design course (uni still free in UK at the time). Didn’t start that because the web kicked off mid-90s and parents were supportive of me studying web design for myself instead, and they funded my attendance on a early 2 year online programme. Radical parents!
Very encouraging that so many people were somewhat or strongly satisfied. Good for you all for making good choices.
For those who responded negatively in the commons, the main pattern I see is overcommitting to an expensive path before one is sure what one wants to do.
We talked a little about it in our household. We have two young people headed to university over the next few years, and it's helpful advice for us.
This is one of the advantages of the Quebec's CEGEP system, it provides some extra time in a more challenging setting to prepare for university and get to see if you really like something as much as you thought you would.
FWIW; we have 2 young people in the same camp that we are homeschooling right now.
Eldest (16yo) can’t see a career reason for a degree right now. So he’s building his portfolio up in what he does (crafting, cosplay, shooting video… he wants to work making physical props at places like Wēta), and is building his work experience up too
TBH, I'm struggling with the question for our kids - what university is (in the UK), how much it is, and how it's run, has changed drastically since I attended. I know I've been lucky in some extent, but the current setup just seems so extractive, rather than an investment in the skills of the future.
I had offers for full scholarships to Ivy League schools, but went to a state university close to home because I wanted to be able to be around my siblings and family more. I think what I missed out on most was networking; it could have jumpstarted my career. That said, I live where I want to, still near my family, and although I'm not rich, I am comfortable, have a wonderful wife & kids. I have all the most important things to me without riches. So it worked out.
Tess :knuckles:
•Theodora H Crank
•Evan Prodromou
•Theodora H Crank
•Your Friend, Brandon
•Evan Prodromou
•Jeffrey Serio :fedora: :emacs:
•Evan Prodromou
•Jeffrey Serio :fedora: :emacs:
•Jeffrey Serio :fedora: :emacs:
•Steve Scotten
•Evan Prodromou
•Steve Scotten
•Shauna GM
•cain
•Evan Prodromou
•Aphrodite ☑️ :boost_ok:
•Looking at my posts, it’s trivial to see the impact the communication courses had on my saying words stuff here, for example.
lachlan but less spooky
•It's helpful being able to communicate - particularly with non software folk, but I'm sure there would have been a cheaper way to go about it.
Autumn the Red Sage
•Evan Prodromou
•I also want to say thanks to everyone who's sharing difficult stories about university attended or skipped. 🙏🏽
Alex is catching up on sleep
•Space Catitude 🚀
•Evan Prodromou
•I'm *less* interested in your choices about the University of Singapore logo and motto, your choices about the University of Nebraska football team mascot, or your choices about whether or not to read the Wikipedia article on the University of Helsinki.
I'm *more* interested about your choices of whether to study at university, where to go if so, and what to do while there.
That said, do your thing.
bedknobs and bootstraps
•Evan Prodromou
•bedknobs and bootstraps
•A couple of years in, I got involved with an equity stake in a local for-profit BBS as it converted to an ISP. Quit school to work full time at my shot at the big time.
Later, things went south. I won’t point fingers but let’s say my ouster was a group effort that included all of us. I was emotionally devastated and sank into a pretty deep hole. Didn’t have much to fall back on, so I moved to Silicon Valley and started bouncing around different startups.
I landed on my feet and mostly stayed there, and the older I got the more quaint the idea of returning to school sounded. Like taking up gardening or collecting old computers.
It’s a regret, though, despite the fact that I did ok.
Evan Prodromou
•Ben Curthoys
•This is what the world used to be like, what was possible and affordable (by the state) not very long ago.
Brad Barrish
•Kerra(they/them):verified_gay:
•While I did very much enjoy my time there and do miss it today, I put very little effort into anything but performing. Halfway through junior year decided healthcare would be a better option income wise. Still finished my degree and graduated with 100k in debt. (cont.)
Kerra(they/them):verified_gay:
•Quit school to work full-time in EMS and healthcare and hope an inspired career choice would emerge. It didn’t until a year ago and then I almost went back to school for a CS degree. (cont. 2/3)
Kerra(they/them):verified_gay:
•Kerra(they/them):verified_gay:
•Sorry for the long reply, but I’m salty about all that and then spending a mere year (in comparison) learning for free and with the most exciting and highest paying job prospects of my life and I didn’t even “go to school” for it
Evan Prodromou
•DrS
•Mostly I loved Uni as I finally met people like me. Both on my course (Physics) and socially (science fiction) after my school years of being considered a weirdo.
And now I’m a teacher so can try to help this generation of pupils.
CartyBoston
•Charles Roper
•halcy:icosahedron:
•Evan Prodromou
•Very encouraging that so many people were somewhat or strongly satisfied. Good for you all for making good choices.
For those who responded negatively in the commons, the main pattern I see is overcommitting to an expensive path before one is sure what one wants to do.
We talked a little about it in our household. We have two young people headed to university over the next few years, and it's helpful advice for us.
Thanks to everyone who responded.
Fifi Lamoura
•Dave ✨🏳️🌈
•Eldest (16yo) can’t see a career reason for a degree right now. So he’s building his portfolio up in what he does (crafting, cosplay, shooting video… he wants to work making physical props at places like Wēta), and is building his work experience up too
scribe
•Lambic
•It feels like that's not really an option for kids these days, which I think is a shame.
John Goerzen
•Tommi 🤯
•Evan Prodromou
•Tommi 🤯
•