Is College Necessary?
A major stepping stone in growing up is going to college. But is it a requirement?
Ben, over at College Startup recently touched on this question. While I agree with most of what he said, I wanted to give my own input on the topic. Before I start though, I have to say one thing. There is no universal yes/no answer to the question. You have to talk all of what people list as reasons why or why not and decide for yourself if they seem right to you.
Everyone knows that college involves a lot of work day in and day out. But having a large workload is a double-edged sword. Everyone knows the cons of having a lot of work to do, but in my mind there is an often overlooked pro to this blade.
Having a constant and challenging work load will teach you about yourself and how you manage time and stress. I read David Allen’s GTD (NOTE: this is not a plug for GTD, use whatever method you want) when I was noticing myself falling a little bit behind. Once I started implementing his time management method I was able to get everything done with much less stress. This is beneficial to know about yourself in order to be more successful in the business world. Employers will prefer to hire someone who can handle and deliver the larger workload without breaking down under the stress.
The other positive part of college is having a “testing ground” for your entrepreneurial spirit. Granted, you have to be responsible with what you do, but you are not entirely on your own yet. There is still a network of support to keep you save from absolute failure. So if you like the idea of being an entrepreneur and your own boss, college might just be the ticket to helping you build that ability.
For me college was the right choice. I’ve learned a lot about myself along the way to joining the full time work force. Anyone who has college questions, especially if you’re looking in or around Rochester, feel free to get in touch with me. I’ll be happy to try and help.