Disgruntled College Student

schmeg007

Mar 5th 2004, 5:33 pm

Hola,

I've been in the web site stuff for about 6 months now and have been learning more than I ever thought possible. I also know now that there are many years ahead of me if I want to learn everything so far that's caught my interests. Unfortunately I am currently enrolled in a rather respected Computer Science school that likes to own me night and day (40 hours in the lab last week) and I dont' really have the time I wished I had to dedicate to my online ventures.

-Schmeg, wants to drop out of school, but doesn't have the testicular fortitude to so do

digitalpoint

Mar 5th 2004, 7:08 pm

Well, you will learn infinitely more (and faster) than a college or university can teach you. At least that was the case for me.... Either way, glad to have you around... :)

- Shawn

ViciousSummer

Mar 18th 2004, 4:25 pm

Hey Shawn, Didn't you drop out of college? Bet you regret it now, Dummy ;) !

digitalpoint

Mar 18th 2004, 4:27 pm

I hate you. :(

- Shawn

Such Great Heights

Mar 18th 2004, 5:04 pm

I too have been tricked into going to college.
And once your in you can't leave because then you gotta pay those loans off. Well ok, you can leave, but it sucks to think about those student loans.

I've been going to DeVry for a while and almost everything that I've learned about websites, computers, networking, internet, etc., has been self taught due to an actual interest in something. School has taught me things here and there, but nothing as useful as what I've been able to learn by myself.

Kinda sad when I think about it.
But I've only got like 10 classes left :rolleyes: , but they are all general ed classes, which are waaaay boring. I took all my technical classes (Novel, CNA, Linux, TCP/IP etc.) as soon as I could because I actually wanted to learn those. Now I've passed through those classes and found out I could have learned all that and more if I'd taught myself via the Internet, plus I would've saved a bunch in books and tuition (sp?). :eek:

But at least some day I'll have a piece of paper that says I went to school. weeeeeeeee!!! :p

GuyFromChicago

Mar 18th 2004, 9:31 pm

Amen to that - school is ok for general topics but can never compete with what you can learn by doing.

I know - I'm in school and it's just about the most useless thing I do. I keep going though...have to pay off the loans 6 months after I'm done. I just want the piece of paper that says I'm smart:-)

ViciousSummer

Mar 19th 2004, 1:04 am

School has been hell ever since I started learning about SEO and hanging out in these geeky forums. I have learned more here in 3 months, then my entire college career. But then again, I just graduated from Fashion Design school..."Like, oh my Gawd, your hair looks so cute today. It totally matches the polka dots in your skirt!"...I had an entire 3 hour class "discuss" what the stars wore to the oscars. Are you kidding me?!

Any how, my whole point is this: People that are the best at what they do, learn it by doing, not in some silly college class (for the most part). I had to start my own business because I couldn't stand one more boss with the IQ of a rock, that learned how to "boss" in college. ;)

Such Great Heights

Mar 19th 2004, 9:06 am

I guess we can all agree that college learning is entirely different then self learning.

It's that double edge sword where you need to know what you are doing with experience to back it up to have peple pay you for your skills. But you don't get that expereince in college, you just get a piece of paper that says you know how to learn, so that when people see that they are impressed.

I guess one option is to work for yourself. The Internet helps a lot for starting businesses, and SEO/SEM is just the best "free advertising" to learn.

Good luck to you all.

ginostylz

Apr 25th 2004, 10:54 pm

I got an associates degree in bussiness. I took up web classses and photoshop too for some electives. It didn't help out with seo, but I took me to another level inrunning my own bussiness.
Now I'm going for my batchlors at a better school in a media arts program. 700/class and it was worth every penny and minute I spent. There's a huge difference between knowing how to use the $500 programs we play with and making them work very well for us. School enabled me to work from home, and quit my real job.

I think school isn't much, but the Google bussiness model isn't going to last forever. Search engines try to combat our SEO techniques every update.

GuyFromChicago

Apr 26th 2004, 7:40 am

I think school isn't much, but the Google bussiness model isn't going to last forever. Search engines try to combat our SEO techniques every update.

I don't think they try and "combat" seo, they're just trying to deliver the most relevant results for the searcher is after.

SEO is just one element of on-line marketing, which isn't going away anytime soon.

ginostylz

Apr 26th 2004, 8:31 am

You can only stay at the top so long!

GuyFromChicago

Apr 26th 2004, 8:41 am

You can only stay at the top so long!

Being "at the top" is only part of the equation.

As a said in my last post, SEO should be a part of your in-line marketing strategy.

In your last post you mention the "Google business model" and that it won't last forever. Can you elaborate on this a little?

ginostylz

Apr 26th 2004, 9:16 am

Sure, using Google is a great bussiness model. Do what tactics that need to be done to get on top to acheive traffic.
has anyone done a search on google for miserable failure? Look who's on top. Miserable failure is no where to be found on this page, so it's pretty obvious that it is all imbound links.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=miserable+failure

ginostylz

Apr 26th 2004, 9:23 am

If you swap links with the right people, buy enough inbound links then It is easy to get the traffic.
Google is the only one that is really completely free to do well in.

GuyFromChicago

Apr 26th 2004, 9:31 am

Ok, I see what you're saying. "Google's business model" and "Google as part of your business model" are two different things, just wanted to make sure I knew where you were coming from.

I think everyone optimizes for Google because it's one of the most popular SE's, and pages that rank well, in Google tend to rank well in Yahoo and MSN. While this isn't law, it's certainly a good guideline for optimizing. Optimize for the most "difficult" SE, and the others should fall into place.

Using Google should be a part of your marketing strategy, but not all of it. Relying on only one means of generating business/leads is dangerous. Something about all your eggs in one basket….

SEO will be around for the long haul. As long as people use SE's to find things, SEO's will be around tweaking pages to "make the cut".

ginostylz

Apr 26th 2004, 9:49 am

GuyFromChicago

Apr 26th 2004, 10:59 am

School may not be the place to go to learn SEO or web design, but it could give you a little culture and make you a little more well rounded indivisual.

I am going to an on-line school :D No culture required.

T0PS3O

Apr 29th 2004, 10:29 am

Stuff they attempt to teach you at uni here is outdated by the time you hand in the essay or report. Makes you feel like a monkey, taught an awful lot of complicated tricks you will never use once released into the real, non-academic, world / life.

Most degrees imo are just a piece of paper which tells you you have passed the endurance test. Well hey hey congrats you succeeded in sitting on your backside for 3 years learning what they want you to know. And no I haven't chosen the wrong degree. It was interesting but could have studied it myself in under 50% of the time using the rest of the precious time for more important and emotionally and financially rewarding stuff.

mcdar

Apr 30th 2004, 1:58 pm

SEO and SEM are both great, but the degree is a great backup for the long haul. I case we all need to get "real jobs". LOL
I make a living on what I do on the net, but if that crashes I'm not going to go back to delivering pizza and selling cars. Not that delivering pizza is bad, I just don't want to need to go back to it.
School may not be the place to go to learn SEO or web design, but it could give you a little culture and make you a little more well rounded indivisual.

ginostylz, Right on!

No potential employer is going to think that what you learned in school is going to help their company. Anybody that has gone through school themselves, knows better.

BUT, the fact that you have a degree means the pot has withstood the kiln, per se. It tells a potential employer that you had what it takes to stick with it. To apply yourself, to follow rediculous rules, to comply with rediculous demands. You were instructed to learn something and you did so to at least satisfactory standards. It shows character.

I have been a hiring manager. I know that there are many jobs that are available only to those with some sort of advanced degree. It did not matter how qualified a candidate was, if he did not have a degree, he did not qualify for the job.

I am speaking as a college graduate that ended up going back to college as an adult. I graduated with a BA exactly 20 years after I graduated high school.

Do I use my degree today? Not directly.
Do I use anything today that I learned in college? Most likely NO.
Would I do it over again? In a New York Minute! :D

ViciousSummer

May 2nd 2004, 2:05 am

...I have been a hiring manager. I know that there are many jobs that are available only to those with some sort of advanced degree. It did not matter how qualified a candidate was, if he did not have a degree, he did not qualify for the job...

I know that having a degree is required for many jobs, but I still think it is a silly and outdated practice. I know this because I've been more qualified (in every way, except for having a degree) then almost every boss I've ever had. I've heard all the excuses for why a degree is required ("Sticking out college shows dedication..."), but what if an extremely smart, qualified person can not afford college? Is it fair to hold them back? I hit that wall working corporate america, so rather then boring myself with college, I started my own business.
:D . Any how, just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents!

mcdar

May 2nd 2004, 7:31 am

ViciousSummer,

I agree that it is rediculous. But that was kind of my point! Corporate America is every bit as inane as college, maybe more so.

If you have a chance to get a college degree, GET IT. It is a tough world out there and getting tougher every day. Plus, not everybody has what it takes to succeed in their own business. That requires being very good in at least two fields, business and ________ (fill in your own specialty).

Caryl

schlottke

May 2nd 2004, 11:11 am

I agree that it can be a little much for a company to set limitations to whom they hire. There are dozens of very smart people that just found their time occupied by other things, rather than college. However, it still remains necessary to get a degree if you want to compete in most fields- just do it.

relaxzoolander

May 2nd 2004, 8:26 pm

i have a degree.
i vote 'yes' to a college degree.
go to college...learn as much as you can.

:)

ViciousSummer

May 5th 2004, 11:05 am

Yes, I definately agree that a degree will not hurt you in anyway. And, mcdar is right, not everyone can start their own business (and succeed). Although my point was that some people don't have the option of college and it's unfortunate that many companies will hold that against them. Hopefully that will change someday :D

expat

May 5th 2004, 11:54 am

If you can get a degree - stick it out make it happen.

There are and always will be two things that impress :

lots of letters behind your name or a real blue blooded title.

40 hours a week is nothing the day has 24 and you can sleep after you enjoyed your retirement.

Apart from that there are only two other alternatives: marry rich or win the lottery both options are much harder to achive than a #1 in G.

M

schlottke

May 5th 2004, 11:26 pm

"40 hours a week is nothing the day has 24 and you can sleep after you enjoyed your retirement."

I like that, good thinking! :)

hexed

May 8th 2004, 12:34 am

College will teach you nothing about SEO. I went to college for my love in life though, low level computer arch and robotics. I loved every second of it and wish I had the time to go back for my PHD, which I plan to very soon cause I want to teach.

Click on my adsense ads and send a poor uneducated man back for his PHD.

Hexed

john_loch

May 8th 2004, 3:12 am

I've a degree in Communication Design.
A few pretty letters, a framed pic on the wall, and in the private sector, about as useful as a brick in the head.

Of course I now work for the uni that awarded it.
They don't pay too badly either.

But then I'm in Australia. A degree is nice, and it's handy to have, but in my experience, it's talent that matters. If you've got both, you're doin well.

jarvi

May 8th 2004, 6:24 pm

Here's a point that works for both sides of this discussion. I think it was Microsoft that I read about where the recuiters didn't necessarily worry about what type of degree it was, rather that the candidate had one and with decent results. Their thinking was that it showed the person had the ability to learn, so they could teach them what they needed on the job.

Therefore, get a degree but don't let that limit you to what type of position or work you want.

I have a business degree and post grad qualification and whilst they don't help specifically with all my work, I do find some relevance. My advice to younger people is go to college, university whatever, then when you have finished go travelling before you 'settle down' to work life.

zez

Jan 6th 2005, 9:56 pm

Welcome to DP forums...

spin

Jul 22nd 2007, 7:51 am

4Spyder

Jul 22nd 2007, 4:17 pm

Welcome Schmeg007!
Interesting thread here.
I never went to college but I get paid more then most people do that did.
plus they have to pay there schooling back.
I understand the different point of views thou.

Take Care!
4Spyder

sachin410

Jul 22nd 2007, 8:09 pm

Look....some people stumble upon luck....Go to colleage and get an education. Running a website business isn't easy and no doubt an education will help and besides most of us don't have the good luck charm helping out. Oh yea and all that hard work helps with that good luck...lol Stay in School Fool!:D

You bumped a March 2004 thread :eek:.

(It would be interesting to know how OP - schmeg007 fared with his online ventures.

He hasn't been online since July 10th.)

4Spyder

Jul 23rd 2007, 6:12 pm

O my gosh, I didn't realize that, I will try and pay attention more, lol

Take Care All
4Spyder

BoutiqueMusic

Jul 23rd 2007, 10:35 pm

It could be worse. They could want you in the lab for 80 hours a week.

lady9380

Jul 24th 2007, 1:47 pm

I'll agree to that. I went to school to be a teacher. I learned more my first year in the classroom, than I learned my entire four years at college.

I think that's just how it works. If you want to know about something, jump into it, head first. ;)

Have a good one. Also, college isn't all that bad.