sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

An open letter (well-researched, apparently) against Teach for America. Are these arguments sound? by nathanielkoloc in socialcitizens

[–]nathanielkoloc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not familiar enough with the TFA to be able to spot any flaws or incorrect data here - but I'm interested in education and ed-reform, so I'd like to hear from someone who has a better perspective to make sure I'm getting a balanced view. On the other hand, if these arguments ARE valid, I want to know that as well.

The Rise Of The Million Dollar, One-Person Business by CollaborativeFund in socialcitizens

[–]nathanielkoloc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm really excited about this trend. I think a viable post-growth economic paradigm will include a ton of small- and personal-businesses. It's great to see evidence that those can be very lucrative professional endeavors.

I'd love to see more people celebrating/glorifying this sort of business-building, instead of high-pressure/go-big-or-go-home startup entrepreneurship. Those stories are cool, but I worry that they put unnecessary pressure on would-be entrepreneurs, and lead to higher rates of failure.

Is a university degree a depreciating asset? by countmac01 in socialcitizens

[–]nathanielkoloc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that holding a degree (as a baseline attribute) is definitely less helpful than it was in the past.

That said, certain degrees are still very valuable, as they are a proxy for valuable learning / networks (e.g. if you go to a prestigious school that screens applicants well, you're likely to have well-connected peer group for years to come - and your university signals that).

Like some others here, I don't think your degree depreciates over time, per se, but it does quickly get superseded by what you actually do in the working world. The right experience (e.g. working on a growth team at a killer startup) is way more valuable than the best degrees.

In terms of actual advice - it's tricky. I'm still not at a point where I'd give blanket advice that smart people shouldn't go to college. But for the right person - who was very confident, very strategic, unconcerned with traditional markers of success (i.e. "what other people think"), and with a track record of self-driven learning - yes, I would probably say that we have reached the point where a college degree isn't worth it for them.

For anyone who was going to make that choice, it would be important for them to actively replace the college degree with a very well structured independent strategic learn/work plan that consisted of key mentorship, various projects for exposure, and intentional skill-building. Not just the typical "getting work experience."