Formal Education is Fashionable

This post is brought to you by any college dropout you may know in your life...Allow me to drill down further...I made many friends in my undergrad years and a few more in my grad years and it's always an interesting exercise when I reflect on those who I kept in touch with who never finished the program that they started with me. I have an interesting perspective on formal education. I am all for it, but unless you are in school for the simple "love of learning", you have a goal in mind and typically that goal includes being able to put food on your table and a roof over your head. Degrees do not impress me in any way. I have a BS, MS and a post-grad certificate and will be working on a 2nd MS in January. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy learning and building my professional network, but in no way do I think college dropouts are "dumb" if they find other ways to provide for themselves and their families. A friend I work with and I were discussing a crack on his windshield. I said, "I went to school with a guy who owns a windshield repair business. Should I call him and ask if he can take care of you?" My friend says, "Ok." I called the guy, some logistics were worked out and my friend ended up going there and getting this taken care of. My friend shows me the business card of the guy who took care of his windshield and says, "Look at how many of these shops he owns." The owner is a college dropout, but he lives in a better area than I do, drives a nicer car and his business is growing. Small business ownership is where it's at kids. Degrees are nice to hang on the wall, but the risk/reward of jumping out of the "expected path" to enlightenment can also work. It's been said that people hate working 80-100hrs a week for someone else, but are willing to do that for themselves trying to establish/grow a business.

Here are some famous college dropouts to cogitate on:
Bill Gates
Steve Jobs
Michael Dell
Tom Hanks

My point is that the US pushes formal education as if that is the ONLY option to self-sufficiency and although EDUCATION is definitely the key, formal education in respect to a University setting is not and should not be the only way to be a productive member of society and a "well-rounded" citizen.

I keep leaning over and staring into the entrepreneurial pool and one day I will jump in....