Reading both pg's comments and the article, I think the point here is that college is a great vehicle for moving ahead in life. But the vehicle may be headed to a destination that doesn't work for you.
In other words, use college for your own advancement, not to necessarily complete a pre-canned course of study. If you're Zuck and you've created something that's on fire, then it might make sense to leave early. If you want to become a neurosurgeon, you're probably just getting started. It all depends on your personal situation. With a lack of goals and traction in life, staying the course on some 4 or 6-year study program might be the best thing to do.
You can't mix up structured education and learning. Structured education is great for some things, but at some point you have to switch from structured education into self-directed education. That point is going to be in a different spot for everybody. Those that try to tell you that it is one way or the other -- years and years of college versus just drop out and do it -- are oversimplifying the situation drastically.
Use college. Don't let college use you. The guys that are $100K in debt with a degree and no job prospects are just as screwed as the guys who dropped out and can only get minimum-wage labor (In fact, I'd argue the drop-outs might be better off, as long as they have a strong culture of self-education, networking, and ambition -- at least they know their behind the curve and are going to have to continue to adapt drastically to survive whereas many college grads do not -- but that's my bias.)
Comments
Reading both pg's comments and the article, I think the point here is that college is a great vehicle for moving ahead in life. But the vehicle may be headed to a destination that doesn't work for you.
In other words, use college for your own advancement, not to necessarily complete a pre-canned course of study. If you're Zuck and you've created something that's on fire, then it might make sense to leave early. If you want to become a neurosurgeon, you're probably just getting started. It all depends on your personal situation. With a lack of goals and traction in life, staying the course on some 4 or 6-year study program might be the best thing to do.
You can't mix up structured education and learning. Structured education is great for some things, but at some point you have to switch from structured education into self-directed education. That point is going to be in a different spot for everybody. Those that try to tell you that it is one way or the other -- years and years of college versus just drop out and do it -- are oversimplifying the situation drastically.
Use college. Don't let college use you. The guys that are $100K in debt with a degree and no job prospects are just as screwed as the guys who dropped out and can only get minimum-wage labor (In fact, I'd argue the drop-outs might be better off, as long as they have a strong culture of self-education, networking, and ambition -- at least they know their behind the curve and are going to have to continue to adapt drastically to survive whereas many college grads do not -- but that's my bias.)