This past summer my fam and I did the first college tour for my son, Nigel. If you have a teen who, maybe like mine, is in business with you, this brings to question: Should an entrepreneur attend college?
Here are my “entrepreneurial mom” thoughts on college:
My college days were some of the best times I’ve had in my life — learning and living with people from all over the country, choosing what I wanted to learn, having the freedom and independence of being on my own. I would love for my kids to have those experiences as well.
Many say they never utilized what they studied in college in their adult work. But I actually DO use what I studied — Mass Communications/Radio-TV-Film— in the business I currently run. The knowledge gained from my degree is useful to my content creator business. So in that sense college was a win.
HOWEVER…
I can honestly say the education that I’ve taught myself, outside of college, directly affects what I do daily, WAAAAY more than my degree.
I’ve paid thousands for both college AND for entrepreneurial training. Only the latter has made a direct positive impact on my income.
I think college is great for many things, especially if you want to get a good job…even many great businesses were started in someone’s dorm room. And at the age you enter college it’s hard to know for sure if you want to be an entrepreneur or pursue a job.
My kids learn business not to limit them to running a business if that’s not what they want to do, but to give them the freedom to choose if they want to run a business or get a job because they’ll have the knowledge.
It takes a driven, self-motivated personality to be a successful entrepreneur. BUT the knowledge, impact and income you can gain in the four years of a business vs four years at a college can be unparalleled. AAAND don’t get it twisted, I do believe entrepreneurship is the key to financial freedom.
But the answer here isn’t black and white for me. Nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes with college, and business, you have to jump in and give it a try, even when you are uncertain, to see if it’s the thing for you.
What are your thoughts on pursuing college vs pursuing business?
6 Comments
I believe that it is an individual decision depending on what type of person the individual is. In order to be an entrepreneur a person has to be self motivated and dedicated in doing the thing they’re into. Some people are able to be successful by working on their own without the prompting of someone else’s skills to steer them in the direction they’re trying to reach whereas others can do it without assistance. Those that are not able to dedicate themselves in the field they’re trying to accomplish may be better off in a college setting. It’s somewhat like going to school vs home schooling. I know that me personally would prefer to be my own entrepreneur but however I also realize that I don’t have the dedication and self will to control myself to the type of commitment and time needed to put into a successful business and therefore I would be best in a college setting where someone else could coach me through to what I’m trying to reach.
Good points! Thanks for your comment.
Pursuing college while running your own business is a Win / Win, I think!
Some might agree. It definitely depends on your desires.
Going to college is an experience that is unforgettable. You meet so many interesting people and you can learn social skills that are in a semi-controlled setting (buffer years). That way you are not going from home to a real world – on your own senario without a buffer.
You will learn self-discipline in college. Something that you will need in any business that you undertake.
I was speaking to a young lady the other day who was talking about her college-bound daughter who wants to pursue the arts. She started working on her craft before shen finished elementary school through a college theater program. She now has a full scholarship to attend that college and she did not have to apply to get the scholarship. They told her that they were waiting for her to call.
This full ride scholarship included all room, board and meals, but also a full ride to post graduate work so she could continue to advance with her secondary degree in Physical Theraphy. Her mom then told her that she needed a ‘side hustle’ to cover her clothing allowance, gas, snacks, and any other incidentals she wanted. So she’s finishing up a certification as a nail technician. Then she would be an entrepreneur working on campus.
As Harold stated, going to college while operating your own business is a win, win scenario.
That’s a great example. Congrats to her on putting in the pre-work and earning that big payout.