Upon completion of high school I followed the herd and enrolled in college. I decided to go to Brown because I believed they would offer the same type of learning environment I had experienced in high school.
While my high school experience was different from most because it focused on pursuing knowledge outside of what people consider to be normal (i.e The focus was not on testing, rote memorization, AP courses, sitting in rows and desks like soldiers, textbooks), for me it was more effective. It far exceeds public school standards and captivates its students through erdkinder. I owe much to my development as a human being and citizen of the world to my high school education. What I discovered was not only was my high school experience superior to that of a traditional public school education, it also exceeded the memorization “learning” experience I was offered in college.
I was disappointed to discover college was not what I expected. I had hoped for an experience similar to high school where we asked more questions that started with “how” rather than only focusing on problems without the expectation that we would find meaningful, real-world solutions. Instead, it was a test-oriented “learning” environment that required me to study for tests that rely on information that I could access in less time than it would take to read through the test. I felt this artificial measure of my learning was not the most effective use of my time and pursuit of knowledge. I couldn’t go along with the status quo any more. I knew I wanted to build things for the world now and make information more available to everyone. College wasn’t helping toward figuring out how to do that.
Once I had discovered what I really wanted to do, I realized college was not the best place for that because they expected me to “learn” on their terms, rather than working with me to customize my learning to provide an enjoyable experience from which I would benefit the most. College didn’t help me solve problems, it told me to solve problems that already had rigidly prescribed answers.
So I left.
Now that I’ve left college behind, I’ve had the opportunity to think about my decision and determine if I want to go back. The verdict? Absolutely not.
Here are the 12 most in-your-face reasons that I made the decision not to go back to college.
Let’s face it. Testing isn’t about how much you know, its about how much time you are willing to spend memorizing facts. I am tired of memorizing facts when I can find them easier online in less time. I am tired of not using those facts to try to create something new. People get better grades than me all the time in school. I never cared about the grades I received up until college, and I didn’t start caring afterwards. I was in school because I wanted to learn. Being in an environment where people would talk about crazy physics concepts but had no idea what the LHC was doesn’t help maintain that interest either because i saw it as spitting in the face of those currently working hard in the field, now, for one to claim oneself as passionate.
I recognized that even if I were to get my degree, I would be trying to do the same things I am doing now, but I would be spending money and taking time that took me away from achieving what I really wanted. One thing that I hear all the time is, “College will get you through the door.” People don’t realize (or acknowledge to me) that there will always be doors you have to “get” through whether or not you go to college. The real question is what will you do to stand out from the rest. A degree no longer serves that purpose. I’d rather spend my time doing what will help me stand out.
College proved to be a very unimaginative environment, where people care more about what people think of them (grades) and less about what they think of themselves and what they really want to do in their lives.
Despite promoting themselves as a “liberal” arts school, when you have many people who think the same things and have very little acceptance of other ideas, you’ve created an environment that doesn’t teach how to not solve the problems of society today, but instead continues these problems into the future.
Seeing the Occupy Wall Street movement on campus, I thought that most of these students will become the people in the towers everyone else is screaming at whether or not they wanted it. It is not very compelling to see people fight for social economic change, then go back to their dorms and live their “9 to 5” lives. No that’s not how it should be. Causes like that should be fought for until your dead. If not, then don’t waste my time, your time, and clog up the streets.
I don’t want to pay for something I don’t want. I went to college expecting the same kind of educational environment I received my entire life before that point. I went to the first public Montessori elementary school in the nation (Sands Montessori), and then the first public Montessori high school in the nation (Clark Montessori). I thought that a “things are as how you see it” attitude was how the world worked. I stuck with it for year, but realized this was not for me. People are only able see what they are willing to look for. What I wanted was a Montessori-type college (or a place – it doesn’t have to be college) where we people are judged on their ability to solve real life problems. That would be worth my time and money.
I’m not interested in the door that a degree in engineering opens. I’ve seen the type of jobs people with engineering degrees have. I would rather be double-tapped before I applied for one of those jobs after college. I had a short internship with P&G Chemicals in the 12th grade which I got by asking a some people I know. Yes. The saying appears to be true. “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” I thought it was “cool” until I saw that the engineer I was talking to was running a reaction to make bubbles for soap. I would like the whole world to know this: Bubbles do not do anything to clean. They’re there to just make people who have no idea about the chemicals in their products think the soap works.You would be surprised to see how many products are out there that are like that. Doors like these are not of interest to me. I want doors that I can open with other people who share my passions and choose to work with me.
There are plenty of other people out there who like dealing with how school works and are good at it. I don’t need to pretend to be one of them. I would rather work with people with their individual skills and implement something from a collective work ethic, than spend my time focusing on one thing “the college degree” and having less of a likelihood of such efforts to be implemented. For example in a start up company, if you only focus on one way to achieve success, you are less likely to find it than if you pursued multiple ways. It’s simple probability.
I want to have fun with my life everyday, not just on the weekends. I want to work on projects that I love. That’s what I get by doing my start up. I get chance to work with people in my community and with my friends who want to change how things are. We work to achieve our goals how we want. Hopefully I’ll be able to spread and share this mentality to others who will be willing to try something new.
I want to be in charge of my own economic power, not some employer, and not government agencies who tell me what they think I should do in my life. I’ll do what I want to make a living. I’ll do my own research. I’ll test my own hypothesis. I’ll find and do it with other people who have the same motivations and goals I do. I was not able to find such thinking at Brown. Most people want to wait for someone to tell them what to do when it comes to their career.
I don’t want to take away from what other people want to do. Just because I feel this way, there are others at school who don’t. I feel that by being there, I bring an air of negativity that people will not appreciate nor want to listen to. Part of me agrees. Why should they have to listen to me when they don’t have to? They should listen to me and others because they want to.
If I keep putting the things off that I want to do in my life, it will only get harder to do them when I’m older because of the things call “obligations.” I have no interest in having “obligations.” I want to have passions. I’m angry because I do not see enough meaningful effort to allow knowledge to be open for all. I’m frustrated with the lack of solutions invested in to pursue to solve our problems. I will continue to seek knowledge in all its forms. I know we can change the world today. There are things right now on the market, such as waste water recycling and rain water catch systems, that if implemented in peoples homes, would result in not having to pay for water. I am tired of dealing the socioeconomic corruption that has been infused with the morals of our society. I am ready and plan on reacting.
As I told my mother: “I am going to go with my gut for spiritual guidance, I am going to use my mind to help me get there.” I have no regrets, and I will continue to not have them. This is how I want to live my life. How do you want to live yours?
Featured image courtesy of Creative Commons via h.koppdelaney.
I try to take advantage of all opportunities that come my way in hopes that they offer more for me later in life and help me grow. Always seeking to talk to more people about ideas. Very much into trying to become more environmentally friendly when I can and leaving less of a foot print on earth. It is all about balance in the end!
@SelfSustainWork Very nice article! The reasons are spot on! I'm sure whatever you do, it'll be great! #thinkdifferent
@LineDalile thanks! yeah its taken a couple of months for things to start moving, but they are moving now haha im just along for the ride =)
I believe there is a lot of merit to the positions that Cinque is stating. As a strong advocate for college education especially within the African-American community, I have seen the benefits of a college education (it helps to get one through the employment door) and the pitfalls (the cost of a college education is beyond obscene). What college does not encourage and I believe Cinque is seeking, is the freedom and encouragement to pursue learning while becoming an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, most colleges have their own agenda and they are not willing to create an environment that works for the student and the institution. There are many successful African-Americans I know who do not have college degrees and their struggles were no different than the struggles that Cinque speaks about.
Although I readily admit that I do not apply my college degree to my current job, nor have I applied it in the last 20 years, I'm glad I attended. I also *strongly* encourage my daughters to attend. It isn't that I care what degree they pursue. It is more important they experience that phase of their life.
It is the last time they actually get a "phase" that doesn't necessarily involve a career consuming their days for the next 40+ years. I want them to take a broad range of classes, study abroad if they desire, etc. Basically, I do not want them in a hurry to "get on with life". I also think that a 4-year degree shows a certain level of perseverance to employers. Experience, communication skills and work ethic will always trump education...but I'm still in favor of getting that piece of paper to file away. Besides, sometimes that alumni network comes in handy with business!
Having said that, I still enjoyed the independence and enlightened attitude you expressed in this post Cinque!
@dbvickery Thanks for your comments! It's always interesting to hear more perspectives.
One thing I would like to say that I don't think that I am in a hurry to "get on with life" but in a hurry to live my life, whatever it may be. It also helps that I dont have a huge interest in spending money to buy things (even if they do seem appealing) unless I can see the ROI concretely in front of me, and the data isn't backing college up that well these days compared to others in my field of interest(s).
And I also feel that the work ethic will naturally come along if someone is pursing something they actually want to do. I just don't see a need for me to study hours for material that will go in one ear and out the other (and most adults would agree that they don't remember much of what they "learned" from college). Especially when I can get it for free online when I am actively looking for it.
12 Most In-Your-Face Reasons Why I Will Not Go Back to College By Cinque McFarlane-Blake http://t.co/wVBh4IsZ via @12Most RT @AngelaMaiers
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I love this post! I think you are on the front wave of a movement that won't be fully understood or accepted for a long time. Just as alternative forms of elementary and high school education were long considered "weird" and "abnormal", those who choose to skip the college experience will probably be considered misguided (by the mainstream) for the forseeable future.
Colleges don't have a monopoly on learning. Nor do they have a monopoly on producing employable people. In fact, in my experience, far too many recent college grads have absolutely no employable skills. More and more employers are figuring this out. Not to mention how incredibly expensive a college education has become.
I admire the fact that you've kept your reasons personal. You haven't said that colleges shouldn't exist or that no one should ever go to college. You haven't denied that college opens certain doors. The key to your whole post is that you are blazing your own trail. Very, very, very few people are willing to buck the status quo. It's scary for them and it's scary for everyone else they talk to about the possibility. The system is set up so that we can know who made the "right" choices and who is "successful." If you don't play by those rules, how are people supposed to know what to make of you?
I have 4 university degrees. I had rewarding experiences with all of them. But I won't force the university experience on my children. I will do my best to make sure they have a well-rounded education, encourage them in their talents and passions, assist them in overcoming their weaknesses, and help them find the most effective way to acquire the skills they need to pursue their chosen path in life ... whether that includes college or not.
Good luck to you! I hope to read more of your thoughts in the future!
@Lauren M Hug With 4 university degrees you don't have a right to comment on this post. Let me hear from the highly successful black man/woman who has achieved all he/she wants to achieve, but without a college degree. When we hear from this person, then we have a conversation.
@CourtneyWI I do not like the fact that you seek to deny the rights (that you cannot deny since you are not a moderator) for one to speak their mind. I do appreciate what you are getting at though, but simply to not be willing to have a serious conversation without someone meeting your demands (instead of meeting them where they are at) and not offering your opinion on what i was addressing, you are only setting an example of what i seek to make an example of: People unwilling to adress the problems (because of ego or whatever) and then do nothing (pervasive mentality in the black community if i might add).
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@CourtneyWI @Lauren M Hug ...Courtney, I suspect you're missing the merits of Cinque's points entirely. At a later stage of life Cinque may opt for schooling, however it needs to met the above criteria and be structured in a way that allows him to thrive and help solve real problems with disruptive innovation. I've attended two top tier universities, I'm an African American female but I'd lean on the thinking that universities seek to add value, but the student (buyer) who wins, is the one who understands, fully leverages the resources presented, and not the student (buyer) who just goes through the program. Cinque appears to be very aware of the education transaction, most aren't. Many perceive the school as the ultimate resource, when it's more appropriately a great resource if leveraged properly. Laura appears to understand this. The merits of the post are entirely on target. It's this type of thinking that often delivers results. Last, Laura has the complete right to express herself here, the diversity of thought adds great value to the conversation and onlooker evaluation. Every voice counts, if for no other reason than the fact that it exists. Have a great rest of the weekend!
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@Cinque It sounds more amazing than it actually is. I figured out how to game the system in undergrad, double-counting courses and taking tons of AP exams to get two distinct degrees (instead of double-majoring). Then I went to law school (LOVED it), and, after getting my J.D., I was awarded a scholarship to study for my LL.M. in London.
I only mention my degrees so that people know I'm not an outsider throwing stones at institutions I don't understand. I was a happy, successful participant, and I've reaped the benefits of having graduated from esteemed programs. But I'm also well aware that a lot of it is a game that some folks have no interest in playing. As soon as I realized I no longer cared about the path my education set forth for me, I was able to embrace alternatives.
And, by the way, whenever my parents hear me mention that I'm okay with my kids NOT going to college, they argue with me. : )
@Lauren M Hug @LaurenHug awesome thanks! thats why i wanted to follow you on twitter, i figured you must also tweet about what you post, so i can view your blog when i have time or when something interests me the most at that moment.
i like explaining it this way:
I committed a "sin" but it must be o"kay" :)
Its roots are ambiguous because of the similarities between french spanish and italian. but i was named after (what the spaniards called him) Joseph Cinqué from the Amistad
@Cinque Yep! Im on Twitter ... @LaurenHug ... I also have a blog at www.hugspeak.com where I often talk about walking the line between following "rules" and breaking them (usually in the communication/speaking/presenting context, but the principles are applicable to most of life).
By the way, how do you pronounce your name? Is it Italian?
@Lauren M Hug I think its still amazing, not many people are that resourceful to think of doing that :P
Well i think your words speak louder because you are considered very much inside of what it means to be educated! If i heard more voices like yours while in highschool i might have went to a college that fitted me, but there are just too many these days so i dont even know where to look haha.
are you on twitter? i want to follow you (sounds so weird but oddly fitting haha)
@Lauren M Hug Thanks so much!
Its because of people like you who make me want to go to school :P
/me tells myself to focus
I hope to learn from people like you when it comes to allowing the younger generation grow up with more support from the people around them and people that share their passions.
Don't know if ill be writing more in the near future, but you know where to look if i do!
Best wishes to you as well!
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Cinque, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences here. For as long as I've worked with US high school students who are contemplating college, I've said that too often, they land on the questions of "which" and "how" by skipping right past the question of "why."
Attending college because everyone else thinks you should is ultimately a pretty unsatisfying reason; like most big commitments in life, it goes best if it's one you've made of your own free will.
Many students for whom a traditional college experience is not an ideal fit put a lot of time and energy into forcing the fit or faking it, too panicked by the prospect of deserting the well-trod path that so many of their friends seem to be traveling to do otherwise.
Or they don't want to disappoint their parents.
Building up enough self-awareness to realize that college isn't for you, and then finding the courage to DO something with that awareness is pretty unusual. And also exciting.
I like what @chattyprof had to say about each student taking responsibility for feeding back into the system their desires for their learning journey, and I hope that at some point you find a community of learners where you feel welcomed, supported, and empowered... because everyone deserves that.
in peace,
Shelley Krause (@butwait)
@butwait @chattyprof And to be fair to myself, i have been attending universities for 4 years. I just didn't let not having a high school diploma at the time get in the way of my interests.
@Cinque @butwait Just a few more thoughts based on some of your comments. I think it's fantastic that you've found a community of learners. Learning can happen anywhere, for sure! Did you present another proposal to your teachers/parents as opposed to going to school? I have many students who stay out a year because they want to start a business, travel abroad, etc. Was that something you discussed collaboratively with your family?
Also, had you considered community college? It may sound crazy after attending Brown, but the type of learning and environment you're seeking sounds like what is offered there.
Finally, in your thoughtful response to my comment, you said that you did speak with your profs. Just out of curiosity, what did you say? What was their response? You said your advisor didn't respond to your concerns and that actually doesn't surprise me. Your advisor can help you with the type of classes to take, but not with the nature of the courses, themselves (I mean, still, they should have responded.). Also, just know that there are other channels for you: A counseling center can help with any academic issues (and, yes, feeling underserved and uninspired would count!). Even a department chair or division chair can listen to some of your concerns and possibly help bridge some change.
With your passion for the areas you mentioned, I bet a prof would love to team up with you on projects, have you do some presentations, lead teams, etc. If you go back to school, put together some proposals and approach your profs with them about how you'd like to contribute to your learning. I bet you'll find some profs who would be very, very happy to foster the areas that are meaningful to you and help you reach new levels of excellence. I have had non-traditional students in courses who I definitely worked with in equally non-traditional ways. I'll be interested to hear how things go for you.
I just want to put out there that in the future, if you do go back to school and want to dialogue about how to start these conversations with profs, feel free to track me down. I'd be glad to help. Ellen @chattyprof
@chattyprof Thanks for offering your support, ill be sure to take you up on your offer when i come across something!
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@Cinque I bet you will, Cinque! I bet you will :-). Good luck and again, I'm glad to help with any talking points.
@chattyprof Well im attending the university of cincinnati now part time (dont really want to because its taking time out of programming,meeting with investors, talking with other entrepreneurs, and talking with students and local business/organizations) but i plan on very much working with professors and researchers! I think universities are very valuable in the research they create and the things they do, but often i think society is very bad at trying to implement new ideas from academia. I hope to bridge this gap with my start up.
@butwait @chattyprof Also i like to say that i didn't feel panicked into going to college, i really wanted to go! and i dont regret trying it out. I just wish more other options were given to me by my parents, teachers, and society that would have possibly met my wants/needs better.
@butwait @chattyprof Thanks for your comments!
I feel that i have found my community of learners, and it is in the people that are currently doing and successful at the things i want to do something with knowledge besides flirting with it.
Hi, Cinque,
I'm a college professor--I'm going to disclose that at the outset so that way you know :-). I have a great deal of respect for you putting yourself out there this way, and I have a great deal of respect for your words. I hope mine will at least give you some things to think about:
First, it sounds to me like you were at the wrong school. The college environment is supposed to be an exchange of ideas, a vibrant, dynamic environment where profs and students are partnering for greater knowledge. Is every class like that? No. But many are. Look up Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture. He was a professor who took his students to incredible places, both literally and figuratively. There are tons of other profs out there like that, both in colleges, universities, and at community colleges. I'm not saying to go back to school if you're not in that mindset, but I am saying that not all colleges include the same experience as what you had. Not every college focuses on testing as the end-all, be-all of who you are. There is a community college here in Washington that is mastery learning/outcomes-based. The learning environment has to fit you and your personality. It sounds like what you had was not it, but this doesn't mean that another situation would be the same.
Second, if you felt like #1, 4, 8, 11, 12 were happening, then this was the perfect, perfect time for you to exercise your voice! You are an adult and a quite articulate one! Did you ever tell your profs that the way they were teaching you wasn't resonating? Do you know that you have the right to ask for some different classroom styles, some varied projects, some more real-world infusion into lessons? (I have a book coming out in six weeks giving widespread advice on this, so I mean what I say here). If you had ideas, dreams, projects, etc., then you could have proposed some of those as assignments or even as part of them, as service learning projects that you could have received credit for, etc. Maybe you did this. The system isn't going to be any different if students don't ask for their needs to be met. So, if you decide to go back to school at some point, know that you absolutely have a right for a different way of teaching/learning.
Third, I agree with Sharon Greenthal. A degree is still a leveler in today's market and that isn't going to change so fast. Even in industries that seemingly don't need a degree, because of the influx of candidates, it's definitely a weeding out point. Just something to think about for the future.
One final personal anecdote: My father died while I was in college. I faded out right before finals, failed out and stopped going for six years. I landed in a well-paying profession that I thought was great, until I realized that I hated it. That profession was in health care and did not require a degree. It was only when I was accidentally hired to teach about what I was doing in that field that I discovered the career was so incredibly not for me. I have no doubt that you have the spirit and fire and talent to choose and pave your own way. However, you just never know what the future holds or what choices you'll make that will, indeed, require that piece of paper.
The beauty of what you've decided now is that when and if you are ready, college is always, always waiting for you.
I wish you well,
Ellen Bremen @chattyprof
@chattyprof Thank you for your comments!
I think thats the best part, i can always go back if i want!
My mom has been saying that maybe i should be looking for another school, and i kind of agree, but i went to Brown for the people that i would meet because i will not limit my education to four walls. I am an engineer, and i learn best by doing. I have been building things my entire life. In high school i even made biodiesel and did research about the biodiesel industry in the united states and conducted labs on which materials would be best used from socioeconomic and scientific analysis (anyone interested in reading it please feel free to email me!)
I also have a knack for programming. If i wanted to i could write up an application for whatever, and make a living that way. I know many people who do that now and are happier. Some went to college some didn't , It does not matter to the people who buy their programs/applications.
I did talk to my profs, i did talk to my advisors (when they would respond to my emails,my advisor last semester decided not to respond), i did voice my concerns with my friends, people were far more concerned with me voicing my opinions than actually helping me doing something meaningful about them.
I want to be an entrepreneur, entrepreneurs will never let anything get in their way of them achieving their goals because they want it to work despite all the hardships that they will face.
People need to stop reacting out of fear, and confront their fears with what they know and learn more along the way.
Thanks for the wishes!
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@Cinque in an interesting parallel to your experience, I have a nephew who built a computer from scratch. The video of his invention went viral last summer, before he began college, ultimately reaching Steve Wozniak, with whom he met last December. He had 2 job offers as a result of that video. He chose to go to college despite the jobs at - wait for it - Brown. So far he's enjoyed being there very much.
@sharongreenthal Really? Maybe i know him. Thats so cool! I used to help build computers with my cousin when younger, then i got trapped into videogames and then into programming haha
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I have been checking in on this post during the day, waiting for comments. I guess I'll go first!
Your passion and belief in yourself and your abilities are so terrific and will take you far, I'm sure. I believe that you have what it takes to succeed just from reading this post. However...for most who go to college, whether they are as self-aware as you or just beginning to discover who they are, the goal of completing their education supersedes any idealism they may have. It is so difficult in the world for the average person to make it even with a degree in hand - without one, it becomes exponentially more challenging.
I would agree that college is not for everyone, but for most it's necessary. It levels the playing field and, as you say, it opens doors. Many, many employers won't even consider an applicant without a college degree. Your choice may very well be the right one, but for most who go to college, not finishing would be a mistake. The expense of an education pales in comparison to the loss of wages over a lifetime when one doesn't have a degree - but again, this is a generalization. In your specific situation, you appear to have made a very carefully considered decision.
@sharongreenthal Thanks for your comment! And i have to agree with what you said on some level. Those who want to have a job in the traditional sense must play by the rules, and going to college and getting a degree seem to be the general rules set by society. But i would also like to question why people actually go to college. Is it to get a job? or pursue knowledge full time? Most employers will take experience over a degree (seems to be the case with many technical/manufacturing fields, and probably more so for marketing/advertising).
If people really truly desire this way of living then who am i to judge? But i do see people not questioning the things they believe everyday which makes me wonder if they are even considering that we all have more to offer the world if we expect more from ourselves. Life is hard no matter what, and its only that much more harder if people aren't passionate about the things they do in their life.
