5 Stunning Reasons Why Self-Learning Is Superior To College
Young people are losing trust in the higher education system. Discover why self-learning is superior to college!
Young people are increasingly skeptical of college.
According to Insider Higher Ed, a quarter of graduates regret attending college. A report by Indeed found that 51% of Gen Z believe going to college is a waste of money.
I wasted my twenties going to college, community college, and graduate school. I could only find work in retail. Colleges have become degree mills. I would have preferred learning on YouTube, taking digital courses, and making money working instead of sitting in a classroom.
1. Self-Learning Is Free, While College Is Expensive
🚨Problem: College Is Expensive And Slow
College costs way too much today.
College is not an investment.
Going into debt is the worst way to start your life.
You spend all of your time listening to lectures, partying with "friends," and going to events to network. You want to network with the recruiters to land a job after graduation.
You can never get your time and money back.
Going to college does not guarantee you a better-paying job.
The job market has changed after you graduate.
Your degree is immediately outdated once you graduate.
You're stuck because you've learned no real-world skills.
✅Solution: Learn On Your Own For Free (Or Cheap)
You can learn anything for free or for less than college tuition.
There are lots of websites today where you can learn:
Khan Academy
Masterclass
Udemy
Learn from people with experience in the field that you want to work in. A college professor often only knows theory but lacks real-world experience.
Take digital courses from creators and entrepreneurs you respect. Someone you follow may have a digital course that they sell on:
Online business.
Copywriting.
Digital market
Starting and monetizing a Substack newsletter.
Starting and monetizing a YouTube or TikTok channel
Self-learning lets you learn at your own pace. You can master a skill in months instead of years if you're a fast learner. Educate yourself about a skill and field that you obsess over.
😎Why Does This Matter?
Saving money and time is a huge deal.
Why?
Save money early. Compound interest works for you the sooner you begin.
You can never get back time. The past is the past. You can never get it back.
You could be learning skills and then get paid for them. You can teach yourself skills. You can work to find alternative ways to find jobs.
2. Focus On Skills That Pay You Instead Of Learning From Old Textbooks
🚨Problem: College Doesn’t Teach You Useful Skills
Nothing has gotten more expensive in the last 40 years than a 4-year degree. Not real estate, not healthcare, not energy, nothing. We keep telling kids they’re screwed if they don’t go in this direction. We free up endless money to loan them. - Mike Rowe
How many people do you know who graduated with a degree but still can’t find a good job or start a career?
I know a few people. You likely know some, too.
College classes focus on theory. College does not focus on real-world skills.
You write essays about history, philosophy, and memorize facts to pass tests. You solve math problems, but that doesn’t always help you get hired.
Employers today care more about what you can do. They don't care about what degree you have.
You’re already more valuable than someone with a diploma if you can build a website, run ads, or fix a computer.
Source: Mike Rowe’s take on college degrees #thispastweekend #theovon #mikerowe #podcast #dirtyjobs #shorts. (n.d.). YouTube.
✅Solution: Learn Skills That Pay You
Listening to a professor makes them an authority figure. A professor gives lectures. A professor does not know your strengths, skills, and unfair advantages.
You focus on your unfair advantages to make yourself stand out. Those are skills that will pay you.
You can tailor a curriculum for yourself.
When you teach yourself, you focus on what’s useful. Instead of taking random classes, you can learn what you need to start a career. For example:
👌Coding
You can learn how to code to become a software developer.
Specialize in one programming language. But know how to write in others as well.
👌Copywriting
Writing is the currency of business.
Learn to write persuasive advertising and website copy.
You can freelance, consult, and start your own copywriting business.
👌Digital Marketing
Everyone is online today. Digital marketing helps a business grow its brand online.
You learn the marketing funnel. The marketing funnel is how you familiarize people with a business while you send warm customers to a business' products and services.
👌Trades
The trades are in high demand. Many Gen X and millennials went to college and did not consider the trades.
The trades include plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry.
You can start out working for someone first. Develop your skills and reputation. You could then move on to start your own trade business.
👌Accounting And Business
Learn about accounting and business if you're good with numbers and spreadsheets.
You'll be exceptionally well-placed to start a business with an accounting and business background.
You understand how the financial system works. You know the financial rules of accounting that companies need to follow.
👌Focus On In-Demand Skills
All of these skills are in high demand. You don't need a four-year degree to start. You don’t need a degree to prove you’re good at them. You need to show your work. Have a portfolio or past projects of your expertise to show to employers or online as a freelancer.
😎Why Does This Matter?
College teaches you outdated information that is a decade or more old.
Technology changes quickly.
The job market continues to change as the economy evolves.
The higher education system is often a decade or more behind.
Employers are beginning to move toward skills-based employment over degree-based employment.
An employer will hire you if you show and prove your skills and expertise.
Employers care more about results than having the right piece of paper.
Self-learning allows you to learn skills that employers will hire you for.
3. College Despises Independent Thinkers
🚨Problem: College Doesn’t Teach You How To Think For Yourself
The education system tells you what to learn and what to think. Higher education tells you what you need to learn to succeed.
The problem is that college teaches you theory. You don't learn real-life skills. You don't learn critical thinking skills.
College limits your creativity. College does not like independent thinkers.
Independent thinking and creativity are how you find solutions to problems in the real world.
You must adapt and upskill to technological and market changes to remain competitive.
You'll always be left behind if you wait for someone to teach you how to do something.
The best learners are those who figure out problems on their own.
You'll fall behind if you always wait for someone to teach you.
✅Solution: Self-Learning Teaches Independence
Self-education forces you to become a problem-solver.
You have to research to find answers. You have to test ideas. You must find solutions to a problem. You continue to improve.
Self-learning teaches you the abundance mindset. Learn what you obsess over and can do for the rest of your life.
Self-education and being solutions-oriented can help you one day to start a business.
😎Why Does This Matter?
Society wants you to depend upon its system.
The education system teaches you to follow the rules.
The education system tells you to respect authority.
College doesn’t teach you critical thinking or how to solve problems by yourself.
You become unstoppable once you know how to solve problems, think for yourself, and teach yourself.
You can work for yourself. You can start a business. You can be independent. You'll be the person people reach out to for solutions.
You can make better money solving other people's problems than working for an employer.
4. Skills Are More Important Than A Degree
🚨Problem: College Doesn’t Guarantee A Job
You've earned a degree. Congratulations!
You now have to deal with the modern-day job market.
Many college graduates end up working retail, making coffee at Starbucks, and working multiple part-time jobs.
You can land jobs by learning high-demand programming, marketing, and sales skills. You won't ever have to spend time listening to a professor lecture in a college classroom.
All of my experience I learned from actually doing things. I've created digital marketing posts for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Substack. I've learned about the sales and digital marketing funnels. I've learned how to write better headlines. I've worked to improve my writing. I’ve done this all by myself.
You can do the same around an interest and skill set you have.
Related - The Myth Of A Robust Economy: Meet The ‘Unemployables’
✅Solution: Build A Portfolio, Not A Resume
A degree isn't enough today. You need to prove your skills to employers.
How can you do this?
There are many ways to show you have the skills you say on your resume.
👌Create Projects
Show proof of the work you've done.
Write articles for a website. You have social media management experience. You know how to run digital marketing advertisements. You built an app. Write a code for a software program.
A project shows proof of your work. You're no longer listing skills on a resume. You're showing that you know how to do the job.
👌Freelancing
Start to freelance on sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or Toptal.
You can land small gigs to gain experience. Freelancing helps you get work experience.
Freelancing gives you more flexibility than traditional jobs. You can have short-term and long-term clients.
You'll still need proof of your work so clients can hire you on freelancing sites.
👌Networking
Meet people in your industry in person and online.
Look for professional conferences, networking events, and Meetups where you live.
Network online by networking on video conference calls. Connect and message people in your field on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Substack.
Most jobs that companies fill are from referrals or internally within the company. Your connections matter.
Employers care the most about who you know and your skills.
😎Why Does This Matter?
A degree is an overpriced piece of paper.
Experience, expertise, and skills are how you get paid.
Self-learning lets you build a career.
You're in charge of designing your curriculum for the career you want.
5. Self-Learning Prioritizes Earning Potential While College Doesn't Teach You About Money
🚨Problem: College Doesn’t Teach You How To Make Money
Colleges focus on testing, theory, and grades.
Colleges determine your value by your GPA.
You could be a straight-A student with no idea how to make money.
Schools don't teach you about money. Schools don't teach you how to manage and grow money. Schools don't teach you how to earn an income.
The people who don’t attend college learn high-demand skills like sales, marketing, programming, business, and know how to make money.
They start to make money sooner. They can make more money than most college graduates.
Why?
They learned sooner about how to set up a business around their skill set.
✅Solution: Self-Learning Focuses On Income First
Self-learning prioritizes earning an income first.
You're not waiting to receive A’s and graduate at the top of your class.
Focusing on income teaches you about how money works sooner.
Money is needed every single day. Money is required to live.
Without money, you end up in debt or homeless.
You don't want to end up on the street, so you must figure out how to make money.
Focus on the skills you're best at. Figure out how to monetize them.
You monetize your skills online and in person today. You can combine the two for a hybrid business.
Look for opportunities to earn income from your skills.
You learn by taking action and doing work.
😎Why Does This Matter?
Money gives you options.
The sooner you start to earn it, the sooner you discover freedom.
You can travel, start a business, or live without financial stress.
College delays your earning years.
I delayed my earning potential by nearly ten years by attending college and later graduate school.
Self-learning lets you earn faster.
You then learn how to manage and grow money sooner.
🏁Summary
College only makes sense if you want to study STEM, business/finance, health, and law. These fields have more gatekeepers, so you need a degree.
Self-learning is more efficient, cheaper, and more effective. You'll make money faster than attending college. You'll learn how to solve problems and make money by providing solutions.
If you're self-taught, you can start a business.
Disclaimer: This content is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only. This is not financial, investment, or any advice. I write online about topics I find interesting. I make mistakes just like everyone else. Always consult a professional before making health, life, financial, investment, tax, or legal decisions.