Why going to college is WAY better than going to work

(idea) by TheGeyfmanator (6.9 y) (print) ? (I like it!) 1 C! Wed May 09 2001 at 15:17:11

Yeah, I am one of those kids who, instead of attending college, went off an joined a pre-IPO start-up, with hopes of becoming a rich, RICH man. Boy, was I wrong. It's not that I don't have the source grief and elation in one now... it's just that I lost that whole part of my life, the part where I am supposed to go out, have a lot of fun, be irresponsible, go to parties, flirt with chicks, have sex, partake in illegal - yet fun - activities. Generally do whatever I can to do the least work and have the most fun.

Only now do I know that I should have gone to college. Although I make more than most adults I know, I still want to experience the things I missed as a kid.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do have fun. Sometimes too much. I live with a buddy of mine, a college student, we rent an apartment in a not-so-small city. We have fun, we have parties. BUT I think the thing that I miss the most about college is being... IRRESPOSIBLE. Not having any responsibility must be one of the best things in the world. Imagine... waking up at 11 AM and knowing that there is only one thing that needs to be done today - go to class at 2 PM, and that's IT...

Obviously homework is a lot of responsibility... BUT, I'd rather have homework as a responsibility than worrying whether people who I give work to are going to laid off in the next few days. RIDICULOUS!

So, this goes out to everyone who decided to quit school and go to work: RELAX guys. You'll have the rest of your lifetime to become drones, or even be enterprising... while you are young, enjoy your time here, on earth. After all, when you are 50 years old, you don't want to be thinking of all the girls you could have bagged if you were not working, rather, if you were chillin' at school.

(idea) by Servok (2.1 mon) (print) ? (I like it!) Fri May 11 2001 at 13:23:43

I totally disagree. I enjoyed college and I am glad for the experiences that I gained from having went, but never have I felt under so much stress as in academia. Sure project deadlines can make your head spin, but try 6 exams in a week from a 22 hour semester. Suicide never seemed like a more tempting diversion.

In work I am confident that I know my limits and generally have a good understanding of what is expected of me. In school the rules changed all the time. Some of the most difficult parts were just navigating the uncertain paths of the bureaucracy.

School was not all gloom and doom. It had its fun and exciting moments, but now that I have a great job and my own place I am having a lot more fun!

Being irresponsible never takes you as far as actually being responsible.

(idea) by Jaez (1.9 d) (print) ? (I like it!) Fri May 11 2001 at 14:06:11

Because you expand your mind, instead of limiting it to one field and specializing. The more you learn the more you understand, and the more rich and vibrant your life is. It also keeps your mind open, which is why many of the most interesting and fun people in the world congregate around colleges.

(idea) by illusionist (8 mon) (print) ? (I like it!) Fri May 11 2001 at 14:06:18

Many companies have capitalized on this sort of sentiment, and have made huge advances in the atmosphere of the rapidly changing corporate environment, to better how people feel in the workplace and how productively they work.

One such company, Microsoft, comes to mind who made many changes to the corporate culture to be more like a college campus. College campuses are open, invigorating to be on, open, and have a feeling of community and even family in a way. Everyone on a college campus gets excited when their team wins a huge football tournament, people get jazzed up when a new speaker comes to town, or a large party is thrown out on the quad. These elements separate college from work not by the pressures of academia, in which there are similar pressures at work (audits, reviews, crunch time, etc), but rather by how the personal relationships are structured, and how the people view themselves in relation to one another, and as a part of the whole.

Microsoft put together their company exteriors like a college campus. There are individual buildings, with courtyards and green open spaces ( none larger than a few floors high, as to make people feel individual). Everyone (even down to interns) get's their own office, or shared office (no cubicles that destroy morale). The soccer and baseball fields stand prominently in the main square as a place of relaxation and family involvement in the middle of a hectic workday. Parties are often thrown in the summer, and the company is in touch with employee morale. Pressures of transportation are relieved as shuttles take you from place to place, not having to worry about small details, leaving you to focus at your task at hand.

College is way better than going to work, because so much of your life is insulated from you. Universities allow contrived life experiences: your food is cooked for you, your housing is arranged for you, and your bathroom is cleaned for you. It allows you to wean yourself off of these hand-holding experiences one at a time, until you are ready to walk on your own as an adult. That is one of the beauties of college.

Work only separates itself from college if the company allows the atmosphere to change. There are many small companies, and several large ones that separate themselves from the pack of other places of employment because of their approach to making employees feel at home, and allow them to do their best work. Many people feel college is better than work, simply because their work does not treat them as well as they treated themselves in college. Take control of where you work, and live the way you want to, but give your best to your employer; it's the best long-term investment you'll ever make.

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