Have you ever heard someone say that college is a waste of time and money?
Are you curious why some of the world's richest people dropped out of college?
Should you force your kids to go to college or instead have them focus on learning valuable skills (such as online stock trading)?
I believe that, for many, college and university is a waste of time and money.
Despite having a ~1500 SAT score and graduating with honors from an Ivy League University, if I had to do it over, I'd skip college and university.
I spent so much time and energy trying to earn good grades, yet I could have spent that time towards building a business or gaining valuable skills.
I believe that how productive an individual is with their time is one of the largest contributing factors to their success.
Unfortunately, college is simply not an efficient usage of time - and the financial costs are substantial.
Why College is a Waste of Time (Key Points)
Universities are too structured, unlike real life
Schools in the United States do not teach positive mental health
The biggest contributing factor to your success is how you behave when no one is watching
Very few jobs require a degree
Universities are too structured, unlike real life
Universities are too structured, unlike real life
Imagine this: You're stuck in a paint-by-numbers world. Every move is dictated, every color predefined.
Now, contrast that with the exhilarating rush of creation, of possibility bursting at the seams.
That's the difference between the structured confines of school and the boundless potential of the real world.
In schools, we're trained to be reactive – following instructions, completing assignments, excelling within a pre-defined framework.
But the real world?
It's a canvas waiting to be splashed with our unique brilliance.
It's about taking initiative, about drive and determination setting us on a course of unimaginable possibilities.
We can literally create something substantial out of nothing, and that's a power schools simply can't replicate within their closed systems.
If our goal is to prepare students for the messy, magnificent reality that awaits them, then shouldn't education reflect that reality?
It's time to move beyond the paint-by-numbers approach and unleash the potential for true creation.
Schools in the United States do not teach positive mental health
Imagine graduating with a degree, but not the tools to navigate the emotional storms of life.
Schools often focus on cramming facts, but what about the skills to build resilience, self-love, and manage stress?
Positive habits are the ultimate superpower, allowing us to bounce back from setbacks, overcome hard times, and push forward even when we're scared.
School is supposed to prepare us for the launchpad of life, but if it fails to equip us with these mental health fundamentals, are we really ready for blastoff?
Is the investment worth it if we're left vulnerable and without the tools to navigate the inevitable challenges?
Does school teach us how to be emotionally resilient and how to overcome depression (without using toxic coping mechanisms)?
Does it teach us to love ourselves unconditionally?
Does it teach us to take care of our body, mind and spirit by eating well, exercising and building healthy habits?
Does it teach us how to overcome conflict and not hurt others?
College can be a launchpad, but if it doesn't equip us with basic health and wellness fundamentals, it's simply churning out flawed individuals who may end up doing more harm than good.
"Universities do not instill positive habits and self-love, which I believe are the most important attributes that people need in order to be successful." - David Jaffee, BestStockStrategy.com
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The knowledge that schools teach is available for free
There's too much information available these days! Students can teach themselves without paying $50,000 / year
While traditional schooling has long been the primary gateway to knowledge, the internet has made knowledge and information available to anyone, oftentimes for free!
With a few clicks, students can access educational resources from the world's top universities like MIT OpenCourseware and Yale University Open Yale Courses.
You can also learn from subject matter experts on YouTube and explore countless websites curated by enthusiasts.
This explosion of free, high-quality knowledge makes it easier than ever for anyone to learn almost anything, bypassing the high costs and physical limitations of traditional education.
The biggest contributing factor to your success is how you behave when no one is watching
While traditional education excels at providing knowledge, it often falls short in fostering the intrinsic motivation and self-discipline necessary for long-term success.
School's awesome for learning stuff, but it doesn't exactly teach you how to win at life on your own.
In class, there's always a teacher watching, but the real world doesn't work that way.
The things that really matter, like how hard you push yourself and how you act when no one's looking, those are the habits that make you successful in the long run.
These habits, crucial for long-term success in the real world, are rarely cultivated within our traditional educational system.
Very few jobs require a college degree
Unless you need a college degree for graduate school (lawyer, doctor, etc.) then college is probably not only a waste of time, but...it probably does more harm than good.
Hold on a sec, thinking college is the only path is like strapping on a blindfold for your future!
Sure, if you want to be a brain surgeon or a lawyer, college is a must.
But for everyone else?
Let's be real, it's not always sunshine and butterflies.
Imagine spending years, and maybe even a mountain of cash, studying something you end up hating. Yikes!
College can be a gamble, and sometimes you see people graduate with an expensive degree that doesn't actually help them.
Here's the kicker: college can be super expensive, especially for those without mountains of cash. Taking on a ton of debt just to sit in a lecture hall might not be the smartest move.
The truth is, the world is changing faster than textbooks. The knowledge you might need is probably a Google search or YouTube video away. There are amazing teachers online, for free! Who needs stuffy professors when you can learn from passionate YouTubers who actually get you excited?
And let's be honest, memorizing random facts for a test you'll forget the next week isn't exactly setting you up for success.
Calculus might be cool in theory, but when was the last time you actually used it to buy groceries? Most of us just need the basics – reading, writing, and maybe some math that helps us figure out a good pizza deal.
There's very little that you'll learn in college that you'll need for the "real world" and very few jobs require a college degree anyway - so why not save your time and money?
Even as an investment banker and options trader, all of the skills that I learned were taught on-the-job.
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College is a Waste of Time and Money
Besides reading, writing, and arithmetic, schools haven't taught me any valuable skills that I've used to make money as an investment banker or options trader.
Having a degree from a prominent school is not the determining factor between successful and unsuccessful people.
College is a Waste of Time and Money (The Enormous Cost)
Not only is college a waste of time, but...you will likely incur massive debt to obtain a college degree.
Most people sacrifice ~4 - 5 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars for a degree.
College debt is enormous.
As of the first quarter of 2024, Americans owed $1.75 trillion in education debt. 51% of 2021-22 bachelor's degree recipients graduated with an average of $29,400 in student loan debt. Among all borrowers, the average student loan debt in 2023 was $38,787. 53% of federal student loan borrowers owe $20,000 or less. (Source)
Conclusion: College is a Waste of Time
I was an investment banker for 5 years and today I am an options trader. I teach beginner through advanced traders to make money trading options.
I wrote this blog post so that people realize that, for many, college is a waste of time and money and I believe that people should focus on learning monetizable skills.
It's important for young people to learn that being successful in life does not require HIGH grades or exam scores, rather it's more important to focus on positive habits and efficient usage of their valuable time.
In the real world, the biggest hurdle to your success is your own bad habits and failure to take action.
If you want me to teach you and your children how to successfully trade options, even if you have no college degree, then enter your e-mail below and receive $400 worth of learning materials for FREE.
Feel free to leave your comments below.
You can also contact me at my David Jaffee personal website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - College is a Waste of Time
Why is college a waste of time?
College oftentimes requires 4+ years of commitment and costs ~$75,000 a year. Additionally, virtually everything that you'll learn can also be learned on Google or YouTube. Very few careers require a college degree.
You're better off working as a real estate agent, a nightclub promoter or starting your own business as opposed to spending 4+ years to earn a degree that will cost you ~$300,000.
Is college a waste of money?
There are definitely many worse ways to spend money, however there are also many better ways. The debt that students incur from going to college adds significant stress as well. For many people, college will end up being a big waste of time and money.
Is college worth it or not?
If you want to be a doctor or lawyer, or anything else that necessitates a college degree, then college is worth it.
However, unless you're certain about your career choice, and that career requires a college degree, then it's highly likely that college will not be worth it for you.
What are some ways I can save time and money while still earning a college degree?
Take advantage of community colleges! Take community college classes while in high school and also over the summer. Community colleges are significantly less expensive than college / university and community colleges will save you both time and money!
Who else believes that college is a waste of time?
This article recently came out about college being a waste of time.
