Living the Dream vs. Financial Stability

There are many ways to look at this, I will try to help as an old guy on NS.

I went to college right after high school. My parents paid, so cost was not an issue. I am very lucky that way. During college I skied about 25-30 days a year. I was in socal, but our ski team had a Mammoth condo, so I could go up whenever I wanted. It was a lot of driving, but I got to ski a lot, while going to a very good school, a very fun school, and a place I could surf.

After college, I spent several years ski bumming in Tahoe. I loved it, and I would not trade any of that for anything. After a few years I blew my knee, and decided it was time for grad school.

I now ski 30 days a year, and love my life. I live in a great area, ski Mammoth 2-3 weekends a month, and get to surf all summer on weekends. Is it the same as skiing everyday? No. But I prefer this life. During the seasons when Baldy has snow, which means not the last 3 drought years, I get a Baldy day every weekend I don't go to Mammoth.

My wife and I don't want to have kids, so we don't have that limitation, but everyone on this website needs to think about that. What do you want out of life? It might not be the same at 40 as it was at 20, and you don't want to regret your decisions. I saw lots of older people in Tahoe who were really unhappy. They never grew up, and were stuck in lame jobs with limited money. I also saw some others who were really happy. You need to try to figure out which group you will be in.

My advice is to go to college, and then ski bum for a year or two. After that, you have to decide if you want a real job or not. I am not saying there is a right answer, just make sure you do not limit your future. At 22 it might seem like you want to live this lifestyle forever, but you don't want to be older and stuck there. If you leave and go into the corporate world, live in seattle or CA or CO or Utah and ski every weekend. You might try that and figure that you want to be a ski bum forever, which is fine, but I would advise trying it and then deciding what you want. You can leave the corporate world and ski bum, but it is tough to get back into the corporate world after ski bumming for ten years.

Here is another question. How good are your SAT's? How good are your grades? Is it possible for you to get financial aid?

I might get some grief for this, but I would not go to trade school if you are a good student. I guess trade school might allow a great ski bum lifestyle, but you can't really leave that and go into the corporate world if you want something different. Trade schools limit you to that trade, which other colleges don't. There are lots of great jobs that require college, and if you don't go your job potential will be limited.

Sorry for the long post. Good luck with whatever you decide.

dan4060There are many ways to look at this, I will try to help as an old guy on NS.

I went to college right after high school. My parents paid, so cost was not an issue. I am very lucky that way. During college I skied about 25-30 days a year. I was in socal, but our ski team had a Mammoth condo, so I could go up whenever I wanted. It was a lot of driving, but I got to ski a lot, while going to a very good school, a very fun school, and a place I could surf.

After college, I spent several years ski bumming in Tahoe. I loved it, and I would not trade any of that for anything. After a few years I blew my knee, and decided it was time for grad school.

I now ski 30 days a year, and love my life. I live in a great area, ski Mammoth 2-3 weekends a month, and get to surf all summer on weekends. Is it the same as skiing everyday? No. But I prefer this life. During the seasons when Baldy has snow, which means not the last 3 drought years, I get a Baldy day every weekend I don't go to Mammoth.

My wife and I don't want to have kids, so we don't have that limitation, but everyone on this website needs to think about that. What do you want out of life? It might not be the same at 40 as it was at 20, and you don't want to regret your decisions. I saw lots of older people in Tahoe who were really unhappy. They never grew up, and were stuck in lame jobs with limited money. I also saw some others who were really happy. You need to try to figure out which group you will be in.

My advice is to go to college, and then ski bum for a year or two. After that, you have to decide if you want a real job or not. I am not saying there is a right answer, just make sure you do not limit your future. At 22 it might seem like you want to live this lifestyle forever, but you don't want to be older and stuck there. If you leave and go into the corporate world, live in seattle or CA or CO or Utah and ski every weekend. You might try that and figure that you want to be a ski bum forever, which is fine, but I would advise trying it and then deciding what you want. You can leave the corporate world and ski bum, but it is tough to get back into the corporate world after ski bumming for ten years.

Here is another question. How good are your SAT's? How good are your grades? Is it possible for you to get financial aid?

I might get some grief for this, but I would not go to trade school if you are a good student. I guess trade school might allow a great ski bum lifestyle, but you can't really leave that and go into the corporate world if you want something different. Trade schools limit you to that trade, which other colleges don't. There are lots of great jobs that require college, and if you don't go your job potential will be limited.

Sorry for the long post. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I got a 28 on the ACT which is good but I haven't taken the SAT.
And I think I'm gonna ski bum for a year or two out of HS and then I'll go to college

APunx176I got a 28 on the ACT which is good but I haven't taken the SAT.
And I think I'm gonna ski bum for a year or two out of HS and then I'll go to college

I asked about the ACT/SAT because I am curious about the possibility of financial aid for you. If you can find some, it might make the decision easier.

I think you might be smart to ski bum, just be careful. If you do it, promise yourself and your parents you will do it for one year. After that, go to school. After school you can ski bum for another year or two before going to work. I would at least try to work at that point, and see if it is a lifestyle you can handle. If you don't like it, you can always go back to the mountains. What I would be careful of, is doing it for one year before college, and then getting sucked into the lifestyle and blowing off school. You don't want to be 35 and regret not having gone to college. It sounds like you are a good student, so don't waste that. You will have plenty of time to ski.

dan4060I asked about the ACT/SAT because I am curious about the possibility of financial aid for you. If you can find some, it might make the decision easier.

I think you might be smart to ski bum, just be careful. If you do it, promise yourself and your parents you will do it for one year. After that, go to school. After school you can ski bum for another year or two before going to work. I would at least try to work at that point, and see if it is a lifestyle you can handle. If you don't like it, you can always go back to the mountains. What I would be careful of, is doing it for one year before college, and then getting sucked into the lifestyle and blowing off school. You don't want to be 35 and regret not having gone to college. It sounds like you are a good student, so don't waste that. You will have plenty of time to ski.

ok thanks man

Omg! I had the same problem! I decided to do what I liked: skiing as much as possible, but But keeping myself and working

GO to college near skiing
Get a real job in a city near skiing
Save and invest
Once you have enough saved/invested to supplement the income you need to live in a ski town move there,
get a lil business going
ski every day while your kids are in school
get sick of the cold
retire to costa rica
miss skiing
move to taos
get sick of Ernie Blake's ghost haunting your nightmares
move to florida
get viciously mugged by an oxy addict
spend the last of your family savings on digital transcendence
cast your earthly body aside
float through space on a satellite digitally living any existence you could ever imagine
get sick of the abyss
override the satellite's navigation controls
steer into the nearest star

Luca....MinigherOmg! I had the same problem! I decided to do what I liked: skiing as much as possible, but But keeping myself and working

How did it turn out for you? Are you staying above even?

StaticGO to college near skiing
Get a real job in a city near skiing
Save and invest
Once you have enough saved/invested to supplement the income you need to live in a ski town move there,
get a lil business going
ski every day while your kids are in school
get sick of the cold
retire to costa rica
miss skiing
move to taos
get sick of Ernie Blake's ghost haunting your nightmares
move to florida
get viciously mugged by an oxy addict
spend the last of your family savings on digital transcendence
cast your earthly body aside
float through space on a satellite digitally living any existence you could ever imagine
get sick of the abyss
override the satellite's navigation controls
steer into the nearest star

Good idea, I'll think about it

Well because you re looking or studying and/or skiing, but you are aware of the high sums a college costs...

Well i finished High School this year and i moved to Revelstoke for a season. After that i am moving back to Germany.

There i may want to Ethnology, the big adavantage of studying in Germany is bi-lingual classes (IT and Science in general), college is for free, you just have to pay for a flat or something else, as well for food and so on. Studying in Austria is also pretty cheap. I think around 500€ a year.

Good places, which are close to the mountains and a decent university are Insbruck (you can reach about 10-20 different resort just by bus or train in 5-60 minutes), Leoben or Munich.

As an American its really easy to get a legal permanent German or Austrian citizenship (compared to a German who wants to move to America. Thats kinda impossible). And yes the studies are free. For everyone

The minus: Especially in ski resorts you should speak some words German :)

But ye, if you dont want to leave the US,: Maybe try to spend at first just a season in ski resort skibumming and then you ll see if you re totally happy foing it or if you have problems with the lack of money^^.


After my year in Revelstoke i am going to go back to Germany, study a year in Munich and then i am going to Japan for 1-2 years for continuing Ethnology.(Its pretty cheap, maybe 2500€ for two years, but only for Germans)

My 2 cents :)

Society is brainwashed with going to school, getting a job, and then living like a slave the rest of your life.

You live in a world where it is entirely possible to start from nothing and make yourself into something. The First step, to being something, is to stop being something for someone else.

Time is everything. When you're young, value your time. If skiing is a priority go do it. business is 24/365.

So many ways to make money and to build money. Pick your favourite and go for it!

Set a goal. Create a plan. Start now and don't stop.

SurfaceHoarSociety is brainwashed with going to school, getting a job, and then living like a slave the rest of your life.

You live in a world where it is entirely possible to start from nothing and make yourself into something. The First step, to being something, is to stop being something for someone else.

Time is everything. When you're young, value your time. If skiing is a priority go do it. business is 24/365.

So many ways to make money and to build money. Pick your favourite and go for it!

Set a goal. Create a plan. Start now and don't stop.

Until shit hits the fan, you get injured, or a calamity happens and you are now relying on charity (either from the govt or family/friends) to get by because you didn't take the safe route.

Life is a risk, you gotta decide where you want to put the most risk.

Insurance is at it's cheapest when you are young, healthy and worthless. A hurdle is just that.

Life is about risks and it takes courage to forge your own path.

I should add one thing for the OP. Make sure you get health insurance whatever you do. Most of us are used to getting covered by our parents, if you move to the mountains you increase the chance of a blown ACL, or something similar. These surgeries are very costly, you don't want to get in a pile of debt.

dan4060I should add one thing for the OP. Make sure you get health insurance whatever you do. Most of us are used to getting covered by our parents, if you move to the mountains you increase the chance of a blown ACL, or something similar. These surgeries are very costly, you don't want to get in a pile of debt.

Fuck the blown acl, that shit is an elective surgery, frankly haha. Car accidents, head injuries dental emergencies, sicknesses, er visits will all cripple you without GOOD insurance.

It's called 'living the dream' for a reason, why would you not do it?

Personally I went to university, but afterwards I haven't used my degree and have just skied for the last decade so it was probably kind of pointless.

SurfaceHoarSociety is brainwashed with going to school, getting a job, and then living like a slave the rest of your life.

You live in a world where it is entirely possible to start from nothing and make yourself into something. The First step, to being something, is to stop being something for someone else.

That's actually ridiculously inspiring haha

As a Colorado College alum, their are some incredible schools skiing distance away. Both Colorado & Washington (East coast too if park/urban is your game) have opportunities to do both.
In terms of debt, it'll be easier to ski bum before college than after. You can always form the tech start-up a couple years later.

BUT SERIOUSLY Please remove or edit the third poll option.

Do both. Buckle down and get your education and take it seriously, and you can probably afford to get that ultimate, extended winter.

I think I've managed both, got my degrees and also worked at a resort for a winter season (part-time). Now I have the great fortune to be working in a small mountain town and having some semblance of financial stability and savings, it's great peace of mind.

I'm a bit late to this, but I'd go for the stability. Do it right, and you'll do well and be able to live where you want and not be limited to one thing. That's the problem with "living the dream" where it focuses around the mountain. Coming from the midwest, it would seem that living in a mountain town is paradise. I may be biased because I live in Denver, but to me it seems like after a few years it would feel like hell to basically be trapped in a ski town because that's generally what happens, not much room for advancement and you're broke AF. I love that I can live in the mild winters of Denver, have money and ride motorcycles year long, and drive an hour and a half up 70 and ski 30+ days a year like most ski bums to (I mean be real, living in a mountain town puts you close to the hill but assuming you pay your own bills, you wont be skiing everyday you'll most likely be working). You might get in a few runs every day, but unless you're a night time bartender or something you won't be getting the powder runs everyday

Also you wont get laid because women want a man with financial ability. You can learn the steeziest double corks and swaps but at the end of the day you're not what most women desire

50KalYou know I went to college right after high school and it was a pretty bad idea. I didn't know what I wanted to do.
What I really regret not doing is going to trade school. A lot of trade schools have one year programs and your out and certified making cash. Not 4 years of math and English. Had I done that for a year or two not only would be debt free right now, I'd be rolling in cash and not a dirty poor ski bum.
My advice to anyone in high school right now is seriously look at trade schools. Everyone I talk to has this conception if they go to a trade that's all they ever will do the rest of there life. When in turn its usually professional trade workers are retiring in their early 50s. It's mainly cause most trades have really good unions.

I really want to second this dude. Great advice!

WeathermanPetroI really want to second this dude. Great advice!

They're retiring in their 50's because trades beat the shit out of your body. The pay ceiling is low, and the working conditions suck. I don't know a single guy over the age of 30 that doesn't bitch about arthritic hands, a bad back etc. caused by work.

Trades get a bad rap in pop culture, but NS tends to paint them in an overly rosy light haha.

Gypsy_SkierI'm at Wharton right now in senior year. I went to high school in the mountains (french originally) and loved skiing everyday. Getting into this school was a blessing, and it's not costing me a dime thanks to the international transfer game, but I now see everyone getting recruited by Goldman, etc. and getting these absolute slave contracts, working 120 hours a week, no vacation, straight out of undergrad... fuck that.

Grats on getting into wharton tho, pretty cool accomplishment. Crazy the amount of connections you can get there

Gypsy_SkierI'm at Wharton right now in senior year. I went to high school in the mountains (french originally) and loved skiing everyday. Getting into this school was a blessing, and it's not costing me a dime thanks to the international transfer game, but I now see everyone getting recruited by Goldman, etc. and getting these absolute slave contracts, working 120 hours a week, no vacation, straight out of undergrad... fuck that.

I'm definitely going to take a couple years off and live the ski life while i'm still young enough to do it. Diplomas are unfortunately very important, so get your's and do it right. Maybe don't slum it in some bad school just to ski. I skied shitty parks for the last 2 years and still had a blast, you don't need to go to Breck to have fun skiing. You can still accomplish any academic goals you set without sacrificing skiing for sure, life is long and you never know how long skiing is going to last for you

Been there done that man. Worth it long run for financial stability. Can always buy a ski house down the road probably way earlier than most in your age group

actually blows my mind how ignant' pretty muh 100% of every single person is.... when it comes to this topic.


Its simple, if you HAVE the right kind of mind - without a fucking doubt, theres no reason to go to college unless u want to just to party and network and have fun - so make sure ur parents are paying for that shit clearly....

Either way, as someone who came on this site when I was first like 14, and now like 11 years later or more , haha even I have to admit that the difference now being almost 27...is that I have a lot of serious perspective on shit that most of you groms here dont..

No one listens to my advice ever haha but seriously, its pretty straight forward - this is objective, not my personal opinion:

Answer = learn to write code... it really is not as bad as it may seem... seriously, and even though sure, you can pay $$ to go to one of the few legit coding bootcamps and shit, and greatly expedite the process, the ultimate truth is that all you need is a laptop, internet connection and self-disapline/routine.

Trust me, all your homies going to 4 year colleges just to get a piece of paper on the wall desperately... its pathetic... and they are clowns cause it just baffles me how no one gets that it doesnt fucking matter anymore?

- I cant tell you exactly but really the best specific follow up advice to this is if you can become fluent, like bossed out' in hmmm ideally: Javascript, HTML5, CSS, Ruby on Rails, Python, Jquery (close enough to being the same deal as javascript), and maybe C++ , idk

just those right there - oviously thats going to take definitely a bit of time to go from entirely ignant as fuck to being ready to walk into just about any start-up, major established corperation, firm, agency, company w/e and fucking kill it at ur interview , like not even a question of you getting it or not.... in the bagggg = a lot of practice and time

But still, the meadian job starting salary for the entry level positions Im at least semi-specifically thinking of here are all around $90,000-$104,000 a year... easier to hit the higher numbers , in the 6 figures right off the way if you have the coding skills down AND an inherent/background in advanced design/creative stuff, and finally to top it off, have well, an Type-A personality, confident, charming, charismatic, original....

Thats the easiest way to get yourself quickly setup for a really comfortable start in life.


Theres a reason why Peter Thiel (originally one of co-founders Paypal, CEO, a lot more..) has even put out there for anyone and everyone - his challenge/option that he is happy to pay you $100,000 to start, if you drop out of high school or if not that then... at least finish high school and the important thing and deal-breaker is you can't be thinking about college at all....

Cause this is 2015, people dont get it, its soo different than even the 1990s, shits insane...

You literally DO NOT NEED COLLEGE anymore , its absolutely , for myself included - a huge waste of time in terms of actual academic learning and how that translates over 4 years into this degree and ceremony , that then has you feeling accomplished, only to realize you are struggling to find a job, and the ones you can get are not that great, and don't pay that much....


Fuck that noise.


Seriously, anyone who is still mad young, if ur smart start now, and it really only takes 2 years , depending of course 100% on how disciplined you are. You can learn an insane amount, fast, even from completing lets say starting off - entire CodeAcademy.com program ...

After that, theres still work to do, but even completing that will put u SO FAR AHEAD of all these losers...

Think about it..

Look in job listings - "GlassDoor" or even Craigslist etc.... look at the salaries, and the highest rated companies to work at - look WHAT JOBS are in the HIGHEST, CONSTANT demand?

Yezzir, I know.... Im right.

So unless you have something really rare, original going for you - such as your own product, company, service that is very real, and is already gaining serious momentum and you are one of the rare few who find success in founding/running their own business/service/brand/product w/e..... then seriously, UNLESS you went to a "Designer" name school (harvard, yale, princton, stanford , MIT , etc etc) your college degree i hate to tell you guys IS NOT GOING TO DO SHIT for you....

Unless that is..... you are really chill with like, some miserable , $50,000 a year cubicale job probably working at a marketing company of some kind, which might sound really dope to you(?) but i promise, you will hate your life quickly , and also realize how awful it is to be so clearly expendable...


Times have changed, people need to adapt... writing code/programming is NOT at all "just for nerds anymore" ha.... nope, its if you are going to WORK FOR SOEMEONE ELSE , then.... its kind of an obvious choice, and I am speaking just in terms of very clear analytics/statistics about this whole topic.


Its just a huge advantage that only pays more and more, and puts YOU in control of where you work - you'll have companies riding ur dick instead of the other way around = desperately trying again and again for up to a year after college to land a job with somewhere that pays u more than 40k and doesnt sound horrific .

Trust Easty' here..... please.... and learn your code, boss that shit out, become straight ill with it in practical situations and then you can be truly and simply as easily set as being like 18, 19 or whatever, and now having a LOT of options of where you can move to - so if you wana shred-life it up, I totally support that...

The chances are you will be able to ski a lot, have fun, do all the college stuff at the rate you want to like party, fuck mad sloobs and blackout.... but at the same time, you dont need courses for that - our traditional higher education system here in the USA is sooo ridiculously outdated/ineffective regarding the year in history - 2015 , which reflects sooo many mind-blowing options and on the daily - new innovations, improving on old ones.....

And so why do you need a school/professor/classroom to in uniform, assign you homework? And exams? and teach you at their pace?

I find that illogical, and instead, a good computer setup, with a healthy routine and just finding ur fucking jam' in all this is what is truly important.


Ive seen the most dome beezy sluts - even a certain couple pink members here on NS hahaha , at least they were back in the day.... quite the trainwrecks... fun times... but, see even the other day by the most random series of uneventful things, I ended up catching up with this bitch for like 3 minutes out of pure curiosity..



She went from blackout NS IF3 hoe #1 queen / DaHoodCondo champ, to now working with MIT , as a UI/UX developer for some part of the digital infastructure that is needed to run this new, more effective stem-cell technology specific program....

She seems like shes doing well for herself, making clearly at least $100k , without asking i can assure you of that.... so what are u waiting for?

Get on it and stop being lazy.


If you need adderall/dexedrine , get some.... if you cant, get on the Dark Net and onto a certain #1 current marketplace that starts with an "A" and make a profile, and buy some perscriptions there blackmarket... with zero risk.


K , cool now ur on it, set a routine and live and stick by it. Be fucking young an ballin and shredding still so much , as hard as you like.... not even ever worrying about money.

JUST my advice.... pfft but what do i know (;

eastAR5actually blows my mind how ignant' pretty muh 100% of every single person is.... when it comes to this topic.


Its simple, if you HAVE the right kind of mind - without a fucking doubt, theres no reason to go to college unless u want to just to party and network and have fun - so make sure ur parents are paying for that shit clearly....

Either way, as someone who came on this site when I was first like 14, and now like 11 years later or more , haha even I have to admit that the difference now being almost 27...is that I have a lot of serious perspective on shit that most of you groms here dont..

No one listens to my advice ever haha but seriously, its pretty straight forward - this is objective, not my personal opinion:

Answer = learn to write code... it really is not as bad as it may seem... seriously, and even though sure, you can pay $$ to go to one of the few legit coding bootcamps and shit, and greatly expedite the process, the ultimate truth is that all you need is a laptop, internet connection and self-disapline/routine.

Trust me, all your homies going to 4 year colleges just to get a piece of paper on the wall desperately... its pathetic... and they are clowns cause it just baffles me how no one gets that it doesnt fucking matter anymore?

- I cant tell you exactly but really the best specific follow up advice to this is if you can become fluent, like bossed out' in hmmm ideally: Javascript, HTML5, CSS, Ruby on Rails, Python, Jquery (close enough to being the same deal as javascript), and maybe C++ , idk

just those right there - oviously thats going to take definitely a bit of time to go from entirely ignant as fuck to being ready to walk into just about any start-up, major established corperation, firm, agency, company w/e and fucking kill it at ur interview , like not even a question of you getting it or not.... in the bagggg = a lot of practice and time

But still, the meadian job starting salary for the entry level positions Im at least semi-specifically thinking of here are all around $90,000-$104,000 a year... easier to hit the higher numbers , in the 6 figures right off the way if you have the coding skills down AND an inherent/background in advanced design/creative stuff, and finally to top it off, have well, an Type-A personality, confident, charming, charismatic, original....

Thats the easiest way to get yourself quickly setup for a really comfortable start in life.


Theres a reason why Peter Thiel (originally one of co-founders Paypal, CEO, a lot more..) has even put out there for anyone and everyone - his challenge/option that he is happy to pay you $100,000 to start, if you drop out of high school or if not that then... at least finish high school and the important thing and deal-breaker is you can't be thinking about college at all....

Cause this is 2015, people dont get it, its soo different than even the 1990s, shits insane...

You literally DO NOT NEED COLLEGE anymore , its absolutely , for myself included - a huge waste of time in terms of actual academic learning and how that translates over 4 years into this degree and ceremony , that then has you feeling accomplished, only to realize you are struggling to find a job, and the ones you can get are not that great, and don't pay that much....


Fuck that noise.


Seriously, anyone who is still mad young, if ur smart start now, and it really only takes 2 years , depending of course 100% on how disciplined you are. You can learn an insane amount, fast, even from completing lets say starting off - entire CodeAcademy.com program ...

After that, theres still work to do, but even completing that will put u SO FAR AHEAD of all these losers...

Think about it..

Look in job listings - "GlassDoor" or even Craigslist etc.... look at the salaries, and the highest rated companies to work at - look WHAT JOBS are in the HIGHEST, CONSTANT demand?

Yezzir, I know.... Im right.

So unless you have something really rare, original going for you - such as your own product, company, service that is very real, and is already gaining serious momentum and you are one of the rare few who find success in founding/running their own business/service/brand/product w/e..... then seriously, UNLESS you went to a "Designer" name school (harvard, yale, princton, stanford , MIT , etc etc) your college degree i hate to tell you guys IS NOT GOING TO DO SHIT for you....

Unless that is..... you are really chill with like, some miserable , $50,000 a year cubicale job probably working at a marketing company of some kind, which might sound really dope to you(?) but i promise, you will hate your life quickly , and also realize how awful it is to be so clearly expendable...


Times have changed, people need to adapt... writing code/programming is NOT at all "just for nerds anymore" ha.... nope, its if you are going to WORK FOR SOEMEONE ELSE , then.... its kind of an obvious choice, and I am speaking just in terms of very clear analytics/statistics about this whole topic.


Its just a huge advantage that only pays more and more, and puts YOU in control of where you work - you'll have companies riding ur dick instead of the other way around = desperately trying again and again for up to a year after college to land a job with somewhere that pays u more than 40k and doesnt sound horrific .

Trust Easty' here..... please.... and learn your code, boss that shit out, become straight ill with it in practical situations and then you can be truly and simply as easily set as being like 18, 19 or whatever, and now having a LOT of options of where you can move to - so if you wana shred-life it up, I totally support that...

The chances are you will be able to ski a lot, have fun, do all the college stuff at the rate you want to like party, fuck mad sloobs and blackout.... but at the same time, you dont need courses for that - our traditional higher education system here in the USA is sooo ridiculously outdated/ineffective regarding the year in history - 2015 , which reflects sooo many mind-blowing options and on the daily - new innovations, improving on old ones.....

And so why do you need a school/professor/classroom to in uniform, assign you homework? And exams? and teach you at their pace?

I find that illogical, and instead, a good computer setup, with a healthy routine and just finding ur fucking jam' in all this is what is truly important.


Ive seen the most dome beezy sluts - even a certain couple pink members here on NS hahaha , at least they were back in the day.... quite the trainwrecks... fun times... but, see even the other day by the most random series of uneventful things, I ended up catching up with this bitch for like 3 minutes out of pure curiosity..



She went from blackout NS IF3 hoe #1 queen / DaHoodCondo champ, to now working with MIT , as a UI/UX developer for some part of the digital infastructure that is needed to run this new, more effective stem-cell technology specific program....

She seems like shes doing well for herself, making clearly at least $100k , without asking i can assure you of that.... so what are u waiting for?

Get on it and stop being lazy.


If you need adderall/dexedrine , get some.... if you cant, get on the Dark Net and onto a certain #1 current marketplace that starts with an "A" and make a profile, and buy some perscriptions there blackmarket... with zero risk.


K , cool now ur on it, set a routine and live and stick by it. Be fucking young an ballin and shredding still so much , as hard as you like.... not even ever worrying about money.

JUST my advice.... pfft but what do i know (;

My college degree allows me to currently make almost 6 figs working at most a 45/hr week, and allows me to live anywhere I want.

But college isn't worth it. Totally.


Truth is, there are a lot of paths to success but all of the require you to be smart, personable and have a strong work ethic. Not everyone can have or be those things.

Word, good for you bruh. Forreal... but you are not a very common story, sadly enough...

Of course theres all types of minds, and personalities and some do real well in a tradiational 4 year college , higher learning environment, and come out with major options and ones that allow them to really control their life and also yup... make exponentially or at least substantially more money than any of their friends..


But again, my point overall is that NOT that long ago - its absolutely true, no one was arguing then.... when a college degree, even if its really just a stupid fucking piece of paper on your wall somewhere in ur moms house or w/e ... still... WOULD result in you having far more control, far more prosperity , far more options in positions that you actually can find yourself enjoying, even on occasion - loving(?) haha.

But tis not the case anymore.... really, so, im just trying to say that ultimately, its about what you are interested in doing, what you understand about the world now/society now, and as you said which is probably most important: what kind of mind/learning abilities do you have?


Cause again, what I said even tho very inarticulate and tired sloppy, is the truth... And the fact is the market sector regarding all the pretty wide array of programming/developer/coding related jobs is not JUST the only market like it, in the sense that it has way too much demand and the problem unlike everywhere else is that a shockingly large number of companies, amazing places to work for even with super high salaries, big bonuses, and lots of freedom and control to for the most part enjoy everything you do - there isnt enough heads to fill these spots still...


The fact is the demand is only going to increase further, somewhat obviously, as everything now relies on some protocol, interface, security functions, new development for the mobile smart phone generation and whatnot...

Just saying for groms it would be the best thing you EVER could do for yourself, and without even stressing if u balance it out.... and keep a consistent schedule.


Theres just so many incredible things u can do , that have nothing to do with clocking in and ending up trying to market some shit, and getting paid hardly enough to live on it, and even those jobs are pretty over-saturated/competitive sadly these days .


K i need a nap, no more trying to post brain isnt getting it done right now ha

Or you can sell drugs on the Dark Net too - thats pretty legit, if u can produce them yourself - which does have a decently significant start-up cost for serious machinery , but then your good.
haha either way, I dont look at things illegal or legal, in this case - we are in reality talking about producing and filling the insatiable demand for one of the largest open-markets available in history = illicit/prescription drugs.


But id go with what I said first, without a doubt... Do some research and see for yourself . it isnt for only the most genius minds or anything at all

eastAR5Word, good for you bruh. Forreal... but you are not a very common story, sadly enough...

Of course theres all types of minds, and personalities and some do real well in a tradiational 4 year college , higher learning environment, and come out with major options and ones that allow them to really control their life and also yup... make exponentially or at least substantially more money than any of their friends..


But again, my point overall is that NOT that long ago - its absolutely true, no one was arguing then.... when a college degree, even if its really just a stupid fucking piece of paper on your wall somewhere in ur moms house or w/e ... still... WOULD result in you having far more control, far more prosperity , far more options in positions that you actually can find yourself enjoying, even on occasion - loving(?) haha.

But tis not the case anymore.... really, so, im just trying to say that ultimately, its about what you are interested in doing, what you understand about the world now/society now, and as you said which is probably most important: what kind of mind/learning abilities do you have?


Cause again, what I said even tho very inarticulate and tired sloppy, is the truth... And the fact is the market sector regarding all the pretty wide array of programming/developer/coding related jobs is not JUST the only market like it, in the sense that it has way too much demand and the problem unlike everywhere else is that a shockingly large number of companies, amazing places to work for even with super high salaries, big bonuses, and lots of freedom and control to for the most part enjoy everything you do - there isnt enough heads to fill these spots still...


The fact is the demand is only going to increase further, somewhat obviously, as everything now relies on some protocol, interface, security functions, new development for the mobile smart phone generation and whatnot...

Just saying for groms it would be the best thing you EVER could do for yourself, and without even stressing if u balance it out.... and keep a consistent schedule.


Theres just so many incredible things u can do , that have nothing to do with clocking in and ending up trying to market some shit, and getting paid hardly enough to live on it, and even those jobs are pretty over-saturated/competitive sadly these days .


K i need a nap, no more trying to post brain isnt getting it done right now ha

Or you can sell drugs on the Dark Net too - thats pretty legit, if u can produce them yourself - which does have a decently significant start-up cost for serious machinery , but then your good.
haha either way, I dont look at things illegal or legal, in this case - we are in reality talking about producing and filling the insatiable demand for one of the largest open-markets available in history = illicit/prescription drugs.


But id go with what I said first, without a doubt... Do some research and see for yourself . it isnt for only the most genius minds or anything at all

There is a reason those "great companies to work for" have such sweet campuses and amenities... They expect you to more or less live there.

Life is a compromise and a bit of a gamble.

This is a great thread, really enjoy whats in here.

I probably don't have a single leg to stand on when it comes to having a say with these sort of things, but im just starting to figure out the whole career/school and skiing deal as well. if youre interested, you should maybe check out being a hospitality management major in school. Its my major and it find it rather interesting even though it is a service-orientated industry. im about a year and a half into my program and already landed a pretty sweet internship (at least to my standards) working a plethora of guest service/lodging/property management tasks. Its paid, 40hrs a week, and I get a decent amount of skiing in still with having a few mid week days off and a few mornings here and there (typically 5 days shifts spread out over weekends which sometimes sucks but i don't fuck with lift lines).

it also helps Its located at one of the resorts here, too. I find major interest in the whole small "all inclusive" luxury lodging/property management side of things and feel its more rewarding than your typical hotel/lodging jobs. People are willing to pay good sums of money for exceptional service and accomodations and it pays off both in a literal sense and figurative sense. You feel good about people having a kick-ass ski vacation and you're earning some good money on top of working somewhere cool, living in cool places, and you still get to chase passions a good amount.


TL;DR i recommend the hospitality field cuz its ripe with chances to still make a decent livable wage and partake in fun skiing shenanigans

I make well over 100K and I work about 40-50 hours a week. I would not be able to do this without a college degree. It is far from a worthless piece of paper, like the guy a few posts up was saying. Want to be an attorney? Better get a degree. How about a doctor, actuary, accountant, investment banker, teacher.....

You don't have to do something you hate. I have found a great career doing something which challenges me and which I more or less enjoy. Sometimes it is not great, but overall I have a very nice life.

Not everyone wants to code, telling people to drop out is just stupid for most. If you do want to be in the corporate world, and some of us have good reasons for doing so, you need a degree to get anywhere.

Some people succeed without a degree, but to paint it as a worthless piece of paper is stupid. I use the material I learned in college everyday, and I know others who do too. The idea that what you learn in college has no use in the real world is simply not true for any of us.

Get a degree. You might or might not use it, but without it many doors will not be open. The smart thing is to get a degree THEN learn to code if you want, you get many more options that way.

I am in a very good position right now. I doubt I will ever get to the c-level executive level, as that is very tough and the work is about 80 hours a week, but I have far more options than someone who did not go to college.

I should add that the advice Peter Thiel is giving is very bad. The majority of startups will fail, leaving the person with nothing, and no degree to fall back on. It should also be noted that Thiel graduated from Stanford and Stanford Law School, so he is not really preaching what he practiced. You might mention Mark Zuckerberg, but I am sure he would have preferred starting Facebook after finishing Harvard. He simply got involved in something so big that he HAD to drop out. I am sure he would advise people to stay in school unless they absolutely had to leave. He went to Exeter and Harvard, so I am sure he values education. People who think that they are going to drop out, THEN find something are taking a big risk.

It is always good to have a degree. Some people can succeed without one, but for most it will be serious drawback. Check the statistics on what a high school grad can be expected to earn versus the same for a college grad. For most people opting out of college is a bad idea.

I should also add that education has value in and of itself. It is not only valuable for the job you get, but for what it will do for you along the way. My dad has a PHD in economics from Stanford. After working on Wall Street, he became a professor at an elite liberal arts college. He taught lots of mathematically oriented econ courses, econometrics and things like that. He sent lots of people to wall street. He always told me that while the skills gained in college were important, the most important thing was to learn to read, write and think, that is what people in the business world were continually telling him. Most people who don't go to college will never develop the critical thinking skills to succeed in the business world. There are exceptions, but for most people the brain development in college is significant. Also, I should add that those programming jobs tend to have a ceiling. They might pay well initially, but it will be tough to progress into management unless you have a degree to back it up.

The coding route is good for some, but it is not for everyone. People who want to go that route and skip college should know that they might very well be holding themselves back in the long run.

dan4060the most important thing was to learn to read, write and think, that is what people in the business world were continually telling him.

Which is interesting, given that business undergrad programs tend to encourage just the opposite.

In my experience, liberal arts majors tend to do well in corporate settings. The business/STEM majors were good workers by they were also a pain in the ass to deal with anytime collaboration was involved.

lIllIWhich is interesting, given that business undergrad programs tend to encourage just the opposite.

In my experience, liberal arts majors tend to do well in corporate settings. The business/STEM majors were good workers by they were also a pain in the ass to deal with anytime collaboration was involved.

His undergrad programs were not business, they were econ and econometrics, big difference. Those programs certainly encourage people to use their brains. I would agree that many business programs are not all that great. If you want to go into business, I would advise an econ degree and an MBA. I don't think most business administration programs are all that great, although there are exceptions. If they call it business economics, that's good. Just business, not so much.