Comments on: Do Young Entrepreneurs Need To Go To College? http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/ Erica Douglass, "temporarily retired" after selling a successful business at age 26, writes thought-provoking blog entries challenging you to change your life and daring you to become more successful. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Holdinn Dicamillo http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-150245 Holdinn Dicamillo Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:51:00 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-150245 This was very inspiring. i have a lot of ambition and terrible spelling ha. I wish i could meet more people like you This was very inspiring. i have a lot of ambition and terrible spelling ha. I wish i could meet more people like you

]]> By: DEJUAN http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-149179 DEJUAN Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:11:51 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-149179 LOL LOL

]]> By: Josh http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-148972 Josh Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:13:30 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-148972 What does Pat with SPI mean? Is SPI short for small penis infirmaty? College made you who you are, huh? You unproductive loser, you. What does Pat with SPI mean? Is SPI short for small penis infirmaty? College made you who you are, huh? You unproductive loser, you.

]]> By: Kyle http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-52904 Kyle Fri, 05 Nov 2010 23:48:27 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-52904 Great article and story! I have always been a very entrepreneurial person. My dad started his own business and I always wanted to do the same. I attended the business school at Syracuse University and was introduced to the foundations of business. My senior year, my friends and I got a great idea for a business. We decided to pursue it and SU was extremely helpful to us and brought us into the entrepreneurial community at SU. I decided to pursue my M.S. at the SU School of Information Studies because of all of the resources the school was helping me and my business partners with. Sometimes, colleges can really help entrepreneurs out. Great article and story! I have always been a very entrepreneurial person. My dad started his own business and I always wanted to do the same. I attended the business school at Syracuse University and was introduced to the foundations of business. My senior year, my friends and I got a great idea for a business. We decided to pursue it and SU was extremely helpful to us and brought us into the entrepreneurial community at SU. I decided to pursue my M.S. at the SU School of Information Studies because of all of the resources the school was helping me and my business partners with. Sometimes, colleges can really help entrepreneurs out.

]]> By: Rey Fasthand http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-46966 Rey Fasthand Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:07:54 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-46966 As of today we can learn many entrepreneurial course through internet since it is widely use. But there are some idea which we can only find or acquired doing college. One great advantage also is that we can hear alot of thoughts from others. Young Entrepreneurs still need to go College. As of today we can learn many entrepreneurial course through internet since it is widely use. But there are some idea which we can only find or acquired doing college. One great advantage also is that we can hear alot of thoughts from others.

Young Entrepreneurs still need to go College.

]]> By: Jemma Elrin http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-36157 Jemma Elrin Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:49:32 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-36157 Hi, in short words, I always do believe it is a wiser choice to go with school. It will provide a foundation as well as fall back option in case of failure. Well it depends on what the scenario always is, although I must respect you for your accomplishments! Keep up your good work. =) Hi, in short words, I always do believe it is a wiser choice to go with school. It will provide a foundation as well as fall back option in case of failure. Well it depends on what the scenario always is, although I must respect you for your accomplishments! Keep up your good work. =)

]]> By: Michael Bastos http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-28606 Michael Bastos Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:20:14 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-28606 Confused, my wife was in a similar situation as you, you are a good student and you've put so much work into getting good grades but you don't see it benefiting you in the long run. As I've always said you don't go to college to learn, you go to get the piece of paper. During my time in college I questioned if I needed to work on my GPA or to focus on my business, what I learned is that as long as I keep my grades to a level that will help me to graduate I am not killing myself trying to be the best in the class and graduate with honors. No one in business cares that you are the honors student once you get out into the real world, all they care about is that you finished a school and have a degree. That's it, so if you have to do what you need to do to pass and finish your degree, you'll end up with a lot more free time to research the things you are passionate about and use that time to create your business or future job search. Focus on just getting that piece of paper and you'll do just fine, if you graduate with a C then that is fine, but graduate period. Confused, my wife was in a similar situation as you, you are a good student and you’ve put so much work into getting good grades but you don’t see it benefiting you in the long run. As I’ve always said you don’t go to college to learn, you go to get the piece of paper. During my time in college I questioned if I needed to work on my GPA or to focus on my business, what I learned is that as long as I keep my grades to a level that will help me to graduate I am not killing myself trying to be the best in the class and graduate with honors. No one in business cares that you are the honors student once you get out into the real world, all they care about is that you finished a school and have a degree. That’s it, so if you have to do what you need to do to pass and finish your degree, you’ll end up with a lot more free time to research the things you are passionate about and use that time to create your business or future job search. Focus on just getting that piece of paper and you’ll do just fine, if you graduate with a C then that is fine, but graduate period.

]]> By: Michael Bastos http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-28601 Michael Bastos Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:11:57 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-28601 I may have to disagree with you on the college track for two levels, first we have to remember that many who became successful without finishing college are not the rule but the exception to the rule. Your admission that you had a mother and father that were college educated means that you received a level of learning from your parents growing up that may have helped you through your business dealings once you became an adult though many who have that opportunity may believe their parents had nothing to do with it. In many cases parents are the people that teach us our intuition, that show us what mistakes to avoid and what opportunities to seek out. Though there have been many successful entrepreneurs who have never gone to college, in many cases their life and circumstances helped mold them to the moment where they made the decisions to start their companies and do it successfully. I grew up with a father who never even graduated high school and was able to rise to the ranks or marketing director in some major fortune 500 companies and eventually was asked to create a business franchise curriculum at a major university before he was asked to leave after teaching for 3 years because they wanted to make him staff and he did not have a degree. For every teenager who makes it as an entrepreneur there are dozens more who try their hardest but don't make it. Having grown up with a father figure who had achieved so much and was stopped from advancing simply because of a choice to not finish what he also considered as a barrier to his opportunities helped me realize that we need college for just one thing, the piece of paper. I think we all still need college though not for learning, we need it to prove to investors that we are legitimate when we bring them an idea or we need it to show our bosses that we are more than capable of doing the work before us even though we didn't learn any of it in school. It's a bit difficult to tell people that they will be the exception to the rule, when they could achieve so much more and go to greater hieghts if they just took some time to knock out a few courses. During my time in the Marines I've met great Generals with merely a bachelors in Phys Ed and great CEO's with nothing more than a Bachelors in Business. You don't have to get your Doctorate, but you need more than an idea, you need that piece of paper. I may have to disagree with you on the college track for two levels, first we have to remember that many who became successful without finishing college are not the rule but the exception to the rule. Your admission that you had a mother and father that were college educated means that you received a level of learning from your parents growing up that may have helped you through your business dealings once you became an adult though many who have that opportunity may believe their parents had nothing to do with it. In many cases parents are the people that teach us our intuition, that show us what mistakes to avoid and what opportunities to seek out. Though there have been many successful entrepreneurs who have never gone to college, in many cases their life and circumstances helped mold them to the moment where they made the decisions to start their companies and do it successfully. I grew up with a father who never even graduated high school and was able to rise to the ranks or marketing director in some major fortune 500 companies and eventually was asked to create a business franchise curriculum at a major university before he was asked to leave after teaching for 3 years because they wanted to make him staff and he did not have a degree. For every teenager who makes it as an entrepreneur there are dozens more who try their hardest but don’t make it. Having grown up with a father figure who had achieved so much and was stopped from advancing simply because of a choice to not finish what he also considered as a barrier to his opportunities helped me realize that we need college for just one thing, the piece of paper. I think we all still need college though not for learning, we need it to prove to investors that we are legitimate when we bring them an idea or we need it to show our bosses that we are more than capable of doing the work before us even though we didn’t learn any of it in school. It’s a bit difficult to tell people that they will be the exception to the rule, when they could achieve so much more and go to greater hieghts if they just took some time to knock out a few courses. During my time in the Marines I’ve met great Generals with merely a bachelors in Phys Ed and great CEO’s with nothing more than a Bachelors in Business. You don’t have to get your Doctorate, but you need more than an idea, you need that piece of paper.

]]> By: confused http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-25581 confused Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:59:39 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-25581 I am currently a college student. Throughout high school I did really well, my grades were always in the 90s. I always participated in clubs and activities. Of course I thought college was the way to go, and I thought I would have a terrific time. Now that I am in college, I feel my heart is not into it. I do not like it, I don't even want to participate in any activities. I know what I would like to do in life and I also know that it does not include needing any sort of college degree and or education. I would love to open my own clothing boutique. I love clothes and I have a great fashion sense that I would love to share with others, but would me not going to school pull me down? Is college really not for everyone? Because I feel it is definitely not for me. I am currently a college student. Throughout high school I did really well, my grades were always in the 90s. I always participated in clubs and activities. Of course I thought college was the way to go, and I thought I would have a terrific time. Now that I am in college, I feel my heart is not into it. I do not like it, I don’t even want to participate in any activities. I know what I would like to do in life and I also know that it does not include needing any sort of college degree and or education. I would love to open my own clothing boutique. I love clothes and I have a great fashion sense that I would love to share with others, but would me not going to school pull me down? Is college really not for everyone? Because I feel it is definitely not for me.

]]> By: Steve @ Smooth Entrepreneur http://www.erica.biz/2009/young-entrepreneurs-college/#comment-18698 Steve @ Smooth Entrepreneur Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:30:20 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=1932#comment-18698 Is college necessary? Not necessarily, but as someone who places a strong value on education, I am glad I got my B.A. and look forward to getting a masters degree in the future. I believe everyone should get some sort of education. Sure, that includes college, but people can also opt for a 1 or 2-year associates degree, community college, vocational school or trade school. You gain incredible skills and build a network. Is college necessary? Not necessarily, but as someone who places a strong value on education, I am glad I got my B.A. and look forward to getting a masters degree in the future.

I believe everyone should get some sort of education. Sure, that includes college, but people can also opt for a 1 or 2-year associates degree, community college, vocational school or trade school. You gain incredible skills and build a network.

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