Skip to 8:14 if you just want pros/cons

Choose your education story wisely.

Considering college for yourself, a friend, or a child? Keep reading.

Many go to college because they believe they "have to."

They listen to their parents, peers, and society who push expectations of a fulfilling life through a well-trodden path.

Sitting in long lectures without real experience, boring you to death.

Forcing young adults to decide on their next 40-year journey.

But hey, I can't completely knock college.

I went and got a lot of benefits.

But there are other options that may save you time, money, and a lot of stress.

Trust me, I've made some costly mistakes.

If you're interested in that story check out part 1 of this article. It gives context to the reasons I'm about to share with you below.

This list of resources isn't final.

These are just the paths I have experience with. I encourage you to use this as a piece for your own research.

Without further ado, let's get into the pros and cons of 3 education scams paths you can take.

College

University has its benefits but it can also be expensive, lead to debt, and take a long time to complete.

Not to mention, you might end up taking courses that don't align with your career goals.

In my experience, they don’t teach the important things in school.

How about managing your finances?

Incoming (boring) statistics:

In the US in 2021, the average annual cost of a four-year public college was around $26,590 for in-state students and $40,890 for out-of-state students.

For private colleges, the average annual cost was around $53,980.

Imagine this:

Let’s say you pay 40K per year for 4 years.

Now you’re 160k in debt with a 40K per year job (if you’re lucky)!

Don’t forget to factor in your expenses.

Missed that class? Me too.

But they require 4-6 random electives for every degree. See the problem?

Don't forget about inflation.

Clearly, this isn't my favorite option but I do think some people can benefit from it.

College is for those:

• Whose job path REQUIRES it

• Who’re disciplined to the bone

• Who know the exact job you want

• Who understand how to network and leverage opportunities

• Who have funding that cover the majority of your expenses (scholarships, grants, NOT loans).

Pros

• Strong subject theory

• Great networking opportunities

• Access to professionals in the field

• High credibility depending on the school

• Highly available and large body of resources and studies

Cons

• Random fees and courses are required

• Expensive without external funding

• Takes 4 years or more to complete

• Textbooks are usually required

• Not all degrees created equal

• No job security

Something you won't get access to anywhere else is a diverse network.

If you don't know already, networking is king.

If you decide to go to college. Talk to everyone.

Befriend and offer value as much as you can.

Learn how here.

Bootcamps and Trade Schools

Bootcamps are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to college.

They are designed to teach you the specific skills you need to land a job in a particular field but some differ in what they offer.

But, they still aren't as well-accepted as traditional education.

Not to mention, they can be expensive.

Some question their credibility, and they're not always seen as a viable option for those looking to get into a career.

For me, it was the best choice.

As much as I’d like to consider myself “self-motivated,” I learn best in a structured environment with direct feedback.

Codeup, the boot camp I chose, gave me the opportunity to:

• Learn from home (during the pandemic)

• Network with the cohort that I joined.

• Get access to instructors

The biggest benefit?

The guidance and data science skills using projects.

No fancy theory to read and never apply it.

You also get the opportunity to adopt the network of everyone who ever joins the camp and future students that joined.

Now, I have over 140 connections that can help with job opportunities on LinkedIn.

Definitely do your research if you plan on doing a program or trade school.

Here are my takeaways from coding boot camps:

Pros

• Smaller class sizes

• Project-based learning

• Shorter time frame to learn

• Some have a job guarantee

• Decent networking opportunities

• Guided learning from instructors

Cons

• Fast-paced

• Can be expensive

• Some may lack credibility

• Staff may be pushy about job acceptance

This path was the most lucrative for me.

You can read more about how the journey went here.

A fun result was this project I worked on with a team of 3 others.

Keep in mind, this was for tech. There may be other schools for the field you're interested in, but keep this pro/con list handy for reference.

Self-study and Online Learning

Self-study is another option but the most difficult path in my opinion.

You MUST be strict, self-motivated, and exceptionally people-friendly to make it “alone.”

This is a cheaper option than college or boot camp but also seen as less credible by some people.

It requires more legwork to find resources and build a network.

As we said before, networking is a must!

Who’s going to hire or pay some random who claims to know what they’re talking about?

You need results.

Online courses are an option but use these to fill in the gaps in your learning

Projects and real-world experience will come first.

You can learn a lot faster by watching this video.

It's totally possible to make it this way but ask yourself a few questions:

• Am I self-motivated?

• Can I stay focused for 2 hours or more in one sitting?

• Is my space (digital & physical) tidy most of the time?

• Did I read through Brandon’s article completely without skimming?

• Do I learn faster than most people?

If you said no, to any of these, self-learning may not be for you.

But you know yourself best, don’t let me stop you! I’m all for trying, failing, and learning from it.

Here’s the good, and the bad. You’ve already seen the ugly!

Pros:

• Save a ton of money

• Cheaper online courses

• Choose relevant online courses

• Set our own schedule and lifestyle

• Potential opportunities if you have excellent projects or portfolio

Cons:

• Harder to maintain motivation alone

• Requires more self-direction

• No inherent accountability

• Find your own resources

• Lack of network

• Less credibility

Final thoughts

Here's the thing, none of these methods guarantee a job or success.

Research different options and figure out what works best for you.

Consider your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your ideal learning environment.

With the right mindset, resources, and a willingness to learn, you can achieve your goals and build a fulfilling career.

If you missed my story, here's some context on WHY I made these recommendations!

Don't forget to reply to this or send me a DM on socials to let me know what you think.

What education path did you end up taking?

Hope this helps!

Catch you next time!

Resources:

• Content OS: Set up a framework for content creation around your interests to attain internal fulfillment and financial freedom! Check out the article on creating your own content.

• 2-Hour Writer: Learn a marketable skill by writing 1-2 hours per day that translates to a professional upgrade, starting a business, or bringing clarity to your overactive mind.

• Modern Mastery: Join a like-minded group of individuals committed to content creation, starting a one-person business, and networking with others on the path to self-mastery.

• Hypefury: Tired of posting your content manually? Schedule unlimited tweets and save your ideas in a simple dashboard. I schedule all my tweets on Sunday saving me hours per week! (Also post to IG, FB, and LinkedIn) + many more features!

Read the previous letters on the blog.