Back Asswards Your Value System Is

C'mon, here, every time you mentioned uni in your post, it stung a little.

Right now, I'm packing up my things. My clothes, my books, my hulking (non flatscreen) computer, my dartboard. Yes, even my faithful George Foreman grill (which is a lot harder to clean than they would have you believe).

I've decided to leave.

I'll be taking a bath in all the money I'm saving when I get home. Then using it to buy as many information products as I can. $20 really is a drop in the bucket. Which is precisely why I have to laugh when I hem and haw like you mentioned, while at the same time racking up $20 in overdue video fines at Hollywood Video.

Ok, I'm just packing up a few things for a weekend trip back home.

BUT, you did painfully point out the benefit of really investing $40,000/$75,000 in yourself, in your abilites, in your own business, in testing things, in doing things vs. a few years at a university.

PAINFULLY. Although it's a recurring thought so I expect it to come and go.

But what about my quality control job with Colgate?

How will I ever get that coveted position without gruelingly boring internships and hours of managerial accounting?

A guaranteed job?

No.

Well, maybe for a whippersnapper like me, even in a Bush economy. But working quality control for Colgate?

Sounds like my worst nightmare. The antithesis of everything I want.

Like I would have sacrificed everything for nothing.

And paid $40,000 to do it.

I'm glad that's not what I'm looking for from time at a university. Unfortunately, everyone around me is... it's a sad state of affairs to even observe.

Bad economy and more people in college = maybe no job after that $40,000 spent on 4 years of academia. Definitely not that out of reach quality control manager job at Colgate. Maybe an entry level position. "You could be manager with 10 years, son!" "Hot dang, 10 years, really?"

Is that really the only road?

Why am I here? I have enough initiative (I like to think) to learn on my own.

I, um, can, you know, communicate relatively well (I'm in a business communications class learning grammar and how to write memos and work with teams this semester, how painful is that?).

I know that there are other paths. In fact, I seem to have some sort of obsession with the work of American and Australian marketers and entrepreneurs. I just bought something I've been meaning to for a while. Both as a thank you for a great post and because I'm sure it's well worth it.

A few dollars well spent, I'm sure. Now, off to my studies...

Peter Sun and Dan Kennedy. Not x201, k201, x204, or any of that funny stuff.

Success,

Erik Lukas

P.S. I really apologize if there's anyone here who's affiliated with Colgate and genuinely enjoys working for them.