Why I Fell Out of Love with Formal Education
Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I used to think I had it all figured out. I was that guy, you know? The one with the fancy degree, the one who thought that once you’re done with school, you’re set. Ha! What a joke.
It was 2008, I was 28, and I had just landed a job at a prestigious magazine. I thought I was the cat’s pajamas. Then, last Tuesday, I was sitting in a conference in Austin, and this woman, let’s call her Marcus, started talking about how she learned more from a $17 online course than she did in four years of college. And I was like, “Yeah, okay, sure.” But then she dropped a bomb.
“I mean,” she said, “think about it. When was the last time you used calculus?” And I… I couldn’t answer. I mean, I use basic math all the time, but calculus? Not so much. And that’s when it hit me. Formal education, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
My Midlife Crisis in the Library
So, about three months ago, I decided to do something about it. I walked into the local library, which, by the way, smells like old books and regret, and I started looking for books on, well, everything. I wanted to learn. For real this time.
I started with “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Great book, by the way. It’s all about small changes leading to big results. I mean, it’s not rocket science, but it’s the kinda thing that makes you go, “Oh, duh.” So, I started small. I committed to reading 20 pages a day. That’s it. Just 20 pages. And you know what? It worked. I finished that book in, like, a week and a half.
Then I moved on to “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. Now, I’m not gonna lie, that one was a bit of a slog. But I stuck with it. And I learned alot. I mean, a lot. (See? Even I make typos.)
The Dark Side of Online Courses
But here’s the thing about online courses. They’re not all sunshine and rainbows. I signed up for this one course on, uh, I forget what it was about, honestly. It was supposed to be about aquisition strategies or something. Anyway, it was a complete waste of time. The instructor was boring, the content was outdated, and I ended up learning more from the comments section than the actual course.
So, I asked my friend Dave about it. Dave’s a smart guy, works in tech, always learning new stuff. “Have you ever taken a course that was a total bust?” I asked him. “Oh, absolutely,” he said. “But that’s the thing about lifelong learning. It’s a numbers game. You gotta kiss a few frogs before you find your prince.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But look, here’s the thing. Just because one course was bad doesn’t mean they all are. You gotta be smart about it. Do your research. Read reviews. And for the love of god, don’t waste your money on something that’s not gonna help you.
Shipping Comparison Fastest Options
And speaking of wasting time, let me tell you about my latest obsession. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to ship stuff. I mean, it’s not rocket science, right? But man, it’s a jungle out there. There are so many options, and they all have their pros and cons. I even found this great resource on shipping comparison fastest options. It’s kinda like a cheat sheet for shipping. Super helpful, honestly.
The Tangent: My Love-Hate Relationship with Podcasts
Okay, so this isn’t really about education, but whatever. I’m the boss here. So, podcasts. I love them. I hate them. They’re like the junk food of learning. You can binge them, they’re easy to digest, but they’re not always nutritious. But hey, at least they’re better than nothing, right?
I was listening to this one podcast, “The Tim Ferriss Show”, and he was interviewing some guy about, I dunno, physicaly training or something. And the guy was saying how he learned more from failing than he did from succeeding. And I was like, “Yeah, okay, but what’s your point?” I mean, I get it, failure is important, but it’s not exactly a novel concept.
The Verdict: Just Start Learning
So, here’s the deal. Lifelong learning, it’s not about formal education. It’s not about expensive courses or fancy degrees. It’s about curiosity. It’s about being willing to look like an idiot sometimes. It’s about failing and getting back up again.
And it’s about finding what works for you. For me, it’s books and podcasts and the occasional online course. For you, it might be something completely different. And that’s okay. The important thing is that you’re learning. That you’re growing. That you’re not stagnant.
So, what are you waiting for? Go learn something. And for god’s sake, don’t waste your time on calculus.
About the Author: Hi, I’m Alex. I’ve been a magazine editor for, like, forever. I love learning, I hate boring courses, and I have a thing for podcasts. I live in Austin with my cat, Mr. Whiskers, and I’m always on the lookout for the next big thing in education. Follow me on Twitter @AlexLearns.
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