Should You Go to College? | The Tim Ferriss Show

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. This time, we have a slightly different format, and I’m the guest.

I answered questions on plantar fasciitis relief, manga-assisted language learning and retention, breathing exercises, wolf conservation, parenting ambitions, VR therapy, mood and energy remedies, post-pandemic social reintroduction, the value of college, favorite wrestling movies, and much, much more.

Please enjoy!


About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 500 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.

Connect with Tim Ferriss:

[MelanieSakowski]

Agreed: going to university taught me life lessons outside of textbooks and curriculum about how the world works. I connected and still am connected with my professors and coaches at uni despite graduating in 2014.

Big eye-roll, but the opportunity and invitation for critical thinking was powerful.

Thanks, Tim.

[simini]

Going to college is in my opinion a wonderful experience. Not just from a professional perspective but also from a personal development perspective. I have an Oxford University law degree funded by several scholarships. Have benefited from it my entire life (I am 44 now). Would be happy to study something else next to my current job. Just for the fun and learning new things.

[yougotkicked]

It is worth noting, from the perspective of job-prospects, that some fields, especially software engineering, are beginning to put a LOT less value on college degree's.

When hiring software developers, a good organization will directly test your coding abilities, and value the results of those tests much more highly than anything else on your resume, in large part because so many people manage to get CSci degree's without learning how to write good code, but plenty of people manage to learn good coding skills through non-school avenues.


This is just one facet of the larger conversation around the value of college, but it's a facet that's likely to be of particular relevance for a lot of young people looking at college right now. If you have a relatively clear idea of what you are hoping to do career-wise, and badly want to avoid paying for college right now, take some time to ask people in the industry how important degree's are, and what non-college vectors people might use to acquire a suitable skillset, e.g. there are now vocational schools that teach the essentials of software development in a fraction of the time (and for a fraction of the price) that colleges require to do the same.

[engineerepixlele]

College is great if you don't have mental issues. If you have severe anxiety and depression, fix that first with therapy or meds, then go back to college.

[AustinGubala]

Last year, I decided to go to college, because they announced that it would be free.

I'll take free knowledge any day of the week, especially if it builds me as a person.

[karlstrauss]

If you can go to college without taking out student loans then sure, a college degree even from a generic big state university will have a lot of great networking opportunities.

[dailydoseoffunfacts]

I believe the key is to always be learning. Even after college if you are not learning you are dying.

[IndependenceCityMotoring]

Go to college, but you have to pick a worthwhile degree. There are a LOT of worthless degrees that border on hobby/personal interests, with poor job prospects and keep you riddled in student debt.

[lululivingstone]

Stepping out of the four walls of the classroom, yea. But it’s also good to step away from the confines and expectations of one’s family of origin.

[sindreandersen]

Lasting novels don't come from literature departments.

Successful businesses don't come from business schools.

Scientific revolutions don't come from research universities.

Get your education, then get moving. Find the ones tinkering at the edge.

- Naval

[KJ-nrzz]

Tim, I know how obsessive you are (takes one to know one), so you might give some consideration to your staging and camera placement in an effort to increase engagement with your audience.
The staging, while uncluttered and free of distraction, is very sterile and clinical. The symmetry doesn’t help. That is to say, not very inviting. Also, your camera placement has you talking down to your audience. As you know, subconscious impact can have the same ultimate effect as a slap to the face.

[UnschoolingCOM]

Shocking! So author of 4 Hour Work Week recommends 50 hour school week. MBA's are worthless, if you want to be an entrepreneur, start a business, don't go to school!

[Zombot]

Good talking points for the positive end of the spectrum but you didn’t cover how the astronomical and ever increasing cost of Tuition comes into the equation, or how the quality of a college experience has been decreasing over time due to factors like “trigger warnings, ” “safe spaces, ” heavy censorship, etc.

[buti]

Thanks for debunking the typical myth surrounding this, all from your position of trust and knowledge, Tim.

[IndependenceCityMotoring]

First, the federal government should not be giving out student loans that don't meet specific ROI thresholds for the student based on the average starting salary of the degree compared to the loan amount. Second, we really need required disclosure forms to be signed by students before they take out the student loan, showing the payback period based on the average starting salary for their major at their school as compared to the loan amount. I think this would greatly reduce the demand for "worthless degrees" and also put pressure on colleges to keep tuition fees in line with their true worth/value (and they should vary by degree). As it stands right now, the colleges are to blame for this crisis, by pushing these expensive worthless degrees. And the federal government enables this nonsense. It's no wonder all these students come out of college with a SJW chip on their shoulder and socialist tendencies.

[jessmason]

The society with the most educated population will dominate the world in the future. The future will demand several expertise in several fields like manufacturing, construction, logistics, warehousing, and compute services and applications.

[anthonykent]

A gap year with purpose is a fantastic idea. Is college necessary for everyone? No. Will a college degree help most people? Yes. What young adults really need is an increased capacity to thrive on their own, to begin acquiring professional skills/knowledge, and to learn how to work in an interdependent environment. College, military, or a structured gap year all sound like a better option than walking blindly into the "real" world.

[chrisw]

School doesnt broaden your thinking. It teaches you WHAT to think not HOW to think. And what we think about the world? Well it sure isnt a ball like they force feed ya. And thats just starters.

[danmar]

Hahaha ha ha haha ... cough, cough, coughhhh!! Sorry. Good one.