Only those who plan to fail need a FALL BACK ON degree. A determined person, educated or not, never quits. he may re-invent himself, but he never stops driving towards his FINAL destination. If you a need a degree for that, you'll be mediocre all your life anyway. Look around. Finally, Define success. WHat is THE standard for success? House, 2 cars, Wife Kids??? Maybe for one person, yet not for another person. Accomplish your personal goals in life?? Maybe for one person yet not for another. A Degree doesn't increase your chances for success. It increases your chances for a GOOD JOB, but not success. A Good Job may not be considered success for someone. All this boils down to is this. What is your plan for your life?? Find it and live it. If college is in it go. If not stay away and enjoy your life.
Those are all nice points. Again I say it is based on the persons world view. I grew up "stable." Live fast has never been my creed, yet I have always owned and run a business (6 to be exact,) which implied a lot of risk. 3 closed as the market changed, the other 3 changed with the market. Bottom line. Figure your goals out, find out what you have to do to accomplish them, and full steam ahead. Failure isnt an option. It's a by-product of success. I have failed more than I can recall, yet my wins outlived/lasted my failures... I treat life like trading... Keep failures small and win big... You HAVE to make adjustments. If a degree is in the plan, get it... A degree doesn't make one successful. Of course I have never strove to fit it....I have always charted my own course. Thank God I knew how to manage money as a kid. (Mom was a part time financial planner...)
What is the benefit of NOT having a degree, unless you are achieving some kind of success or achievement in lieu of it? How are you empowered by not having this standard that most of both your colleagues and adversaries have achieved? For me personally, I am to busy trading, working on my method, reading anything and everything that is relevant to my trading, and travelling when I can (enjoying the fruits of my labor). I dont have the time to go to school and there is no way I would give up the money I am making in order to get a degree. For me the goal is to make money and I think that doing what I am doing now is the way I am going to be able to make the most amount of money I can. For me, going to school to get a degree would be a step backwards. It is probably not like that for most people, but that is how it is for me. Some people do what they want to do, some do what they can do, while others do what they have to do. People who know how to make money do so. People who know how to make money trading trade. People who do not know how to make money will most likely work for some one who knows how to make money. In general, by going to college it helps a person who needs to work for their money bargain for a higher salary then the person who doesn't have a degree. So if a person does not know how to make money, they should go to college and get that degree. Just like Reaver said "for some, College is a good thing and others dont need it"
Have any of you gentlemen considered the fact that, once you've been able to establish a level of consistent profitability as a trader, you will have FAR MORE security trading than you ever will in a corporation, whether you are working for the man ... or you are the man (i.e., some level of Managerial responsibility, Director, VP or even Senior VP level). Back in '03 my group was downsized in the severe costing cutting that was happening across the board in US businesses. In early '04 I was called back in because nobody understood my job to the level that I did. I came in and showed everyone what they needed to do to get the job done from A-Z, multiple times. I was so giving in my knowledge that they offered me another position, but I declined because I wanted to pursue my trading (hey, have to take a chance sometime), and I knew that I would just be back in the maze if I took their offer, even with the perks they were offering. There's a lot more to the story, but I'll leave it at that. I P.S. I made my decsion, never looked back, and never regretted it, in fact I needed to commit to my trading to succeed at it, because this isn't a game for the guy who wants to sit on the fence.
Keeping it all in line.. Learning to trade is, as many have said here, like getting a college degree. LOL.
I wonder about the posters in this thread? Is there anybody here who has a degree that regrets getting the degree? I see a lot of the individuals here without degrees bashing the idea of getting a degree. But wouldn't a more accurate assessment come from somebody with a degree giving reasons why you don't need the degree? Secondly, I wonder how many people here who "claim" they are successful at trading without the degree actually have any degree of credibility to their claims? Have they been trading for many many years with success? Are they making over 50 grand a year consistently with their trading? Can they honestly state that they are a completely successful trading and aren't instead just fooling themselves based upon a 6 month record or their *future* delusions of how much they are going to make? I see a lot of "when I" or "I will", but where's the "I have been"? Third, if there are successful traders without degrees, is it merely a case of survivorship bias? Where are the vast majority of traders who have failed and have no degree? What do you think *those* former traders are doing now? What percentage of traders do you think there is that have failed and don't have a degree? Look...having dreams and goals is always a good thing. But at the same time, don't be a fool about it. Don't convince yourself that you are any better than any other average Joe trader. Life is about risk management. If you can't properly manage the risk in your life and think that degrees "are worthless", frankly, how can you possibly be a successful trader? You may not want to spend the time getting a degree right now, but call a duck what it is, it's a duck. You'll be ahead of the game if you can say..."I don't want to spend the effort and time getting a degree right now, but I also know that a degree is never a waste". Be true to yourself and don't lie to yourself.
Oops, no degree here, but I have a family full of degrees. All of them are bored or in debt up to their eyeballs. I bucked the trend, got yelled and screamed at. Problem is I make 3 times what they make...... I see nothing wrong with getting a degree. If your course in life requires one. Not too many non degreed engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc... out there. I encourage my kids to get as educated as they can. I home school and slam them with College curriculum Daily..... If they want to go to college, it's paid for. My point is find your path, and progress in that direction..... If College is along that path.. GO!!!!!
No, all schools aren't equal, but MY experience with Ivy graduates who I had to work with, leads me to believe it's alot of hype. Most good schools are using the same textbooks, and have good professors. Employers who hire in Ivy graduates at high salaries without interning them first don't know what they are doing. There are alot of Frat boy legacy types at Harvard, Yale & Princeton.