I can kind of see the cost point - though most would argue that the lifetime earnings of someone with a college degree far outweigh a $100K investment.
But the time thing kind of bugs me. As driven as HN is this may be a minority position but I really don't believe you should be working (in a 9-5 career style job) between 18-24. I really don't care so much abou t college, but have fun, go out, date guys and girls, travel, there are so many things you should be doing at that age then starting a business and you'll end up better for it.
I didn't start my career until my late 20s and I don't regret that at all.
I can kind of see the cost point - though most would argue that the lifetime earnings of someone with a college degree far outweigh a $100K investment.
Do those studies on lifetime earnings really isolate for other factors?
If dropping out of the college track isn't considered a valid, supported choice, then the only people that drop out will be those that have fallen out of the system. Is it a surprise that the majority of those students then fail?
But the time thing kind of bugs me. As driven as HN is this may be a minority position but I really don't believe you should be working (in a 9-5 career style job) between 18-24. I really don't care so much abou t college, but have fun, go out, date guys and girls, travel, there are so many things you should be doing at that age then starting a business and you'll end up better for it.
I got the "having fun" and dating out of the way between 16-18 (I dropped out of high school and moved out at 16). Everyone needs time to figure things out and grow up, and there shouldn't be a rush to start a business, but avoiding significant responsibility until you're 24 is unnecessary, carries a heavy opportunity cost, and is a waste of some of your most productive and formative years.
I didn't start my career until my late 20s and I don't regret that at all.
It's great that this worked out for you, but I have to say -- starting work in my field at 16 meant I had 10 years of experience when I was 26, and that expansive lead time on my contemporaries has been invaluable and allowed me to bring a breadth and depth of knowledge to my work that most people simply don't have, has ensured that I remain well ahead of the curve, and has provided me with a considerable backstop of experience to draw on when running my own business.
Given that I still love my life's work -- and that I have a few good working decades still ahead of me -- if I were given the choice, I wouldn't trade in those initial years for any other opportunity.
How much did you work? Given how little waiters make, it seems like you'd have to work something close to full time to get by, especially with enough excess to cover travel, which makes it no more free than a real job, but making less and doing less interesting stuff.
Now, consulting 5-10 hours a week (or a few months a year) while enjoying yourself and traveling could be appealing.
It really depends on where you work but waiters make pretty decent money (for a 20 something) - and its all cash. You get payed minimum wage in CA but that just about covers the amount you need to pay in taxes. I'd work about 25 hours a week and get about $20 in a paycheck every 2 weeks. You really end up not paying much in taxes (I'd guess closer to 15% then the 30-40% you'd end up paying salaried) so the money you make goes further. I worked at Bucks in Woodside CA, which is actually a bit notorious with the Sand Hill VC crowd. If you needed to you could make rent in a weekend by picking up extra shifts. Then the rest is cash. I mainly worked nights and could pick up some other work during the day if I needed to. When I wanted to travel I'd slam out about 2 months of serious work and do fine for a few weeks of travel. You also get to know people in the industry so I could take time off and pretty easily find a job when I got back.
I definitely made more money waiting tables 25 hours a week then my first two 40hr positions salaried.
But the time thing kind of bugs me. As driven as HN is this may be a minority position but I really don't believe you should be working (in a 9-5 career style job) between 18-24. I really don't care so much abou t college, but have fun, go out, date guys and girls, travel, there are so many things you should be doing at that age then starting a business and you'll end up better for it.
I didn't start my career until my late 20s and I don't regret that at all.