Do people still use Rolodex systems? Seems archaic.
Your conclusion is certainly correct, that being in a sheltered existence isn't useful to gaining real-world experience. There are things that one can learn in college which are somewhat less available in other contexts, such as astrophysics, advanced chemistry, nuclear engineering, the mathematics of operations research. People can train themselves on these topics, and if you would rather go in for the dismal rigour of military training you might be allowed to pursue your interests in some of these areas. So if you aren't looking for bleeding edge scientific, mathematical, or technical training, academia is probably not a good choice.
At the same time, it has been my direct personal experience that you can make opportunities for yourself no matter where you are. Education is possible in any context, meeting people is possible in any context. During my college years I was invited to supper with Ed Koch, Rupert Murdoch, Jascha Heifetz, then-head of the Ford Foundation Franklin Thomas, and a number of other luminaries based in New York because I had been selected as a John Jay scholar. I also met Abby Hoffman who came to our campus to speak. In grad school, our dean made sure we met business leaders in various industries during our weekly "dean's seminar" including Joe Allen of Space Industries, Ivan Boesky of the eponymous arbitrage company, and dozens of others.
Robert Heinlein once wrote that you can even get a quality education in a public school, as long as you are willing to do extra reading and independent study.
Bravo, kid! LIVE your life. You only get one. Touch the sky. When you take your last breath you'll know in your heart you were true to yourself. You will be lonely at times, you will be in a minority but the fact is not many can say that.
Seeds in a silo either rot, get eaten by rats or are sucked into "the system" and ground to flower at best ...
Whereas a seed that gets blown away by the wind or sometimes eaten by a bird and pooped-out INdigested may sprout and thrive to the best of its DNA-given potential and often in the most unexpected places ...
Beware of some networks where you either become the spider or the fly ... 🤣🤣🤣
Do people still use Rolodex systems? Seems archaic.
Your conclusion is certainly correct, that being in a sheltered existence isn't useful to gaining real-world experience. There are things that one can learn in college which are somewhat less available in other contexts, such as astrophysics, advanced chemistry, nuclear engineering, the mathematics of operations research. People can train themselves on these topics, and if you would rather go in for the dismal rigour of military training you might be allowed to pursue your interests in some of these areas. So if you aren't looking for bleeding edge scientific, mathematical, or technical training, academia is probably not a good choice.
At the same time, it has been my direct personal experience that you can make opportunities for yourself no matter where you are. Education is possible in any context, meeting people is possible in any context. During my college years I was invited to supper with Ed Koch, Rupert Murdoch, Jascha Heifetz, then-head of the Ford Foundation Franklin Thomas, and a number of other luminaries based in New York because I had been selected as a John Jay scholar. I also met Abby Hoffman who came to our campus to speak. In grad school, our dean made sure we met business leaders in various industries during our weekly "dean's seminar" including Joe Allen of Space Industries, Ivan Boesky of the eponymous arbitrage company, and dozens of others.
Robert Heinlein once wrote that you can even get a quality education in a public school, as long as you are willing to do extra reading and independent study.
Bravo, kid! LIVE your life. You only get one. Touch the sky. When you take your last breath you'll know in your heart you were true to yourself. You will be lonely at times, you will be in a minority but the fact is not many can say that.
Seeds in a silo either rot, get eaten by rats or are sucked into "the system" and ground to flower at best ...
Whereas a seed that gets blown away by the wind or sometimes eaten by a bird and pooped-out INdigested may sprout and thrive to the best of its DNA-given potential and often in the most unexpected places ...
Beware of some networks where you either become the spider or the fly ... 🤣🤣🤣