CHOOSING A COLLEGE DEGREE: Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Education

[Deleted member 155024]

well, it's very fascinating but also really competitive and intense.
law just covers everything; i have philosophy of law, history of law, roman law, public law, private law, criminal law etc. etc.
if you study law, you will have an insane amount of knowledge that can help you in almost any occupational field. for example, you can get into politics and higher management very easily.

i can definitely recommend it but it most definitely is very hard and competitive. this fall, 40% of students dropped out...
i have exams coming up in a week, so wish me luck

Mirin so hard I wanna be like u when I grow up

 

[imontheloose]

View attachment 3815467

Fair enough, son.

I hate the degree, but also love it. Perhaps it's Stockholm syndrome-esque.

 

[imontheloose]

Ik niggas who did engineering and now they're working minimum wage at start ups

Me too. Engineering is commonly more based on you inventing something yourself and/or using your knowledge to resolve an unfixed problem. If you don't get high enough an accreditation, you won't have a chance getting employed at a respectable company.

 

[avenox]

~Choosing a College Degree~​

​

---

Introduction

Success in your professional life boils down to a fundamental question: do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or are you better suited for a traditional employment path? Be honest with yourself. While "escaping the 9-5" and achieving rapid wealth through entrepreneurship sounds good and is heavily marketed, the reality for most people is different. Many grifters trying to sell you courses and e-books capitalize on this fantasy, but true entrepreneurial success is not as easy as a lot of dudes (mostly kids tbh) seem to think. The sad reality is that most people are NOT made for that.​

This guide is mostly focused on picking the right degree for your goals and qualities and what degrees are you better off avoiding, but I also touch on the very damaging idea of not getting a degree at all, IF DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. If you disagree with anything I say regarding going to college or degree choices, that's completely fine, you can curse me all you want and call me a cuck in the replies, but please attempt to read this thread through the end and with a rational viewpoint.

---

Spoiler: The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. Employment

The common narratives around avoiding college, the "9-5," and "escaping the matrix" are built on individual success stories of self-made millionaires without traditional degrees that exploit people falling victim to survivorship bias.​

View attachment 3814953
Statistically, individuals with college degrees tend to earn significantly more, have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to become millionaires. For example, a bachelor’s degree increases median earnings by approximately 68% compared to a high school diploma. Unemployment rates also decline with education: those without a diploma face a 5.5% rate, high school graduates 4.0%, bachelor’s degree holders 2.2%, and PhD holders just 1.1%.

When it comes to wealth, around 80% of self-made millionaires have a college degree, not including cases like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, who dropped out only after their ventures had already taken off.

I'm not saying don't aim to become a business owner, but don't give up the best asset you have (if it suits you) in the current market for job and networking opportunities. If you're smart, you're thinking about what gets you the best chances of making it, and not gambling your future away on the possibility of becoming rich through saturated TikTok markets only if everything goes like you expect it does (which it won't, probably).
Having a good chance of success as an entrepreneur requires inherent traits and a certain tolerance for risk. Here are good indicators:

• You actively identify unmet needs: Instead of just complaining about problems, you're constantly noticing gaps, inefficiencies or ways things could be done better.
• You have a history of initiating projects or ventures independently: Not just dreaming about, but actually doing it. Have you ever started a club, organized an event, built something from scratch, or tried to sell something, purely out of your own initiative?
• You are driven by the creation of tangible value, not just income: I won't lie to you, PROFIT IS THE GOAL, but the primary motivator is seeing your ideas come to life and provide something useful to others. You get satisfaction from building or developing something that solves a real problem, not just gaining money.
• You search for knowledge and develop skills relevant to your ideas: If you have an idea, you immediately start learning about the industry, the technology, the marketing, or whatever is necessary to bring it to fruition.
• You have an understanding of resource allocation and finances: You understand the necessity of managing time, money, and effort effectively. (This is where a lot of you fail, thankfully it can be developed).
• You have the ability to persuade and influence others: Entrepreneurship requires selling and rhetoric, to sell, to get investor capital or make a team adopt an idea. You must naturally possess or be actively developing the ability to articulate your visions.

If you don't have these traits, or if your interest in "business" is superficial without understanding the immense dedication and operational difficulties involved, reconsider. Most startups fail for that reason, 20% of them fail in the first year, 30% fail in 3 years, 50% don't survive the fifth year, and 70% don't make it past the tenth. Dedicating your time and resources to a venture you're not truly suited for can be a significant issue and limit the opportunities you could've gotten. For most, a stable path as a traditional employee is most often ideal.

---

Spoiler: A Small Reality Check

Even if you're serious about becoming an entrepreneur and have the right skill set, you’ll likely still need to enter the job market first. Unless your business becomes profitable from day one (which is almost impossible), you’ll need a paycheck to survive. The 9-to-5 is not a curse, it’s a stepping stone. Sometimes it's the only stone you’ll step on, and that’s okay. It’s just one of many paths.

And just to further pop the fantasy bubble: the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs and successful founders built their careers inside corporate structures before launching their own ventures.

• The average Fortune 500 CEO is 57 years old.
• The average age at which entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed is 45.

That whole idea of a teenager becoming a billionaire through dropshipping after watching a TikTok IS FICTION. Real entrepreneurial success comes with time, maturity, connections, and industry knowledge all of which are developed over years of work and learning.

Please be realistic. You are not the main character, if you're 14 to 20, you have so many years ahead of you to build wealth. Odds are you won’t become rich now, and those odds drop even further if you make retarded decisions that limit your long-term potential.

"Defending wageslaving, what a cuck!" Well boohoo, that's the reality of capitalism, which given the odds you are not likely to escape. So better make peace with it now. Yes, try your best to become as successful as you can, but knowing the rules of the game before you step into it is useful if you don't wanna become dillisiouned with your life later on.

---

Choosing A Degree

A well-chosen degree provides a strong foundation, opens doors to networks, and gives you skills applicable to both employment and future entrepreneurial paths, but you have to choose one based on your base interests and skills.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset:
I'm going to tell you right now, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, get into a tech or engineering degree. No, they will not be replaced by AI any time soon, they're the future of building modern products, and out of all the startup routes, this is the easiest in terms of making products, distributing them, and raising capital. If you're interested in any of these degrees but are unsure which one to pick, statistically speaking, most successful CEOs are electrical engineers.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Best Suited For
Computer Science (CS)	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	AI-oriented startups, software developers.
Software Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (I'm studying this, it's not that hard)	Software developers.
Electrical Engineering		Very High	Very High (Heavy math/physics)	Hardware entrepreneurs.
Mechanical Engineering	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	Robotics/product designers.
Industrial Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (No abstract math, mostly logic-based)	Any kind of industrial production business.

If you don't have an entrepreneurial mindset:
Here your best bet are STEM degrees or the more common options, these are incredibly valuable and leading to high-paying, stable careers, and have more directly employment option, although obviously, they don't directly enable the creation of new products or businesses from the ground up as easily.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Career Outcomes
Medicine	½	Extremely High	Extremely High (Years + intelligence)	Healthcare: doctors, surgeons, specialists.
Chemical Engineering		High	Very High (Chemistry + math)	Energy, pharma, manufacturing, petrochemical industries.
Other tech		Moderate-High	Moderate	IT support, data analyst, etc.
Civil Engineering		Moderate	High (Structural + fieldwork)	Public infrastructure, construction firms, government.
Law	½	Very High (oversaturated)	High (Logic & memorization)	Legal practice, policy, compliance, corporate law.
Biomedical Engineering		High	High (Interdisciplinary + bio/tech)	Medical devices, hospitals, R&D in healthcare.
Sciences	½	Low to Moderate	Very High (Research-heavy)	Academia, lab research, etc.

There are also other options I didn't include, like finance, business administration, politics, etc., I decided to keep them off the list because I don't have enough knowledge about them to speak critically, and while a lot of rich people do study these, majority of them aren't self-made and just went to college to inherit daddy's position and for the networking.

---

When A Degree Isn't Worth It

Ideally, getting one of the degrees listed above will give you the best chances in terms of financial stability, professional connections, and the foundational skills for entrepreneurship later in life. However, of course, getting a degree is not the only path if you're not interested in any of the options I listed above, but you have to understand that you're taking a huge compromise by not getting a degree. Some of the alternative options include:

• Trade Schools and Vocational Training: Mastering a skilled trade (plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive repair, culinary) can lead to immediate employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own service-based business. These paths often require less upfront investment and offer quicker entry into the workforce, but their potential of scalability are much worse and frankly it isn't as glamorous.
• Certifications and Online Learning: For specialized skills that don't require a full degree, certifications (project management, specific software proficiencies, cybersecurity, digital marketing) can be super valuable. Coursera and edX offer high-quality courses which could be very valuable. Again, here's there's even less scalability.

If you have interests in any other college degree and it isn't included in the list, or is minimally related to any of the options I mention, it's probably a bad choice, it is not a smart idea to get into significant debt for a degree that doesn't leave you with strong career prospects or provides skills you can learn elsewhere, for example you can learn effectively and affordably through online resources, certifications, or trade schools, those options are smarter than a shitty degree.

But honestly if I were you and I wanted the best chances, unless I had a crazy business idea that I can start without a degree (and I'm sure will have success, unlikely) or I was a very talented artists, I'd frankly just suck it up and pick something with good career outcomes even if I don't like the career.

---

(It is also important to note that despite framing information throughout the thread as a universal truth, I don't think you should trust me 100%, nobody knows where you'll find success, how the market will evolve or if you're really cutout to be a successful entrepeneur, take this information as just one source, think critically, do your own research and make educated guesses.)

Shoutout to @pajjeetslayer and @Sujumh for the thread idea. Hope y'all found it useful.

Or you can do a trade and get good money without being in debt.

 

[KeepCopingLads]

~Choosing a College Degree~​

​

---

Introduction

Success in your professional life boils down to a fundamental question: do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or are you better suited for a traditional employment path? Be honest with yourself. While "escaping the 9-5" and achieving rapid wealth through entrepreneurship sounds good and is heavily marketed, the reality for most people is different. Many grifters trying to sell you courses and e-books capitalize on this fantasy, but true entrepreneurial success is not as easy as a lot of dudes (mostly kids tbh) seem to think. The sad reality is that most people are NOT made for that.​

This guide is mostly focused on picking the right degree for your goals and qualities and what degrees are you better off avoiding, but I also touch on the very damaging idea of not getting a degree at all, IF DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. If you disagree with anything I say regarding going to college or degree choices, that's completely fine, you can curse me all you want and call me a cuck in the replies, but please attempt to read this thread through the end and with a rational viewpoint.

---

Spoiler: The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. Employment

The common narratives around avoiding college, the "9-5," and "escaping the matrix" are built on individual success stories of self-made millionaires without traditional degrees that exploit people falling victim to survivorship bias.​

View attachment 3814953
Statistically, individuals with college degrees tend to earn significantly more, have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to become millionaires. For example, a bachelor’s degree increases median earnings by approximately 68% compared to a high school diploma. Unemployment rates also decline with education: those without a diploma face a 5.5% rate, high school graduates 4.0%, bachelor’s degree holders 2.2%, and PhD holders just 1.1%.

When it comes to wealth, around 80% of self-made millionaires have a college degree, not including cases like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, who dropped out only after their ventures had already taken off.

I'm not saying don't aim to become a business owner, but don't give up the best asset you have (if it suits you) in the current market for job and networking opportunities. If you're smart, you're thinking about what gets you the best chances of making it, and not gambling your future away on the possibility of becoming rich through saturated TikTok markets only if everything goes like you expect it does (which it won't, probably).
Having a good chance of success as an entrepreneur requires inherent traits and a certain tolerance for risk. Here are good indicators:

• You actively identify unmet needs: Instead of just complaining about problems, you're constantly noticing gaps, inefficiencies or ways things could be done better.
• You have a history of initiating projects or ventures independently: Not just dreaming about, but actually doing it. Have you ever started a club, organized an event, built something from scratch, or tried to sell something, purely out of your own initiative?
• You are driven by the creation of tangible value, not just income: I won't lie to you, PROFIT IS THE GOAL, but the primary motivator is seeing your ideas come to life and provide something useful to others. You get satisfaction from building or developing something that solves a real problem, not just gaining money.
• You search for knowledge and develop skills relevant to your ideas: If you have an idea, you immediately start learning about the industry, the technology, the marketing, or whatever is necessary to bring it to fruition.
• You have an understanding of resource allocation and finances: You understand the necessity of managing time, money, and effort effectively. (This is where a lot of you fail, thankfully it can be developed).
• You have the ability to persuade and influence others: Entrepreneurship requires selling and rhetoric, to sell, to get investor capital or make a team adopt an idea. You must naturally possess or be actively developing the ability to articulate your visions.

If you don't have these traits, or if your interest in "business" is superficial without understanding the immense dedication and operational difficulties involved, reconsider. Most startups fail for that reason, 20% of them fail in the first year, 30% fail in 3 years, 50% don't survive the fifth year, and 70% don't make it past the tenth. Dedicating your time and resources to a venture you're not truly suited for can be a significant issue and limit the opportunities you could've gotten. For most, a stable path as a traditional employee is most often ideal.

---

Spoiler: A Small Reality Check

Even if you're serious about becoming an entrepreneur and have the right skill set, you’ll likely still need to enter the job market first. Unless your business becomes profitable from day one (which is almost impossible), you’ll need a paycheck to survive. The 9-to-5 is not a curse, it’s a stepping stone. Sometimes it's the only stone you’ll step on, and that’s okay. It’s just one of many paths.

And just to further pop the fantasy bubble: the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs and successful founders built their careers inside corporate structures before launching their own ventures.

• The average Fortune 500 CEO is 57 years old.
• The average age at which entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed is 45.

That whole idea of a teenager becoming a billionaire through dropshipping after watching a TikTok IS FICTION. Real entrepreneurial success comes with time, maturity, connections, and industry knowledge all of which are developed over years of work and learning.

Please be realistic. You are not the main character, if you're 14 to 20, you have so many years ahead of you to build wealth. Odds are you won’t become rich now, and those odds drop even further if you make retarded decisions that limit your long-term potential.

"Defending wageslaving, what a cuck!" Well boohoo, that's the reality of capitalism, which given the odds you are not likely to escape. So better make peace with it now. Yes, try your best to become as successful as you can, but knowing the rules of the game before you step into it is useful if you don't wanna become dillisiouned with your life later on.

---

Choosing A Degree

A well-chosen degree provides a strong foundation, opens doors to networks, and gives you skills applicable to both employment and future entrepreneurial paths, but you have to choose one based on your base interests and skills.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset:
I'm going to tell you right now, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, get into a tech or engineering degree. No, they will not be replaced by AI any time soon, they're the future of building modern products, and out of all the startup routes, this is the easiest in terms of making products, distributing them, and raising capital. If you're interested in any of these degrees but are unsure which one to pick, statistically speaking, most successful CEOs are electrical engineers.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Best Suited For
Computer Science (CS)	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	AI-oriented startups, software developers.
Software Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (I'm studying this, it's not that hard)	Software developers.
Electrical Engineering		Very High	Very High (Heavy math/physics)	Hardware entrepreneurs.
Mechanical Engineering	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	Robotics/product designers.
Industrial Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (No abstract math, mostly logic-based)	Any kind of industrial production business.

If you don't have an entrepreneurial mindset:
Here your best bet are STEM degrees or the more common options, these are incredibly valuable and leading to high-paying, stable careers, and have more directly employment option, although obviously, they don't directly enable the creation of new products or businesses from the ground up as easily.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Career Outcomes
Medicine	½	Extremely High	Extremely High (Years + intelligence)	Healthcare: doctors, surgeons, specialists.
Chemical Engineering		High	Very High (Chemistry + math)	Energy, pharma, manufacturing, petrochemical industries.
Other tech		Moderate-High	Moderate	IT support, data analyst, etc.
Civil Engineering		Moderate	High (Structural + fieldwork)	Public infrastructure, construction firms, government.
Law	½	Very High (oversaturated)	High (Logic & memorization)	Legal practice, policy, compliance, corporate law.
Biomedical Engineering		High	High (Interdisciplinary + bio/tech)	Medical devices, hospitals, R&D in healthcare.
Sciences	½	Low to Moderate	Very High (Research-heavy)	Academia, lab research, etc.

There are also other options I didn't include, like finance, business administration, politics, etc., I decided to keep them off the list because I don't have enough knowledge about them to speak critically, and while a lot of rich people do study these, majority of them aren't self-made and just went to college to inherit daddy's position and for the networking.

---

When A Degree Isn't Worth It

Ideally, getting one of the degrees listed above will give you the best chances in terms of financial stability, professional connections, and the foundational skills for entrepreneurship later in life. However, of course, getting a degree is not the only path if you're not interested in any of the options I listed above, but you have to understand that you're taking a huge compromise by not getting a degree. Some of the alternative options include:

• Trade Schools and Vocational Training: Mastering a skilled trade (plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive repair, culinary) can lead to immediate employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own service-based business. These paths often require less upfront investment and offer quicker entry into the workforce, but their potential of scalability are much worse and frankly it isn't as glamorous.
• Certifications and Online Learning: For specialized skills that don't require a full degree, certifications (project management, specific software proficiencies, cybersecurity, digital marketing) can be super valuable. Coursera and edX offer high-quality courses which could be very valuable. Again, here's there's even less scalability.

If you have interests in any other college degree and it isn't included in the list, or is minimally related to any of the options I mention, it's probably a bad choice, it is not a smart idea to get into significant debt for a degree that doesn't leave you with strong career prospects or provides skills you can learn elsewhere, for example you can learn effectively and affordably through online resources, certifications, or trade schools, those options are smarter than a shitty degree.

But honestly if I were you and I wanted the best chances, unless I had a crazy business idea that I can start without a degree (and I'm sure will have success, unlikely) or I was a very talented artists, I'd frankly just suck it up and pick something with good career outcomes even if I don't like the career.

---

(It is also important to note that despite framing information throughout the thread as a universal truth, I don't think you should trust me 100%, nobody knows where you'll find success, how the market will evolve or if you're really cutout to be a successful entrepeneur, take this information as just one source, think critically, do your own research and make educated guesses.)

Shoutout to @pajjeetslayer and @Sujumh for the thread idea. Hope y'all found it useful.

dentistry gng on top

 

[SoNotFunny]

Me too. Engineering is commonly more based on you inventing something yourself and/or using your knowledge to resolve an unfixed problem. If you don't get high enough an accreditation, you won't have a chance getting employed at a respectable company.

Yeah. Not to mention the outsourcing that we see nowadays. Those fucking jeets are taking all the good white collar jobs. Niggas complaining mexicans taking all the jobs but those are the blue collar jobs nobody wants, we need a mass deportation and rape of jeets in tech

 

[imontheloose]

Yeah. Not to mention the outsourcing that we see nowadays. Those fucking jeets are taking all the good white collar jobs. Niggas complaining mexicans taking all the jobs but those are the blue collar jobs nobody wants, we need a mass deportation and rape of jeets in tech

Yeah. I mean, if the government is going to let a bunch of third worlders in who want a banana an hour to work, of course big tech will have no problem replacing the cohort with curries. Really is sad. One of my flatmates was an Indian doing economics and he even told me himself how "fucked England is with immigration."

 

[Deleted member 155024]

Yeah. I mean, if the government is going to let a bunch of third worlders in who want a banana an hour to work, of course big tech will have no problem replacing the cohort with curries. Really is sad. One of my flatmates was an Indian doing economics and he even told me himself how "fucked England is with immigration."

Not even immigrants like immigrants truly over

 

[imontheloose]

Not even immigrants like immigrants truly over

He was FOB too.

 

[Restitutor Orbis]

I'd put industrial engineering up higher because of re-shoring bringing back factories to the US. Those typically need a whole lot of industrial engineers, so there will be a great deal of growth in job openings, which pushes up salaries

 

[KeepCopingLads]

real ones get a degree but stay unemployed

 

[heartonfire]

~Choosing a College Degree~​

​

---

Introduction

Success in your professional life boils down to a fundamental question: do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or are you better suited for a traditional employment path? Be honest with yourself. While "escaping the 9-5" and achieving rapid wealth through entrepreneurship sounds good and is heavily marketed, the reality for most people is different. Many grifters trying to sell you courses and e-books capitalize on this fantasy, but true entrepreneurial success is not as easy as a lot of dudes (mostly kids tbh) seem to think. The sad reality is that most people are NOT made for that.​

This guide is mostly focused on picking the right degree for your goals and qualities and what degrees are you better off avoiding, but I also touch on the very damaging idea of not getting a degree at all, IF DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. If you disagree with anything I say regarding going to college or degree choices, that's completely fine, you can curse me all you want and call me a cuck in the replies, but please attempt to read this thread through the end and with a rational viewpoint.

---

Spoiler: The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. Employment

The common narratives around avoiding college, the "9-5," and "escaping the matrix" are built on individual success stories of self-made millionaires without traditional degrees that exploit people falling victim to survivorship bias.​

View attachment 3814953
Statistically, individuals with college degrees tend to earn significantly more, have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to become millionaires. For example, a bachelor’s degree increases median earnings by approximately 68% compared to a high school diploma. Unemployment rates also decline with education: those without a diploma face a 5.5% rate, high school graduates 4.0%, bachelor’s degree holders 2.2%, and PhD holders just 1.1%.

When it comes to wealth, around 80% of self-made millionaires have a college degree, not including cases like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, who dropped out only after their ventures had already taken off.

I'm not saying don't aim to become a business owner, but don't give up the best asset you have (if it suits you) in the current market for job and networking opportunities. If you're smart, you're thinking about what gets you the best chances of making it, and not gambling your future away on the possibility of becoming rich through saturated TikTok markets only if everything goes like you expect it does (which it won't, probably).
Having a good chance of success as an entrepreneur requires inherent traits and a certain tolerance for risk. Here are good indicators:

• You actively identify unmet needs: Instead of just complaining about problems, you're constantly noticing gaps, inefficiencies or ways things could be done better.
• You have a history of initiating projects or ventures independently: Not just dreaming about, but actually doing it. Have you ever started a club, organized an event, built something from scratch, or tried to sell something, purely out of your own initiative?
• You are driven by the creation of tangible value, not just income: I won't lie to you, PROFIT IS THE GOAL, but the primary motivator is seeing your ideas come to life and provide something useful to others. You get satisfaction from building or developing something that solves a real problem, not just gaining money.
• You search for knowledge and develop skills relevant to your ideas: If you have an idea, you immediately start learning about the industry, the technology, the marketing, or whatever is necessary to bring it to fruition.
• You have an understanding of resource allocation and finances: You understand the necessity of managing time, money, and effort effectively. (This is where a lot of you fail, thankfully it can be developed).
• You have the ability to persuade and influence others: Entrepreneurship requires selling and rhetoric, to sell, to get investor capital or make a team adopt an idea. You must naturally possess or be actively developing the ability to articulate your visions.

If you don't have these traits, or if your interest in "business" is superficial without understanding the immense dedication and operational difficulties involved, reconsider. Most startups fail for that reason, 20% of them fail in the first year, 30% fail in 3 years, 50% don't survive the fifth year, and 70% don't make it past the tenth. Dedicating your time and resources to a venture you're not truly suited for can be a significant issue and limit the opportunities you could've gotten. For most, a stable path as a traditional employee is most often ideal.

---

Spoiler: A Small Reality Check

Even if you're serious about becoming an entrepreneur and have the right skill set, you’ll likely still need to enter the job market first. Unless your business becomes profitable from day one (which is almost impossible), you’ll need a paycheck to survive. The 9-to-5 is not a curse, it’s a stepping stone. Sometimes it's the only stone you’ll step on, and that’s okay. It’s just one of many paths.

And just to further pop the fantasy bubble: the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs and successful founders built their careers inside corporate structures before launching their own ventures.

• The average Fortune 500 CEO is 57 years old.
• The average age at which entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed is 45.

That whole idea of a teenager becoming a billionaire through dropshipping after watching a TikTok IS FICTION. Real entrepreneurial success comes with time, maturity, connections, and industry knowledge all of which are developed over years of work and learning.

Please be realistic. You are not the main character, if you're 14 to 20, you have so many years ahead of you to build wealth. Odds are you won’t become rich now, and those odds drop even further if you make retarded decisions that limit your long-term potential.

"Defending wageslaving, what a cuck!" Well boohoo, that's the reality of capitalism, which given the odds you are not likely to escape. So better make peace with it now. Yes, try your best to become as successful as you can, but knowing the rules of the game before you step into it is useful if you don't wanna become dillisiouned with your life later on.

---

Choosing A Degree

A well-chosen degree provides a strong foundation, opens doors to networks, and gives you skills applicable to both employment and future entrepreneurial paths, but you have to choose one based on your base interests and skills.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset:
I'm going to tell you right now, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, get into a tech or engineering degree. No, they will not be replaced by AI any time soon, they're the future of building modern products, and out of all the startup routes, this is the easiest in terms of making products, distributing them, and raising capital. If you're interested in any of these degrees but are unsure which one to pick, statistically speaking, most successful CEOs are electrical engineers.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Best Suited For
Computer Science (CS)	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	AI-oriented startups, software developers.
Software Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (I'm studying this, it's not that hard)	Software developers.
Electrical Engineering		Very High	Very High (Heavy math/physics)	Hardware entrepreneurs.
Mechanical Engineering	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	Robotics/product designers.
Industrial Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (No abstract math, mostly logic-based)	Any kind of industrial production business.

If you don't have an entrepreneurial mindset:
Here your best bet are STEM degrees or the more common options, these are incredibly valuable and leading to high-paying, stable careers, and have more directly employment option, although obviously, they don't directly enable the creation of new products or businesses from the ground up as easily.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Career Outcomes
Medicine	½	Extremely High	Extremely High (Years + intelligence)	Healthcare: doctors, surgeons, specialists.
Chemical Engineering		High	Very High (Chemistry + math)	Energy, pharma, manufacturing, petrochemical industries.
Other tech		Moderate-High	Moderate	IT support, data analyst, etc.
Civil Engineering		Moderate	High (Structural + fieldwork)	Public infrastructure, construction firms, government.
Law	½	Very High (oversaturated)	High (Logic & memorization)	Legal practice, policy, compliance, corporate law.
Biomedical Engineering		High	High (Interdisciplinary + bio/tech)	Medical devices, hospitals, R&D in healthcare.
Sciences	½	Low to Moderate	Very High (Research-heavy)	Academia, lab research, etc.

There are also other options I didn't include, like finance, business administration, politics, etc., I decided to keep them off the list because I don't have enough knowledge about them to speak critically, and while a lot of rich people do study these, majority of them aren't self-made and just went to college to inherit daddy's position and for the networking.

---

When A Degree Isn't Worth It

Ideally, getting one of the degrees listed above will give you the best chances in terms of financial stability, professional connections, and the foundational skills for entrepreneurship later in life. However, of course, getting a degree is not the only path if you're not interested in any of the options I listed above, but you have to understand that you're taking a huge compromise by not getting a degree. Some of the alternative options include:

• Trade Schools and Vocational Training: Mastering a skilled trade (plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive repair, culinary) can lead to immediate employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own service-based business. These paths often require less upfront investment and offer quicker entry into the workforce, but their potential of scalability are much worse and frankly it isn't as glamorous.
• Certifications and Online Learning: For specialized skills that don't require a full degree, certifications (project management, specific software proficiencies, cybersecurity, digital marketing) can be super valuable. Coursera and edX offer high-quality courses which could be very valuable. Again, here's there's even less scalability.

If you have interests in any other college degree and it isn't included in the list, or is minimally related to any of the options I mention, it's probably a bad choice, it is not a smart idea to get into significant debt for a degree that doesn't leave you with strong career prospects or provides skills you can learn elsewhere, for example you can learn effectively and affordably through online resources, certifications, or trade schools, those options are smarter than a shitty degree.

But honestly if I were you and I wanted the best chances, unless I had a crazy business idea that I can start without a degree (and I'm sure will have success, unlikely) or I was a very talented artists, I'd frankly just suck it up and pick something with good career outcomes even if I don't like the career.

---

(It is also important to note that despite framing information throughout the thread as a universal truth, I don't think you should trust me 100%, nobody knows where you'll find success, how the market will evolve or if you're really cutout to be a successful entrepeneur, take this information as just one source, think critically, do your own research and make educated guesses.)

Shoutout to @pajjeetslayer and @Sujumh for the thread idea. Hope y'all found it useful.

sup zeekie! i signed a client today! you happy for me?

 

[Zeekie]

sup zeekie! i signed a client today! you happy for me?

YES I'M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!

 

[Sujumh]

EVERY SINGLE MOLECULE

 

[AlphaLooksmaxxer666]

what about biology, the literal incel degree.

 

[Zeekie]

what about biology, the literal incel degree.

I categorize it under the sciences, high iq, not too competitive, outcomes depend on how good you do in college, if you get into a good college, do a healthy amount of research, you could get yourself into a position as a professor or stay in academia doing research. Becoming a school teacher or scientific communicator, but that's a much more uncertain career outcome, though it could work if it's a passion of yours.

 

[AlphaLooksmaxxer666]

I categorize it under the sciences, high iq, not too competitive, outcomes depend on how good you do in college, if you get into a good college, do a healthy amount of research, you could get yourself into a position as a professor or stay in academia doing research. Becoming a school teacher or scientific communicator, but that's a much more uncertain career outcome, though it could work if it's a passion of yours.

View attachment 3822226

ok thanks bro, now I read all your post. I think cs has the highest ROI for entrepeneurship. Good post.

 

[Zeekie]

ok thanks bro, now I read all your post. I think cs has the highest ROI for entrepeneurship. Good post.

A lot of people seemed to be really mad at the rating for Computer Science, and I get where they're coming from, CS became the go-to degree for bums that don't know what to do with the lives but have mommy and daddy at their backs to go to college, so since they spent hours a day in front of a computer think they're a good fit for CS.

From a purely statistical standpoint, and if you're actually dedicated to the degree CS is an incredible pick, only behind engineering. The only reason why I put it higher is that as you said, it's probably the best degree to have as a founder/entrepreneur in the current market, most of the SaaS products being built or that will be built in the future will rely on AI or will be entirely centered around AI, that's invaluable.

Honestly, if you're perfect with computers, have an actual interests in coding, algorithms and AI get yourself into CS. But if you're thinking of getting into it because you really don't know what to pick, I'd go with engineering if you can handle some math. My third pick would either be Software Engineering or other types of Engineering

 

[roadtochang123]

I wanna go for EE for college, but im afraid that my IQ is too low for ts Maybe swtiching to ME

 

[Zeekie]

I wanna go for EE for college, but im afraid that my IQ is too low for ts Maybe swtiching to ME

Honestly math is as much of a skill as anything else, your IQ is likely not too low for math, you just never bothered to specialize on it. If you're interested in EE 100% go for it, easily top 3 degrees out there with amazing career prospects either if you want to go the employment route or potentially start a business. It basically forces you to dip your toes in just about every field of tech (even software).

But if you're truly unsure MIT OpenCourseWare has tons of lectures and material on Electrical Engineering and adjacent topics, if you're serious about it, watch some of the lectures, put in some research work, try to solve some of the problems and find out if you hold up to the standard.

 

[Zeekie]

I wanna go for EE for college, but im afraid that my IQ is too low for ts Maybe swtiching to ME

Search | MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials

MIT OpenCourseWare is a web based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity

ocw.mit.edu

 

[roadtochang123]

Honestly math is as much of a skill as anything else, your IQ is likely not too low for math, you just never bothered to specialize on it. If you're interested in EE 100% go for it, easily top 3 degrees out there with amazing career prospects either if you want to go the employment route or potentially start a business. It basically forces you to dip your toes in just about every field of tech (even software).

But if you're truly unsure MIT OpenCourseWare has tons of lectures and material on Electrical Engineering and adjacent topics, if you're serious about it, watch some of the lectures, put in some research work, try to solve some of the problems and find out if you hold up to the standard.

Im in asia and they got some entry level calculus 2 from college in other countries for senior students to study here

Im like the A type of student who could never gets to A+ because of his genetic capabilities. I'd love to learn anything tbh as long as it gurantees me a future of no poverty and sucking off my old parents

 

[Zeekie]

Im in asia and they got some entry level calculus 2 from college in other countries for senior students to study here

Im like the A type of student who could never gets to A+ because of his genetic capabilities. I'd love to learn anything tbh as long as it gurantees me a future of no poverty and sucking off my old parents

Honestly, aim for the skies but come into college with preparation. If you're interested in EE you could start learning today, that's kinda what I "did", I was doing software engineering and game development to some extent ever since I was 14, but before college I decided to lock in and actually took a couple courses on Software Engineering, I'd spent 1 hour practicing, watching courses and doing coursework, I kept that up for about 6 months until I stopped doing it for some reason.

The effort paid off however, maybe it's just that Software Engineering is not as hard as I assume it'd be, but I'm not struggling at all because all the material is stuff that I have seen in one way or the other.

Regardless, and I know it's easier said than done, you can always switch majors if you feel EE is really crushing you.

 

[roadtochang123]

Honestly, aim for the skies but come into college with preparation. If you're interested in EE you could start learning today, that's kinda what I "did", I was doing software engineering and game development to some extent ever since I was 14, but before college I decided to lock in and actually took a couple courses on Software Engineering, I'd spent 1 hour practicing, watching courses and doing coursework, I kept that up for about 6 months until I stopped doing it for some reason.

The effort paid off however, maybe it's just that Software Engineering is not as hard as I assume it'd be, but I'm not struggling at all because all the material is stuff that I have seen in one way or the other.

Regardless, and I know it's easier said than done, you can always switch majors if you feel EE is really crushing you.

Thanks alot for the advice bro. It was extremely insightful


Also if you come from a poor family is it ok to get a traditional part time job like working in a coffee shop or something? Or is it better to invest yourself into your studies and take up students loan?

 

[Zeekie]

Thanks alot for the advice bro. It was extremely insightful


Also if you come from a poor family is it ok to get a traditional part time job like working in a coffee shop or something? Or is it better to invest yourself into your studies and take up students loan?

Well I don't come from a wealthy family, I'd say low-middle class, so as soon as I got to 18 I asked my mom to help me get a job to start saving for college (and looksmaxxing, ahem). I was lucky enough to get a partial scholarship into a very good university in Italy but had to take some loans too. So I'd say do both, as long as it's a job that doesn't take too much out of you as to start to dip into your studies.

I eventually quit that job (as a waiter btw) because I wanted to get into internships to add to my portfolio once I graduated, I was lucky enough to get the dad of a friend to get me one, and that eventually turned into a job for some startup. So yeah, 100% work in college and get into realistic loans if you have to, ideally get into internships if you ever get the chance because they're going to be so useful once you graduate and need a job.

 

[RedRobinAscend]

~Choosing a College Degree~​

​

---

Introduction

Success in your professional life boils down to a fundamental question: do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or are you better suited for a traditional employment path? Be honest with yourself. While "escaping the 9-5" and achieving rapid wealth through entrepreneurship sounds good and is heavily marketed, the reality for most people is different. Many grifters trying to sell you courses and e-books capitalize on this fantasy, but true entrepreneurial success is not as easy as a lot of dudes (mostly kids tbh) seem to think. The sad reality is that most people are NOT made for that.​

This guide is mostly focused on picking the right degree for your goals and qualities and what degrees are you better off avoiding, but I also touch on the very damaging idea of not getting a degree at all, IF DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. If you disagree with anything I say regarding going to college or degree choices, that's completely fine, you can curse me all you want and call me a cuck in the replies, but please attempt to read this thread through the end and with a rational viewpoint.

---

Spoiler: The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. Employment

The common narratives around avoiding college, the "9-5," and "escaping the matrix" are built on individual success stories of self-made millionaires without traditional degrees that exploit people falling victim to survivorship bias.​

View attachment 3814953
Statistically, individuals with college degrees tend to earn significantly more, have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to become millionaires. For example, a bachelor’s degree increases median earnings by approximately 68% compared to a high school diploma. Unemployment rates also decline with education: those without a diploma face a 5.5% rate, high school graduates 4.0%, bachelor’s degree holders 2.2%, and PhD holders just 1.1%.

When it comes to wealth, around 80% of self-made millionaires have a college degree, not including cases like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, who dropped out only after their ventures had already taken off.

I'm not saying don't aim to become a business owner, but don't give up the best asset you have (if it suits you) in the current market for job and networking opportunities. If you're smart, you're thinking about what gets you the best chances of making it, and not gambling your future away on the possibility of becoming rich through saturated TikTok markets only if everything goes like you expect it does (which it won't, probably).
Having a good chance of success as an entrepreneur requires inherent traits and a certain tolerance for risk. Here are good indicators:

• You actively identify unmet needs: Instead of just complaining about problems, you're constantly noticing gaps, inefficiencies or ways things could be done better.
• You have a history of initiating projects or ventures independently: Not just dreaming about, but actually doing it. Have you ever started a club, organized an event, built something from scratch, or tried to sell something, purely out of your own initiative?
• You are driven by the creation of tangible value, not just income: I won't lie to you, PROFIT IS THE GOAL, but the primary motivator is seeing your ideas come to life and provide something useful to others. You get satisfaction from building or developing something that solves a real problem, not just gaining money.
• You search for knowledge and develop skills relevant to your ideas: If you have an idea, you immediately start learning about the industry, the technology, the marketing, or whatever is necessary to bring it to fruition.
• You have an understanding of resource allocation and finances: You understand the necessity of managing time, money, and effort effectively. (This is where a lot of you fail, thankfully it can be developed).
• You have the ability to persuade and influence others: Entrepreneurship requires selling and rhetoric, to sell, to get investor capital or make a team adopt an idea. You must naturally possess or be actively developing the ability to articulate your visions.

If you don't have these traits, or if your interest in "business" is superficial without understanding the immense dedication and operational difficulties involved, reconsider. Most startups fail for that reason, 20% of them fail in the first year, 30% fail in 3 years, 50% don't survive the fifth year, and 70% don't make it past the tenth. Dedicating your time and resources to a venture you're not truly suited for can be a significant issue and limit the opportunities you could've gotten. For most, a stable path as a traditional employee is most often ideal.

---

Spoiler: A Small Reality Check

Even if you're serious about becoming an entrepreneur and have the right skill set, you’ll likely still need to enter the job market first. Unless your business becomes profitable from day one (which is almost impossible), you’ll need a paycheck to survive. The 9-to-5 is not a curse, it’s a stepping stone. Sometimes it's the only stone you’ll step on, and that’s okay. It’s just one of many paths.

And just to further pop the fantasy bubble: the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs and successful founders built their careers inside corporate structures before launching their own ventures.

• The average Fortune 500 CEO is 57 years old.
• The average age at which entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed is 45.

That whole idea of a teenager becoming a billionaire through dropshipping after watching a TikTok IS FICTION. Real entrepreneurial success comes with time, maturity, connections, and industry knowledge all of which are developed over years of work and learning.

Please be realistic. You are not the main character, if you're 14 to 20, you have so many years ahead of you to build wealth. Odds are you won’t become rich now, and those odds drop even further if you make retarded decisions that limit your long-term potential.

"Defending wageslaving, what a cuck!" Well boohoo, that's the reality of capitalism, which given the odds you are not likely to escape. So better make peace with it now. Yes, try your best to become as successful as you can, but knowing the rules of the game before you step into it is useful if you don't wanna become dillisiouned with your life later on.

---

Choosing A Degree

A well-chosen degree provides a strong foundation, opens doors to networks, and gives you skills applicable to both employment and future entrepreneurial paths, but you have to choose one based on your base interests and skills.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset:
I'm going to tell you right now, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, get into a tech or engineering degree. No, they will not be replaced by AI any time soon, they're the future of building modern products, and out of all the startup routes, this is the easiest in terms of making products, distributing them, and raising capital. If you're interested in any of these degrees but are unsure which one to pick, statistically speaking, most successful CEOs are electrical engineers.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Best Suited For
Computer Science (CS)	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	AI-oriented startups, software developers.
Software Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (I'm studying this, it's not that hard)	Software developers.
Electrical Engineering		Very High	Very High (Heavy math/physics)	Hardware entrepreneurs.
Mechanical Engineering	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	Robotics/product designers.
Industrial Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (No abstract math, mostly logic-based)	Any kind of industrial production business.

If you don't have an entrepreneurial mindset:
Here your best bet are STEM degrees or the more common options, these are incredibly valuable and leading to high-paying, stable careers, and have more directly employment option, although obviously, they don't directly enable the creation of new products or businesses from the ground up as easily.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Career Outcomes
Medicine	½	Extremely High	Extremely High (Years + intelligence)	Healthcare: doctors, surgeons, specialists.
Chemical Engineering		High	Very High (Chemistry + math)	Energy, pharma, manufacturing, petrochemical industries.
Other tech		Moderate-High	Moderate	IT support, data analyst, etc.
Civil Engineering		Moderate	High (Structural + fieldwork)	Public infrastructure, construction firms, government.
Law	½	Very High (oversaturated)	High (Logic & memorization)	Legal practice, policy, compliance, corporate law.
Biomedical Engineering		High	High (Interdisciplinary + bio/tech)	Medical devices, hospitals, R&D in healthcare.
Sciences	½	Low to Moderate	Very High (Research-heavy)	Academia, lab research, etc.

There are also other options I didn't include, like finance, business administration, politics, etc., I decided to keep them off the list because I don't have enough knowledge about them to speak critically, and while a lot of rich people do study these, majority of them aren't self-made and just went to college to inherit daddy's position and for the networking.

---

When A Degree Isn't Worth It

Ideally, getting one of the degrees listed above will give you the best chances in terms of financial stability, professional connections, and the foundational skills for entrepreneurship later in life. However, of course, getting a degree is not the only path if you're not interested in any of the options I listed above, but you have to understand that you're taking a huge compromise by not getting a degree. Some of the alternative options include:

• Trade Schools and Vocational Training: Mastering a skilled trade (plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive repair, culinary) can lead to immediate employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own service-based business. These paths often require less upfront investment and offer quicker entry into the workforce, but their potential of scalability are much worse and frankly it isn't as glamorous.
• Certifications and Online Learning: For specialized skills that don't require a full degree, certifications (project management, specific software proficiencies, cybersecurity, digital marketing) can be super valuable. Coursera and edX offer high-quality courses which could be very valuable. Again, here's there's even less scalability.

If you have interests in any other college degree and it isn't included in the list, or is minimally related to any of the options I mention, it's probably a bad choice, it is not a smart idea to get into significant debt for a degree that doesn't leave you with strong career prospects or provides skills you can learn elsewhere, for example you can learn effectively and affordably through online resources, certifications, or trade schools, those options are smarter than a shitty degree.

But honestly if I were you and I wanted the best chances, unless I had a crazy business idea that I can start without a degree (and I'm sure will have success, unlikely) or I was a very talented artists, I'd frankly just suck it up and pick something with good career outcomes even if I don't like the career.

---

(It is also important to note that despite framing information throughout the thread as a universal truth, I don't think you should trust me 100%, nobody knows where you'll find success, how the market will evolve or if you're really cutout to be a successful entrepeneur, take this information as just one source, think critically, do your own research and make educated guesses.)

Shoutout to @pajjeetslayer and @Sujumh for the thread idea. Hope y'all found it useful.

what about a psychology degree, bhai?

 

[_xClarityyyy]

~Choosing a College Degree~​

​

---

Introduction

Success in your professional life boils down to a fundamental question: do you have an entrepreneurial mindset, or are you better suited for a traditional employment path? Be honest with yourself. While "escaping the 9-5" and achieving rapid wealth through entrepreneurship sounds good and is heavily marketed, the reality for most people is different. Many grifters trying to sell you courses and e-books capitalize on this fantasy, but true entrepreneurial success is not as easy as a lot of dudes (mostly kids tbh) seem to think. The sad reality is that most people are NOT made for that.​

This guide is mostly focused on picking the right degree for your goals and qualities and what degrees are you better off avoiding, but I also touch on the very damaging idea of not getting a degree at all, IF DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. If you disagree with anything I say regarding going to college or degree choices, that's completely fine, you can curse me all you want and call me a cuck in the replies, but please attempt to read this thread through the end and with a rational viewpoint.

---

Spoiler: The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. Employment

The common narratives around avoiding college, the "9-5," and "escaping the matrix" are built on individual success stories of self-made millionaires without traditional degrees that exploit people falling victim to survivorship bias.​

View attachment 3814953
Statistically, individuals with college degrees tend to earn significantly more, have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to become millionaires. For example, a bachelor’s degree increases median earnings by approximately 68% compared to a high school diploma. Unemployment rates also decline with education: those without a diploma face a 5.5% rate, high school graduates 4.0%, bachelor’s degree holders 2.2%, and PhD holders just 1.1%.

When it comes to wealth, around 80% of self-made millionaires have a college degree, not including cases like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, who dropped out only after their ventures had already taken off.

I'm not saying don't aim to become a business owner, but don't give up the best asset you have (if it suits you) in the current market for job and networking opportunities. If you're smart, you're thinking about what gets you the best chances of making it, and not gambling your future away on the possibility of becoming rich through saturated TikTok markets only if everything goes like you expect it does (which it won't, probably).
Having a good chance of success as an entrepreneur requires inherent traits and a certain tolerance for risk. Here are good indicators:

• You actively identify unmet needs: Instead of just complaining about problems, you're constantly noticing gaps, inefficiencies or ways things could be done better.
• You have a history of initiating projects or ventures independently: Not just dreaming about, but actually doing it. Have you ever started a club, organized an event, built something from scratch, or tried to sell something, purely out of your own initiative?
• You are driven by the creation of tangible value, not just income: I won't lie to you, PROFIT IS THE GOAL, but the primary motivator is seeing your ideas come to life and provide something useful to others. You get satisfaction from building or developing something that solves a real problem, not just gaining money.
• You search for knowledge and develop skills relevant to your ideas: If you have an idea, you immediately start learning about the industry, the technology, the marketing, or whatever is necessary to bring it to fruition.
• You have an understanding of resource allocation and finances: You understand the necessity of managing time, money, and effort effectively. (This is where a lot of you fail, thankfully it can be developed).
• You have the ability to persuade and influence others: Entrepreneurship requires selling and rhetoric, to sell, to get investor capital or make a team adopt an idea. You must naturally possess or be actively developing the ability to articulate your visions.

If you don't have these traits, or if your interest in "business" is superficial without understanding the immense dedication and operational difficulties involved, reconsider. Most startups fail for that reason, 20% of them fail in the first year, 30% fail in 3 years, 50% don't survive the fifth year, and 70% don't make it past the tenth. Dedicating your time and resources to a venture you're not truly suited for can be a significant issue and limit the opportunities you could've gotten. For most, a stable path as a traditional employee is most often ideal.

---

Spoiler: A Small Reality Check

Even if you're serious about becoming an entrepreneur and have the right skill set, you’ll likely still need to enter the job market first. Unless your business becomes profitable from day one (which is almost impossible), you’ll need a paycheck to survive. The 9-to-5 is not a curse, it’s a stepping stone. Sometimes it's the only stone you’ll step on, and that’s okay. It’s just one of many paths.

And just to further pop the fantasy bubble: the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs and successful founders built their careers inside corporate structures before launching their own ventures.

• The average Fortune 500 CEO is 57 years old.
• The average age at which entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed is 45.

That whole idea of a teenager becoming a billionaire through dropshipping after watching a TikTok IS FICTION. Real entrepreneurial success comes with time, maturity, connections, and industry knowledge all of which are developed over years of work and learning.

Please be realistic. You are not the main character, if you're 14 to 20, you have so many years ahead of you to build wealth. Odds are you won’t become rich now, and those odds drop even further if you make retarded decisions that limit your long-term potential.

"Defending wageslaving, what a cuck!" Well boohoo, that's the reality of capitalism, which given the odds you are not likely to escape. So better make peace with it now. Yes, try your best to become as successful as you can, but knowing the rules of the game before you step into it is useful if you don't wanna become dillisiouned with your life later on.

---

Choosing A Degree

A well-chosen degree provides a strong foundation, opens doors to networks, and gives you skills applicable to both employment and future entrepreneurial paths, but you have to choose one based on your base interests and skills.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset:
I'm going to tell you right now, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, get into a tech or engineering degree. No, they will not be replaced by AI any time soon, they're the future of building modern products, and out of all the startup routes, this is the easiest in terms of making products, distributing them, and raising capital. If you're interested in any of these degrees but are unsure which one to pick, statistically speaking, most successful CEOs are electrical engineers.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Best Suited For
Computer Science (CS)	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	AI-oriented startups, software developers.
Software Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (I'm studying this, it's not that hard)	Software developers.
Electrical Engineering		Very High	Very High (Heavy math/physics)	Hardware entrepreneurs.
Mechanical Engineering	½	High	High (Heavy math + logic)	Robotics/product designers.
Industrial Engineering		Moderate	Moderate (No abstract math, mostly logic-based)	Any kind of industrial production business.

If you don't have an entrepreneurial mindset:
Here your best bet are STEM degrees or the more common options, these are incredibly valuable and leading to high-paying, stable careers, and have more directly employment option, although obviously, they don't directly enable the creation of new products or businesses from the ground up as easily.

Degree	Value	Competitiveness	Time/IQ Investment	Career Outcomes
Medicine	½	Extremely High	Extremely High (Years + intelligence)	Healthcare: doctors, surgeons, specialists.
Chemical Engineering		High	Very High (Chemistry + math)	Energy, pharma, manufacturing, petrochemical industries.
Other tech		Moderate-High	Moderate	IT support, data analyst, etc.
Civil Engineering		Moderate	High (Structural + fieldwork)	Public infrastructure, construction firms, government.
Law	½	Very High (oversaturated)	High (Logic & memorization)	Legal practice, policy, compliance, corporate law.
Biomedical Engineering		High	High (Interdisciplinary + bio/tech)	Medical devices, hospitals, R&D in healthcare.
Sciences	½	Low to Moderate	Very High (Research-heavy)	Academia, lab research, etc.

There are also other options I didn't include, like finance, business administration, politics, etc., I decided to keep them off the list because I don't have enough knowledge about them to speak critically, and while a lot of rich people do study these, majority of them aren't self-made and just went to college to inherit daddy's position and for the networking.

---

When A Degree Isn't Worth It

Ideally, getting one of the degrees listed above will give you the best chances in terms of financial stability, professional connections, and the foundational skills for entrepreneurship later in life. However, of course, getting a degree is not the only path if you're not interested in any of the options I listed above, but you have to understand that you're taking a huge compromise by not getting a degree. Some of the alternative options include:

• Trade Schools and Vocational Training: Mastering a skilled trade (plumbing, electrical work, welding, automotive repair, culinary) can lead to immediate employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own service-based business. These paths often require less upfront investment and offer quicker entry into the workforce, but their potential of scalability are much worse and frankly it isn't as glamorous.
• Certifications and Online Learning: For specialized skills that don't require a full degree, certifications (project management, specific software proficiencies, cybersecurity, digital marketing) can be super valuable. Coursera and edX offer high-quality courses which could be very valuable. Again, here's there's even less scalability.

If you have interests in any other college degree and it isn't included in the list, or is minimally related to any of the options I mention, it's probably a bad choice, it is not a smart idea to get into significant debt for a degree that doesn't leave you with strong career prospects or provides skills you can learn elsewhere, for example you can learn effectively and affordably through online resources, certifications, or trade schools, those options are smarter than a shitty degree.

But honestly if I were you and I wanted the best chances, unless I had a crazy business idea that I can start without a degree (and I'm sure will have success, unlikely) or I was a very talented artists, I'd frankly just suck it up and pick something with good career outcomes even if I don't like the career.

---

(It is also important to note that despite framing information throughout the thread as a universal truth, I don't think you should trust me 100%, nobody knows where you'll find success, how the market will evolve or if you're really cutout to be a successful entrepeneur, take this information as just one source, think critically, do your own research and make educated guesses.)

Shoutout to @pajjeetslayer and @Sujumh for the thread idea. Hope y'all found it useful.

read every molecule, what i believe is that study in your teens, go to a college and wwork on your business side by side, if it blows off then drop out... you dont need an MBA for being a business owner, mainly because you are the owner not a consultant for a startup and secondly instead of wasting all that money on the mba, you can literally hire an mba grad.

 

[BarelyLegalTweaker]

Love the post, very informative. You mind if I dm you? I've got some question about college degrees and career

 

[Zeekie]

Love the post, very informative. You mind if I dm you? I've got some question about college degrees and career

fine by me

 

[GC200]

Suprised mathematics didn't make the list. Possibily better than CS in some cases, as it not only covers topics like linear algebra (which is a big factor of a C.S degree) but also goes into a lot more depth in other areas like real analysis.

 

[Zeekie]

Suprised mathematics didn't make the list. Possibily better than CS in some cases, as it not only covers topics like linear algebra (which is a big factor of a C.S degree) but also goes into a lot more depth in other areas like real analysis.

Yeah, I feel like math is very hit or miss. Most math students I've met or know ended up either being school teachers or become widely successful.

I think math isn't necessarily a great degree unless you're already brilliant, which is why I didn't put it here. Some of these degrees are hard, but they can guarantee success if you're mildly intelligent and work your ass off to get a good job, the same cannot be same abouth math.

Still great degree, although IN MY OPINION, I don't think it's great for the average individual