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Steve Jobs In Praise of Dropping Out

Posted by timothy on from the also-please-start-cool-companies dept.

atlacatl writes "Wired reports on Steve Jobs giving a graduation speech: 'Jobs, 50, said he attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon but dropped out after only eight months because it was too expensive for his working-class family. He said his real education started when he "dropped in" on whatever classes interested him -- including calligraphy.' The irony: that most students were graduating. I wouldn't invite him for a high school graduation. Imagine all the 'hard' work teachers, parents and guidance counselors put into brainwashing every kid that he/she must go to University." (Jobs was speaking to the graduates at Stanford University.)

7 of 1,014 comments (clear)

  1. Avoid ask.slashdot for a few days... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ug... Job's touting dropping out will undoubtedly start a flurry of "ask.slashdot" questions similar to:
    Posted by Michael in an alternate universe
    from the Still-in-the-parents-basement dept.
    hey d00dz, i wanna drop out like Steve Jobs did! i also wanna leet sysadmin job. i aint got no skoolin' or relevant experience. the job has to let me wear my floorscent green hair down to my ass and let me show my 130 tattoos. and don't forget the piercings in my eyebrows, nose, lips, tongue, septum and 2" holes in the ears. and it has to pay $100K a year or i aint geting outta bed and i'm 2 leet to start at the bottom and work my way up because I AM UNIQE!
    The world owes me a living! so what do u /.ers do?
    Thanks, Steve.
    1. Re:Avoid ask.slashdot for a few days... by adam31 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Remember that this speech was given to students graduating Stanford... not high school. Whether a degree is worthwhile, in the context of the audience, is moot.

      The point of the speech is to encourage students to "ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING". Graduating isn't the top of the mountain, it's base camp. It's not an accomplishment unless they use it to propel themselves. blah blah blah. Potential is for losers.

    2. Re:Avoid ask.slashdot for a few days... by selfdiscipline · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Wow, you got modded as troll.
      I must've hit the nail on the head.
      Anyway, I'll probably finish my college degree, but I won't be resentful of you. Envious of you for finding a path to success that avoids college, though.
      I get really irritated when people talk about how valuable college is, because: I'm here, and I'm not seeing it. I guess you could say that "College is what you make of it," but I know that I could be making a lot more of my education if it wasn't for those pesky classes sapping my energy and desire to learn.
      Even for the average Joe, I really don't think college is that valuable. Most people learn things when they can find the information personally revelant, and the material in college is usually taught in such a dry, abstracted way that it's very difficult to find an immediate application in your own life. Also, what you don't use, you forget... and 4 years gives you plenty of time to forget.
      There are so many people that disagree with me about my views that it's hard not to think that I may be mistaken somewhere... but I really haven't heard any good reasons for why college is worth the cost, other than the fact that employers assume that a degree is a prerequisite to a position in their company (And that also may just be a rumor... I think studies have shown experience is more important than education for increasing your chance of getting hired).

      --


      -------
      Incite and flee.
    3. Re:Avoid ask.slashdot for a few days... by killjoe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I went over to the apple web site and did a few random searches for jobs there. Virtually every single one requires a degree although some say "or equavalent experience". Most flat out require a degree.

      If Steve applied for a job at his own company he probably would not even get interviewed.

      --
      evil is as evil does
  2. Sure, a few people drop out because they are smart by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...but a lot more drop out because they are stupid.

    --
    Beep beep.
  3. Bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I think Jobs' success is in spite of the fact that he dropped out of college, not because of it.

    He also dropped acid in his younger days. That a good thing too??

  4. Re:Sure, a few people drop out because they are sm by OSXCPA · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I left college after 2 years because I was bored to tears. Joined the Marines. Went back to college 6 years later *highly* motivated and enjoyed the heck out of learning - took CS classes for fun. My fellow undergrads, mostly straight from High School, hated their classes and hated me - I was the jerk who didn't listen to them whine about how hard their schedules were, or how much different classes sucked. My experience - most of them were too immature to appreciate the opportunity they had, and they had insufficient life experience to know that they should feel passionate about anything at all, let alone learning. Long story short - if you are burning up to go to school, go. If you aren't, be honest with yourself and do 'something else' until you figure out what you want to study. Don't let $ keep you back either - I worked my way through school. It is possible, but difficult - and I wouldn't have it any other way. Whatever you do, light your own ass on fire to get something worthwhile done - no one will teach you that. Hard work is it's own best reward.