• Degree in Entrepreneurship?
    36 replies, posted
I'm nearing the end of high school and its now time for me to choose what i'm going to do with my life. I've been pretty indecisive other the last few months because I want to go into something that I like, rather than go into a field purely for the money. Starting a business is something I want to do some day, preferably as my main career. I'm wondering if a degree in it is good however. What would the best course of action be here? Anyone who is an entrepreneur, or aspires to be, what do you think of a degree in entrepreneurship? I still have time to think, so it's a rough idea at this stage, but any help would be appreciated.
You'd be better of getting a degree in communications or philosophy.
I'm guessing you're implying by that that it's a worthless degree, but im not seeing this as a degree so that i can add it to my resume, but a degree so I can learn. Why exactly do you think it's not worth pursuing.?
Because if your business doesn't take off, you're fucked for jobs.
I guess I was a bit too direct in the OP. I'm not seeing this as my only option, just a consideration at this stage. I just dont want to end up going into a generic degree and end up in a field that I hate, regardless of the salary.
[QUOTE=Pace.;32144064]I just dont want to end up going into a generic degree[/QUOTE] Then entrepreneurship, business, communications, and economics are likely not for you. maybe less so with economics, some of that stuff is quite interesting. But in the end, take what you want to learn about - not just what'll get you a good job.
How would you even teach entrepreneurship? It seems to be more about being inspired and naturally motivated / talented, getting a degree for it just seems backwards.
[QUOTE=Captain Forever;32144083]How would you even teach entrepreneurship? It seems to be more about being inspired and naturally motivated / talented, getting a degree for it just seems backwards.[/QUOTE] pretty much this. If you want to start a business, you need to start a business, not waste 4 years learning the idea behind starting a business.
[QUOTE=Overworld;32144097]pretty much this. If you want to start a business, you need to start a business, not waste 4 years learning the idea behind starting a business.[/QUOTE] I expected this. A valid point, just wondering how you learn all the economics and business behind starting a venture. I was seeing the degree as a way to learn these things, not in the misguided logic that an art degree makes you an artist or anything along those lines. Sorry if my post was misleading.
Then why not just do a BBA with courses that can help you make a business or fall back on for a salary.
Read books.
Sounds about as much use as a degree in [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swDpWNKB5Co]homeopathic medicine.[/url]
I have read these, and they are good: The millionaire fastlane Secrets of power negociating Cashvertising
[QUOTE=Pace.;32144123]I expected this. A valid point, just wondering how you learn all the economics and business behind starting a venture. I was seeing the degree as a way to learn these things, not in the misguided logic that an art degree makes you an artist or anything along those lines. Sorry if my post was misleading.[/QUOTE] Business, administration, management, economics. Through degrees within these fields, you'll learn how businesses work. If I'm not mistaken, entrepreneurship studies are usually an unhealthy, superficial mix of all this. They are also ridiculously generic though. If I were you, I'd look for other specialized fields with a few of these topics integrated into them. If you're interested in economics for instance, I'd recommend mathematical finance/actuarial studies. It's interesting, challenging, and pretty much guarantees you a good job. You can always supplement this with some generic management/business administration courses as well.
"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want to learn, go to a library."
[QUOTE=Ickylevel;32144306]"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want to learn, go to a library."[/QUOTE] Universities in Australia aren't like in American Pie.
You'd be much better off getting a degree in business, then using what you learn in that to actually run the company. Being an entrepreneur is about inspired ideas and putting them into action. A degree in entrepreneurial-ship is stupid. With a business degree, if you fail at your business, you can at least join somebody else's business and get paid to make their business fail like yours.
You don't "study" enterpreneurship, you gotta get something started on your own. Try to find startup garage events (like Garage48.ee for example).
When I finished my school I learned a lot about running a business, it's really important to learn some of the aspects. Not everything but leading a company or even a store is loads of responsability and work. You just don't buy a store and sell shoes to someone. Especially the calculations and financial part is relatively important.
[QUOTE=Captain Forever;32144232]Then why not just do a BBA with courses that can help you make a business or fall back on for a salary.[/QUOTE] Or a BA followed by an MBA. Or a B. Sc. depending on what you enjoy. [editline]6th September 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Pace.;32144590]Universities in Australia aren't like in American Pie.[/QUOTE] This. What university were you thinking of going to, and what field were you thinking of enterprising in?
[QUOTE=Zeke129;32144074]Then entrepreneurship, business, communications, and economics are likely not for you. maybe less so with economics, some of that stuff is quite interesting. But in the end, take what you want to learn about - not just what'll get you a good job.[/QUOTE] That's quite a naive way of looking at it in my opinion. You have to do what's best for you in the long term, not what you'll find interesting just while you're there. I think people should compromise. I wanted to do computer games development, but I settled instead for computer science because I know a degree in the former isn't worth shit in comparison. [editline]6th September 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Ickylevel;32144306]"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want to learn, go to a library."[/QUOTE] Most colleges have a library. What happens if you go there?
[QUOTE=Jallen;32146753]That's quite a naive way of looking at it in my opinion. You have to do what's best for you in the long term, not what you'll find interesting just while you're there. [/QUOTE] I disagree, at least partially. The best long term action is to chose something you are interested in and enjoy, because you will apply yourself that much more. Of course most people discover they enjoy new things, so you have to take that into account.
[QUOTE=Contag;32147118]I disagree, at least partially. The best long term action is to chose something you are interested in and enjoy, because you will apply yourself that much more. Of course most people discover they enjoy new things, so you have to take that into account.[/QUOTE] If you are interested and enjoy a subject which will yield the most useless degree on the planet, it doesn't matter if you apply yourself "that much more" because a top grade in a crappy degree is as worthless as a scrape pass in a crappy degree. IMO It's all about making a compromise so that you are doing a subject you find interesting, but are also working towards and paying for something which is actually worth something. Like I decided to do computer science instead of game development. A degree in computer science is much more valuable than a degree in game development. (game development isn't really [I]that[/I] useless because half of it is software engineering really, but it's worth very little compared to comp sci.) If you do a degree in a useless subject, only you are to blame for making a choice that you enjoyed for 3 years then gained nothing from as you work as a shop cashier for the rest of your life.
[QUOTE=Jallen;32147290]If you are interested and enjoy a subject which will yield the most useless degree on the planet, it doesn't matter if you apply yourself "that much more" because a top grade in a crappy degree is as worthless as a scrape pass in a crappy degree. If you do a degree in a useless subject, only you are to blame for making a choice that you enjoyed for 3 years then gained nothing from as you work as a shop cashier for the rest of your life.[/QUOTE] The only people who work as shop cashiers are people who didn't excel. A degree in anything is worthwhile as long as you are exceptionally good at it. At the very least, you go on to become an academic and lecturer in that field, pulling 150k for what amounts to 25 weeks of work a year. [editline]7th September 2011[/editline] Even if you complete a degree in homeopathy or something, you can then make money by teaching other people about homeopathy!
I'm...decently sure you mean a Business Degree, right?
[QUOTE=Contag;32147551] A degree in anything is worthwhile as long as you are exceptionally good at it. [/QUOTE] This really isn't the case.
[QUOTE=Contag;32147551]The only people who work as shop cashiers are people who didn't excel. A degree in anything is worthwhile as long as you are exceptionally good at it. At the very least, you go on to become an academic and lecturer in that field, pulling 150k for what amounts to 25 weeks of work a year. [editline]7th September 2011[/editline] Even if you complete a degree in homeopathy or something, you can then make money by teaching other people about homeopathy![/QUOTE] you have to remember that the amount of spaces for doctors teaching the subject itself is usually quite limited. So even if you are good, it's by no means a path to success. There's a reason there's a number of so called dead weight degrees. Which are good to have in a society, but attract a lot of people who just want a degree and nothing else. They do produce some decent people which are good for the culture, but those are rare and far in between. And then there's a a group of completely useless degrees - like entrepreneurship. Which is probably just a washed down business degree with a lot of jibber jabber on how exceptional you are. Hell if you want to get doing something like this, a combined marketing|business degree would probably yield better results.
You don't even need to choose right now dude. You still have to take gen ed classes first.
I thought about an Entrepreneurship degree when I started college, then I decided on Accounting. If you want to start a business at some point in life, good for you, it's an awesome idea, but you don't need a degree in Entrepreneurship to be one.
[QUOTE=Ickylevel;32144306]"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want to learn, go to a library."[/QUOTE] tbh I've found its the other way around. OP, get a skill, then get that degree. You have to have good skills to start a business.
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