IQ, life, and my future

[17pounder]

So I just too a paid IQ test with a SD of 15, which had also been taken by 5 million other people and used on a scale from that.
Here is the thing, the average was 110, which is more intelligent than 75% of everyone, while I scored in the top half percent. Here is the thing, they say they are taking into account people who cannot really take the test, and those who have taken it are naturally more likely to have higher IQ.

Does anybody else think its FAIR to say that since my score gave me a placement fraction of 1/248 against those who are already in the top 1/4, that it would be fair to say I am 1/992?
Im fairly certain this would be a fair assumption, since I did some things in HS that really blew away the other intelligent kids from my general area, which only has like 20k kids anyways.

One of the reasons I have been trying to test myself is that I am just recovering from a 12 year illness which started in 7th grade and froze my education at the level I was at. I actually scored a 1300 SAT when I was in 7th, but gained nothing from HS, as I had already figured out algebra II without even knowing what it was. I was never able to go through trig or calc, but as of lately I have had no issue learning them and honestly I feel they are kind of a joke compared to what was in my imagination.
I would really love to be able to get into a really good engineering university, although at the age of 24 and just starting life, Im having issues believing I can actually do it.
I have really only been healthy for about 2 months now, so Im having a serious life crisis. The disease itself was malnutrition brought on by uncontrolled diarrhea, which itself was caused by malnutrition, so it was a never ending circle.

Id really like some guidance from anyone who has been to a university, I would really like to try and get my life back on track. I have filed the FAFSA for my local community college in order to try and improve my track record, but otherwise Im not so sure what to do. I dont have any guidance in my personal life, I really have had to take care of my mental needs for years, and have been taking care of my own father for the last three years, so I would really appreciate any advice anyone has on furthering my education, and my likelihood of being able to get into a decent university.
I have considered enlisting, but not sure if that would be the road for me. People tend to make generalities about me, then act surprised when I perform better than anybody else. If people are going to look at me for what they see, and not how I perform, then I dont think the military would be good for me. My current employer and co-workers are baffled by me at the moment, so Im assuming that would happen in the military as well.
Anybody have any input on this?

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

1) Complete high school and post high school courses in science and mathematics.
2) Apply to go to a decent uni.

Remember you don't need to go to MIT to get a good degree. Just don't end up at a activist university.

There you go.

--- Secondly ---

No one gives a shit about your IQ. People care for results. Give me results! Damn it!

 

[AlisaD]

--- Secondly ---

No one gives a shit about your IQ. People care for results. Give me results! Damn it!

Funnily enough, this is not true.

No one should care about your test results, but for some reason a lot of people still do.

I've gotten at least 2 jobs based more or less only on a piece of mensa paper. I mean, it was literally the only thing that separated me from the other 200-300 candidates, as my University diploma was never related to anything I did, and at the time I had no references, and little or no experience. Still I had this piece of paper and got the jobs.

It might be a bit different in academia, but there's still people who care.

It is ridiculous, but it is how it is.

Edit: I just realized I never replied to the OP. D'oh!
Unfortunately, I don't really have much advice on how to get into a good Uni, as I come from a country with quite a different education system, and also don't really believe in formal education as such, but do wish you all the luck

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Funnily enough, this is not true.

No one should care about your test results, but for some reason a lot of people still do.

I've gotten at least 2 jobs based more or less only on a piece of mensa paper. I mean, it was literally the only thing that separated me from the other 200-300 candidates, as my University diploma was never related to anything I did, and at the time I had no references, and little or no experience. Still I had this piece of paper and got the jobs.

It might be a bit different in academia, but there's still people who care.

It is ridiculous, but it is how it is.

This is interesting. Perhaps I should dust off the old piece of paper. o_O

 

[SpaceYeti]

Funnily enough, this is not true.

No one should care about your test results, but for some reason a lot of people still do.

I've gotten at least 2 jobs based more or less only on a piece of mensa paper. I mean, it was literally the only thing that separated me from the other 200-300 candidates, as my University diploma was never related to anything I did, and at the time I had no references, and little or no experience. Still I had this piece of paper and got the jobs.

It might be a bit different in academia, but there's still people who care.

It is ridiculous, but it is how it is.

Edit: I just realized I never replied to the OP. D'oh!
Unfortunately, I don't really have much advice on how to get into a good Uni, as I come from a country with quite a different education system, and also don't really believe in formal education as such, but do wish you all the luck

What jobs have you applied for where your IQ even came up in the interview or screening or whatever? That is, how did your potential boss find out, and why?

 

[Beat Mango]

This is interesting. Perhaps I should dust off the old piece of paper. o_O

Makes me wish I still had a copy of the old "170 IQ" piece of paper that was lying around when I was a kid.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Makes me wish I still had a copy of the old "170 IQ" piece of paper that was lying around when I was a kid.

170? Go to hell. Beat me by 30 points!!!

Check out this kid: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-IQ-Einstein-develops-theory-relativity.html

When I was 12 I was playing starcraft religiously.

What jobs have you applied for where your IQ even came up in the interview or screening or whatever? That is, how did your potential boss find out, and why?

Relating your comment back to the OP; if one wants a good job in engineering, all one needs is an ability to articulate one's self and above average grades. If you have pretty damn decent grades you're guaranteed a job one or two years before you leave university. I have never had an employer ask for my IQ.

 

[Beat Mango]

170? Go to hell. Beat me by 30 points!!!

Check out this kid: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-IQ-Einstein-develops-theory-relativity.html

When I was 12 I was playing starcraft religiously.

Yeah well I failed engineering at uni and enrolled into Arts. You're probably beating me by many thousands of $$ per year right now And if that kid is 170 at 12 years old, and he's close to doing a PhD, then either my test was wrong or his was.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Yeah well I failed engineering at uni and enrolled into Arts. You're probably beating me by many thousands of $$ per year right now And if that kid is 170 at 12 years old, and he's close to doing a PhD, then either my test was wrong or his was.

lol, I am still poor as hell. I am working part time so I can finish my thesis and the maths degree. Hey! I'm only 22. Many years ahead of me to earn money. I don't even know whether or not I will develop a good work ethic.

There was a 15 year old in my 2nd and 3rd year classes getting the same grades as I. I really wanted to tell him that when I was 15 I was getting drunk and stoned and not doing school work.

 

[Beat Mango]

For me at that age I spent all my non-school hours listening to Nine Inch Nails, playing guitar and writing in my diary about how depressed I was or why the girl I had a crush on didn't like me. Ah, to be 15 again...

 

[snafupants]

170? Go to hell. Beat me by 30 points!!!

Check out this kid: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-IQ-Einstein-develops-theory-relativity.html

When I was 12 I was playing starcraft religiously.



Relating your comment back to the OP; if one wants a good job in engineering, all one needs is an ability to articulate one's self and above average grades. If you have pretty damn decent grades you're guaranteed a job one or two years before you leave university. I have never had an employer ask for my IQ.

Wait, he's not asian?

 

[AlisaD]

What jobs have you applied for where your IQ even came up in the interview or screening or whatever? That is, how did your potential boss find out, and why?

I had it in my CV, as my CV really didn't have much in it, other then "I just got out of Uni and I want lots of money", so I added it in the end, next to my driver's licence

I got two jobs based on this version of the CV, in both interviews people asked about the IQ thing, one lady even bluntly told me that she called me, out of a couple of hundreds of applicants, because of this. The other job was ridiculously well paid and responsible, the guy was also very interested in the thingy and I saw no other reason to give this job to a 22-year-old with no experience whatsoever.
Well, I don't see that as a very good reason either, but I guess it made sense to him.

 

[SpaceYeti]

Yes, but what were the jobs?

 

[AlisaD]

Yes, but what were the jobs?

One was something to do with logistic planning, did it only for about 2 weeks before I moved on to the next one, so the title never stuck.

The second one was assistant director of a company that owned a chain of supermarkets.

Also, we should be kind enough and get the thread back on track, I only originally posted this because I wanted our young friend to know that the IQ note in an application may make a difference, in some cases. Also, I have a few friends who took the test at the same time I did, all got good results, and all kept it in their CV's just as a little extra note. They're all doing really well, probably not due only to that, but I'm just saying is that it can't hurt.

Now, does anyone have any advice for the lad, or are we just going to keep on yapping about unrelated crap?

 

[Melllvar]

Hm... I wonder if people would overlook my being a college drop out and having little work experience, plus long periods of unemployment, if I put the mensa thing in there.

On topic:

I really don't recommend going to college, unless you have a specific career you expect to get from your degree (and not just any old general thing). The only reason to go to college is for career advancement. If you don't have a specific career in mind, don't pay them tens of thousands of dollars for something that may not ever pay off. Most of the people I know who graduated college are working in the exact same kinds of jobs they had before they went to college. Some of them even quit the jobs they'd initially gotten with their degrees to go back to waiting tables and doing retail. It sucks.

IMO, college is a scam, akin to a pyramid scheme. If you need a specific degree or certification to do something, then it might be useful, but I wouldn't just go for general education purposes or hoping that you'll magically end up making lots of money when you graduate. In college you're basically giving lots of money to someone in return for slowing down your education and preventing your building a resume with actual work experience.

 

[SpaceYeti]

One was something to do with logistic planning, did it only for about 2 weeks before I moved on to the next one, so the title never stuck.

The second one was assistant director of a company that owned a chain of supermarkets.

Also, we should be kind enough and get the thread back on track, I only originally posted this because I wanted our young friend to know that the IQ note in an application may make a difference, in some cases. Also, I have a few friends who took the test at the same time I did, all got good results, and all kept it in their CV's just as a little extra note. They're all doing really well, probably not due only to that, but I'm just saying is that it can't hurt.

Now, does anyone have any advice for the lad, or are we just going to keep on yapping about unrelated crap?

Sorry for derailing the thread, but this has me keenly interested. So including the fact you're a genius may help you get a job, as opposed to making you look like a braggart? Would you suggest it to others?

 

[EditorOne]

Let me hasten to add to the chorus of voices pointing out that a high IQ is not a guarantee of any type of success.

One of the fellows I went to high school with, who was stolid and thick to the point of opacity, opted for the vocational technical program while at high school. By quietly learning a craft and applying it well with several years on the job as a carpenter, he was able to convince people who knew him well to help him get started in his own business as a house builder. He's now got a lot more money than I, with a much higher IQ, ever made or ever will make. His focus and staying power and ability to produce an excellent work product got him there, not his smarts.

No one will ever ask him to figure the launch time and trajectory for a flight to Mars or how much rocket fuel it will take. But he's a success on terms he finds fulfilling. That must be nice.

Here's a phrase you're going to hear again: "If you're so damn smart, why aren't you rich/in charge/doing something other than this?"

 

[EditorOne]

"Sorry for derailing the thread, but this has me keenly interested. So including the fact you're a genius may help you get a job, as opposed to making you look like a braggart? Would you suggest it to others?"

Depends on the job, right? I mean, if you're applying for a job involving clerical work or using a shovel, it's not going to matter. If it's a job where thinking matters, heck, I'd just include a Mensa certificate or whatever right in the resume package along with everything else. You DO run the risk that anyone insecure in the hierarchy above the level at which you enter will be afraid you'll outshine them if word gets out. Yeah, it's all supposed to be confidential personnel stuff, but hiring decisions are often the result of a screening process involving several people. Good luck keeping a 170 IQ a secret. That's a talker.

Maybe answer this question: Is one of the concerns of a potential employer the amount of damage you could do if you screw up whatever it is you're being hired to do? Because if it is, that should 1. help you determine what a fair salary might be and 2. encourage you to include anything in your resume indicating you can figure things out and arrive at the right course to steer without putting the Titanic into the ice.

 

[SpaceYeti]

What do you do if your friend who was in MENSA (and quit) convinced you it wasn't worth actually joining, but you took the test and so could if you desired to? Just include the "You're totally smart" letter you got in the mail that invited you to join MENSA (for a fee)?

 

[snafupants]

What do you do if your friend who was in MENSA (and quit) convinced you it wasn't worth actually joining, but you took the test and so could if you desired to? Just include the "You're totally smart" letter you got in the mail that invited you to join MENSA (for a fee)?

The annual dues are a deal breaker to be sure.

 

[AlisaD]

Well, I completely agree with E1, I never said that a high IQ is a guarantee that you will ever be good at anything, but for some reason, some people feel great respect when faced with your amazing ability to make a connection between black triangles a white circles. If that will help you get a job you want - why not add it in?
@Yeti - it is quite possible that another 10 companies I sent my CV to thought I was a braggart, but it definitely did help me out when I was just beginning and had absolutely no valid credentials in my favour. I still have it in my CV, kind of as a lucky token
As for the mensa thing, I paid the annual fee once, in 2001 I think, got the certificate, played a few games of Rumikub and never went back The organization itself is a complete waste of time

 

[Beat Mango]

I really don't recommend going to college, unless you have a specific career you expect to get from your degree (and not just any old general thing). The only reason to go to college is for career advancement. If you don't have a specific career in mind, don't pay them tens of thousands of dollars for something that may not ever pay off. Most of the people I know who graduated college are working in the exact same kinds of jobs they had before they went to college. Some of them even quit the jobs they'd initially gotten with their degrees to go back to waiting tables and doing retail. It sucks.

IMO, college is a scam, akin to a pyramid scheme. If you need a specific degree or certification to do something, then it might be useful, but I wouldn't just go for general education purposes or hoping that you'll magically end up making lots of money when you graduate. In college you're basically giving lots of money to someone in return for slowing down your education and preventing your building a resume with actual work experience.

I agree. There is money to be made as a graduate, but generally only if a) you get impressive marks (ie, first class honours) and b) if you have a specific career goal in mind. And even then, the degree itself will be only one of several facets of your resume and experience that employers will take into consideration.

A big reason why college is marketed as being good for earning capacity is that colleges have a self-interest in attracting students. That much should be obvious. It's also because statistics show that people who have graduated earn more on average than people who haven't. But we should be able to see that there's clearly more to it than simply: go to uni = get $$$ .

 

[Hadoblado]

A high IQ won't necessarily guarantee anything, but it will give you an edge over other candidates who have yet to prove their intelligence.

 

[Jah]

High IQ can fetch you more money for your semen if you donate.

other than that, these tests are quite useless. IQ pretty much is nothing more than an indicator of potential to learn, and it is whether you are able to apply this and actually gather knowledge that will make the difference when you apply it.

I mean, unless you have learned maths it doesn't matter how much IQ you have when you are set out to figure out what the speed will be after t seconds, knowing only the acceleration.
ex:
a(t) = 20t + 5

(which would be found taking the integral: v(t) = 10t^2 + 5t + C
and also, s(t) = 3,3t^3 +2,5t^2 + C(1)t + C(2) )

So first things first: yes, you may learn quicker, but unless you make use of it, it will fade, and those lagging behind you now will catch up.

 

[Agent Intellect]

The ability to understand new material and recognize novel patterns is fluid intelligence (which is what most IQ tests are testing), and the ability to utilize what you know is crystallized intelligence. There is a lot of controversy over the ideas of modular intelligence and a central or general intelligence (sometimes referred to as "g") but there are strong correlations in which people who are intelligent in some areas are also above average in other areas.

I recommend this for some interesting reading on the subject.

 

[Vrecknidj]

In the long run, EQ matters more than IQ.

Dave

 

[Jah]

Well, the thing about EQ is that it seems to be somewhat related to IQ.
The idea that smart people are idiots when it comes to emotional relations is bollocks.
a false dichotomy, you might say.

 

[17pounder]

Funny thing is, I am a total introvert, but I am the only person at work who has the EQ to be able to tell what people want.
Im pretty sure EQ is just a way of rating how much a person identifies with some of the ESXX types, because in reality all the people I know with supposed high EQ can only tell what others with the same EQ are thinking, and are completely friggin useless when it comes to understanding half the population.
Any real EQ test would not ask how a certain feeling "feels", like how they ask if anger feels warm. What kind of crap is that? An EQ test should give background on how someone acts, then ask how they feel. It should not have pictures of people and asking what they are feeling, because anyone who has half a brain can tell you that you cant tell what someone is feeling by how they look. People ask me all the time if I feel fine, apparently I scowl a lot, and so they obviously cant tell how I feel. Every other person I know, regardless of type of person, cant tell crap about anybody else. They simply think they can, its just overconfidence and mentally projecting their own feelings onto others.
I supposedly cant really tell what people feel, they always respond poorly to how I deal with them, but when I see two people having a problem, neither knows anything about how the other feels, while I can tell what both are feeling. Im starting to feel like perhaps I do know how people feel, as the people who dont get all uptight seem to think Im pretty gifted at reading people. I also get hung up on less than anyone else at work, so Im fairly certain all the EQ stuff is total crap. How else would I score a 60 EQ but be able to read the defendants like a book?

 

[Jah]

As I said, higher intelligence correlates to ability to understand, in general. This includes understanding people, intent, abstract ideas and so forth.
The difference may be in that some intelligent people don't consider the worries of others to be relative and may therefore scoff at them. This is not the same as not understanding, but may appear that way.

 

[Cavallier]

I think we are all ignoring the really interesting thing about this thread: HE HAD MALNUTRITION AND DIARRHEA FOR 12 YEARS?!?!?!?!?!? ANd then spent the last few years taking care of his dad. If that isn't a sob story made of gold for a college application letter I don't know what is. Use this to your benefit.

Starting out in a community college is actually a really good idea. That's how I got into university via what I call the "backdoor" way. You get the first couple of years of basics out of the way (we called it Bach Core when I was doing it) which you have to take regardless of what you major in. It's cheaper than at bigger universities and private college. You could even work a job and go so that when you transfer to the school you want to ultimately end up in you won't be starting out in debt. (Because believe me the engineering school will land you with vast amounts of debt.) Then you transfer all of those credits to the university you want to get into. If you are lucky there is a program in your state that lets you get a transfer degree of some sort that will help to make sure your credits transfer directly and you don't have to make up extra classes when you get into the university you want.

(Also, you can get a very reputable degree from a public state run university. Places like MIT are for rich kids who are obsessed with a name. Sure they look really good on a resume but frankly if their requirements are too crazy and you don't have the money then forget it and move on. You can get into the field you want a different way.) Transferring to a big school is generally much easier than trying to get in as a freshman. I've discovered that the entrance requirements are much less stiff because you've already proven you have what it takes to get through college.

NOW, once you are in the university you go straight to your adviser and tell them exactly what you want to do (such as get into the engineering program) and figure out what requirements you have to meet. If your adviser is a dick and says you can't do it...request a different adviser. There are people like this in every department and since you are paying for their advice you want to get a good one. Later they might even me able to provide you with one of those precious Letters of Recommendation you'll need. Get into a few of the entry level classes (the basic entry level classes are generally not restricted to majors and this will give you a feel for the department) and you get to know the proffs in the department and let them get to know you. For intense programs like Engineering you often don't apply to get into that program until the end of your freshman year or the end of your sophomore year.

If all goes well you can get together whatever you need to make an application to the department you want to major in. At that point you'll either be on the same level as the sophomores applying for entrance to the program (since you'll have taken the same classes as them) or perhaps even a little above if you've been working on impressing your proffs. (It's such a stupid irritating little thing but if you are having difficulty with class material and you show up at your proffs office hours regularly they generally love that. You are showing initiative and love of the same field they love. Again it seems silly but it can really make a difference.) You'll know the proffs reviewing you and you'll have been given a chance to prove yourself to them. *

^Then you are doomed to be an engineering student. The ones I went to university with never slept and most of them were alcoholics by the time they graduated. Have fun!

I wonder if perhaps AlisaD got the jobs because the people hiring were impressed with the balls (or possibly arrogance) they perceived her having for adding her IQ rank to her CV. Business people are weird like that. However, it just goes to show you never really know what'll get you hired. Next time I'm job hunting I'll throw in that that gold star I got in the 3rd grade.

My fiance got the job he wanted in his field by telling the hiring manager, "I just want to be a monkey of average intelligence who wears a suit. So, I went to business school.". This was basically his real reason for going to business school and the hiring manager thought it was hilarious and ballsy to repeat this quote from Futurama in a job interview.

*I knew one guy and girl who both got into engineering school doing what I described. I used that process to get into the literature and philosophy departments but...that's somehow less impressive than engineering school. It seems like a lot of overwhelming work but you really just take it one class at a time and one day at a time. Cliched but true.

 

[17pounder]

I think we are all ignoring the really interesting thing about this thread: HE HAD MALNUTRITION AND DIARRHEA FOR 12 YEARS?!?!?!?!?!? ANd then spent the last few years taking care of his dad. If that isn't a sob story made of gold for a college application letter I don't know what is. Use this to your benefit.

Starting out in a community college is actually a really good idea. That's how I got into university via what I call the "backdoor" way. You get the first couple of years of basics out of the way (we called it Bach Core when I was doing it) which you have to take regardless of what you major in. It's cheaper than at bigger universities and private college. You could even work a job and go so that when you transfer to the school you want to ultimately end up in you won't be starting out in debt. (Because believe me the engineering school will land you with vast amounts of debt.) Then you transfer all of those credits to the university you want to get into. If you are lucky there is a program in your state that lets you get a transfer degree of some sort that will help to make sure your credits transfer directly and you don't have to make up extra classes when you get into the university you want.

(Also, you can get a very reputable degree from a public state run university. Places like MIT are for rich kids who are obsessed with a name. Sure they look really good on a resume but frankly if their requirements are too crazy and you don't have the money then forget it and move on. You can get into the field you want a different way.) Transferring to a big school is generally much easier than trying to get in as a freshman. I've discovered that the entrance requirements are much less stiff because you've already proven you have what it takes to get through college.

NOW, once you are in the university you go straight to your adviser and tell them exactly what you want to do (such as get into the engineering program) and figure out what requirements you have to meet. If your adviser is a dick and says you can't do it...request a different adviser. There are people like this in every department and since you are paying for their advice you want to get a good one. Later they might even me able to provide you with one of those precious Letters of Recommendation you'll need. Get into a few of the entry level classes (the basic entry level classes are generally not restricted to majors and this will give you a feel for the department) and you get to know the proffs in the department and let them get to know you. For intense programs like Engineering you often don't apply to get into that program until the end of your freshman year or the end of your sophomore year.

If all goes well you can get together whatever you need to make an application to the department you want to major in. At that point you'll either be on the same level as the sophomores applying for entrance to the program (since you'll have taken the same classes as them) or perhaps even a little above if you've been working on impressing your proffs. (It's such a stupid irritating little thing but if you are having difficulty with class material and you show up at your proffs office hours regularly they generally love that. You are showing initiative and love of the same field they love. Again it seems silly but it can really make a difference.) You'll know the proffs reviewing you and you'll have been given a chance to prove yourself to them. *

^Then you are doomed to be an engineering student. The ones I went to university with never slept and most of them were alcoholics by the time they graduated. Have fun!

I wonder if perhaps AlisaD got the jobs because the people hiring were impressed with the balls (or possibly arrogance) they perceived her having for adding her IQ rank to her CV. Business people are weird like that. However, it just goes to show you never really know what'll get you hired. Next time I'm job hunting I'll throw in that that gold star I got in the 3rd grade.

My fiance got the job he wanted in his field by telling the hiring manager, "I just want to be a monkey of average intelligence who wears a suit. So, I went to business school.". This was basically his real reason for going to business school and the hiring manager thought it was hilarious and ballsy to repeat this quote from Futurama in a job interview.

*I knew one guy and girl who both got into engineering school doing what I described. I used that process to get into the literature and philosophy departments but...that's somehow less impressive than engineering school. It seems like a lot of overwhelming work but you really just take it one class at a time and one day at a time. Cliched but true.

Danke! This is the kind of stuff I was looking for.

 

[Jackooboy]

If you're looking for ways to get into a certain program like engineering, I would start at the school you intend to graduate from, unless they have some sort of state transfer agreement where all transfer credits from one institution to another are worked out in advance. NJ Transfer for colleges/univ. in NJ has everything calculated so you know exactly what you need to take to meet certain requirements at a different school. Maybe your state gov. has a similar program... ?

With that said, the reason I would start at the institution you want to graduate from (you can be undeclared etc.) is because I know a guy who got an architecture BA degree. He had previously gotten an associates in architecture, and even though the uni. accepted most of his credits, the class schedule is what screwed him. He ended up needing 32 sequential studio course credits to graduate which ran sequentially and ultimately took him an extra 2 years to finish because the program was designed for people who start off in their freshman year and he transferred the equivalent of a junior.

If you're going for a generic degree, like liberal arts or business, this should be less of a problem. Once you get into a school, you can also transfer between schools within your university if you don't know what your want to do for sure.

I've also found that educational quality is better at universities, especially research universities vs. community college or smaller state universities.

I'm sure private schools are probably best (I've never been so this is just conjecture).

Good luck.

 

[a detached retina]

Hm... I wonder if people would overlook my being a college drop out and having little work experience, plus long periods of unemployment, if I put the mensa thing in there.

On topic:

I really don't recommend going to college, unless you have a specific career you expect to get from your degree (and not just any old general thing). The only reason to go to college is for career advancement. If you don't have a specific career in mind, don't pay them tens of thousands of dollars for something that may not ever pay off. Most of the people I know who graduated college are working in the exact same kinds of jobs they had before they went to college. Some of them even quit the jobs they'd initially gotten with their degrees to go back to waiting tables and doing retail. It sucks.

IMO, college is a scam, akin to a pyramid scheme. If you need a specific degree or certification to do something, then it might be useful, but I wouldn't just go for general education purposes or hoping that you'll magically end up making lots of money when you graduate. In college you're basically giving lots of money to someone in return for slowing down your education and preventing your building a resume with actual work experience.

I'm sorry but college is only good for getting a job? what about learning? being immersed in an environment with other young idealistic minds? finding oneself?

 

[a detached retina]

Also @ OP I'm an engineering student at a state university and the work demands are completely reasonable. I typically do much less than 40 hours of work a week.

 

[Melllvar]

I'm sorry but college is only good for getting a job?

Yes.

what about learning?

No.

being immersed in an environment with other young idealistic minds?

People are assholes.

finding oneself?

No.

I'd give longer explanations but sorry, this is the kind of mood I'm in right now.

 

[Beat Mango]

I agree with Mellivar and I too cbf with explanations. It's should be quite clear to anyone who bothers to investigate that universities are becoming more and more focused on training people for jobs, and less and less on pure learning.

 

[SpaceYeti]

I'm sorry but college is only good for getting a job? what about learning? being immersed in an environment with other young idealistic minds? finding oneself?

You said it yourself, "young, idealistic minds". College is a means to an end. The end is employment. If all you want is to learn, college isn't very efficient.

 

[Jah]

...But the job you get after college may be learning-oriented.

 

[Cavallier]

The "young idealistic minds" thing has got me thinking. College really is just a means to an end. Sure, you can go and broaden your horizons if that's what you want. You can go to gain specific skills you'll then use to get a job. You can go to get hot co-eds. It's all still a means to an end.

I wonder when exactly colleges started marketing themselves as a place to go to "find yourself". I mean, I completely understand going to college for the simple fact that you enjoy learning. That in and of itself is a perfect reason to go to college. Yet, you can "find yourself" smoking a cigarette outside a quickie-mart. Granted it's less likely. I don't quite understand the connection between college and "finding yourself". I suppose it has to do with all that exploration your doing while in college. Though, I suspect that if you are the type to explore then you'd probably gain personal growth no matter where you went because you'd always be exploring regardless of whether you went to college or not.

WEEEEEE!!!!! Tangents.

 

[Iuanes]

I'm sorry but college is only good for getting a job? what about learning? being immersed in an environment with other young idealistic minds? finding oneself?

Depends who you are, depends where you go, depends on what happens. For me, University was an expensive way to get a piece of paper and to learn a few perspectives I might never have been exposed to (which could actually be priceless). You can meet decently interesting people there, but the environment is still relatively retarded. Don't expect to get any major benefits without putting in effort though. Passivity is a waste (learned that the hard way). I had some interesting/cool professors, but of course that doesn't always happen.

As for finding oneself? Ha, it depends who your are. Some people are easier to find, some never know... You can go to college to find out maybe who you are not, and slim down the possibilities that way.

 

[snafupants]

The "young idealistic minds" thing has got me thinking. College really is just a means to an end. Sure, you can go and broaden your horizons if that's what you want. You can go to gain specific skills you'll then use to get a job. You can go to get hot co-ed chicks. It's all still a means to an end.

I wonder when exactly colleges started marketing themselves as a place to go to "find yourself". I mean, I completely understand going to college for the simple fact that you enjoy learning. That in and of itself is a perfect reason to go to college. Yet, you can "find yourself" smoking a cigarette outside a quickie-mart. Granted it's less likely. I don't quite understand the connection between college and "finding yourself". I suppose it has to do with all that exploration your doing while in college. Though, I suspect that if you are the type to explore then you'd probably gain personal growth no matter where you went because you'd always be exploring regardless of whether you went to college or not.

WEEEEEE!!!!! Tangents.

They also contend that they wish to stimulate critical thought. That's probably pure image though because universities charge upwards of twenty thousand dollars for four classes and have graduate students teaching the courses.

Most professors don't really care about student learning; they care about career advancement, cachet, and research...and maybe boning graduate students.

Personally, I had maybe two or three out of fifty professors who I would call bona fide intellectuals, versus academics. Like typical people, most don't deviate too far from a script.

Universities or "centers of higher learning" have quite a scam going, I'll give them that. Good marketing idea: create some arcane profession with its own lingo, monopolize training, then charge insane amounts for said training.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Starting out in a community college is actually a really good idea.

I went to a community college for two years. I got all the basics out of the way, took a ton of math and science because it interested me, wrote for their newspaper, and ended up getting good enough grades to get a scholarship to a university.

At that university, I read through the course booklet to find a few classes I thought I might like, and then I read the biographies of the various instructors on campus. I found people who themselves had gotten degrees at places like Yale and MIT and then took their courses.

I got as close to an Ivy League education as I could for about a tenth the price (overall, thanks to the cheap community college, public university prices, and a decent scholarship).

Worked out pretty well.

Dave