The College Contrarian Viewpoint

My College Story

Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind by Gerald Graff

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When I was ten years old, I knew I wanted to be an entymologist, and I had great fun studying insects. I made terrariums for grasshoppers, and my own custom ant farms from baby food jars and plexiglass. I was an avid watcher of spiders, and have raised several tarantulas, and I still collect and read every book on spiders that I can find.

Later in 6th grade, I decided I wanted to be a chemist, and I delved into a study of organic chemistry, and even biochemistry. My favorite books were 4th year university textbooks. Later I discovered electronics and the personal digital computers that were just starting to emerge in the late 70's.

I guess I used my grade school years the way many people use half their working life, to discover what I would really enjoy spending my future doing. I have enjoyed my chosen career immensely. I identify greatly with the comedian Jerry Lewis who was asked in a 2003 TV interview:

So I went for a year as an "Undeclared Science Major". During that time I learned many things outside my classes, and soon was making money tutoring graduate electrical engineering students, and undergraduate computer science students. But due to a bad experience with Advanced Spanish, my whole GPA was lowered. My two years of high school Spanish only covered 6 chapters of the Spanish One textbook, making me ill prepared for the university instructor who only ever spoke Spanish. By the time the school realized that about 7 other people in the class were unprepared for the Advanced Spanish class that the college counsellors had placed us in, many of us were so far behind that even a special tutoring group was not enough to save us from withdrawals or low final grades.

During my first year I decided that I wanted to focus on Computer Science programming, and save my hardware knowledge for a hobbyist pursuit. The stuff that the Electrical Engineers had to do for their first three years before they'd get to the "fun stuff" in their fourth year, looked too boring to me. I am very practical, give me some chips and components and let me hook them up to do something.

So I tried to declare as a Computer Science major. But with that black mark on my academic record from the Spanish class, my overall GPA was not high enough to declare a major in Computer Science. Computer Science required a higher GPA than any other course in the Univeristy.

I had a great reference from one of the physics professors who taught the entry level computer science programs. He saw work I was going for my clients, and he said "Wow, I wish I could get my students to write programs as well as you do, structured and commented the way you do. If you can get permission to take my CPS101 course, you don't have to come to the lectures. Just take the final exam, and that will be your grade, I know you'll score 4.0."

Despite a this great reference, the chairman of the Computer Science department would not give me permission to take the entry level course for a Computer Science Degree. Despite my reputation as a tutor, (and general, shall we say, "explorer" of the University computer systems), he would not budge. The chairman became my arch-nemesis, forcing me to waste $6000 a year in mid 1980's dollars.

So when I was offered the chance to be partner in founding a computer business, I jumped at it. For me the decision was simple: "You mean people will pay me to learn, instead of my having to pay others to teach me? I'm in!"

Since then, I've done all kinds of things that the University said I couldn't do. I've been involved with building great computer hardware, both for companies, and as an entrepeneur working for myself. I've also been involved with building some of the greatest PC software in the last 20 years. The only times I've ever felt vulnerable about not having a University degree is when I had the common mindset of "I have to find a job." But, I've had jobs working for several computer companies who were leaders in their industries, so I've certainly had no problem finding good jobs.

In these jobs I have learned all kinds of new skills. I've probably used over 40 different computer languages and dialects, dozens more than were available at the University. I've learned how to use many advanced technologies, all the way from protected mode assembly language programming, to building real estate applications with artifical intelligence. It's not likely that the University would have exposed me to any more than a passing introduction to these items. But, since I needed these skills for my jobs and projects, I was able to learn what I needed as deeply as I needed to learn them, and also put them to practical use.

I've found the best answer, especially since the dot-com turndown, is to build my own business. Eventhough I had a lot of fun in my jobs, I am having even more fun building my own businesses. If there is something I need to study for a project I am working on, I go and get a book, or study online.

The one skill that everyone should learn for a successful future is what I call "good reference skills". You'll never be able to remember from school everything you'll need to know throughout your career. But if you know where to find answers, you'll be very successful. And I don't believe this is a skill that Universities teach. One would do better to devote a few days concentrated visit to every section of a large city library, and learning how to use reference tools like the card catalog and online research sources. I believe people learn best when they are learning what their personal life situation is requiring them to learn, or what their interests are guiding them to learn.

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