In 2002, two days into my second semester at community college, I took one look at the website my web design instructor's prior class designed for the local nature center and dropped out. It was clear I was on a slow path to mediocrity. All the training I needed was free online, at my own pace. And applying what I was learning in the real world often came with a payment!

Nearly all the web developers I know with a degree have it in a field not directly related to what they are doing for a living. They essentially ran up a college bill while messing around for fun until they got good enough to make a living out of it. I've always been amazed at the opportunities offered by a computer with Internet access and the ability to speak English.

Technical schools need to make a serious comeback. A university education is definitely not the right path for every person or every career. It's nuts how expensive the college experience now is. I feel like young people are being taken advantage of. The schools would have you believe a six figure education is actually worth paying for career X, Y or Z when those jobs, practically speaking, either don't really exist or don't provide a justified return on investment.

"Study" in Europe, acronym-shaped swimming pools, artificial ski slopes... Now I'm ranting. ;)