You may have noticed already, but it turns out we talk quite a bit about college on this podcast. It’s the first word in our name, after all.
We’ve broadened our horizons a bit since the beginning, though, so not all of you are in college or even planning on going. And that’s okay, because today we’re talking about a few other paths to success that big university doesn’t want you to know. Or something like that.
Specifically, we talk a bit about community college, trade schools, certifications, and the newer coding bootcamp trend. This list isn’t exhaustive, though; it’s missing other potential launching pads like entrepreneurship, volunteer work, gap years spent working, realty, and military service.
It may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry too much — with the right planning, any one of these or countless others can serve as the perfect starting place for a successful, happy life.
Things mentioned in this episode:
- Standard Deviation
- Listen Money Matters
- The Debt Free, One Year College Alternative
- Adam Braun
- Pencils of Promise (Adam Braun’s website)
- MissionU
- 5 Resume Mistakes You Need to Avoid
- Broke Busted & Disgusted
- A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson
- The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt
- OverDrive (iOS | Android)
- Codecademy
- Mike Rowe
- Profoundly Disconnected (Mike Rowe’s website)
- CNN Money – Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
- CompTIA A+
- Microsoft MCSE
- Cisco CCNA for Routing and Switching
- Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
- How to Test out of College Courses (Ep. 49)
- Thinkful
- Course Report
- App Academy
- Indeed
- Indeed – What Do Employers Really Think About Coding Bootcamps?
- Skillshare (iOS | Android)
- Udemy (iOS | Android)
- Coursera (iOS | Android)
- How To Make Community College An Ivy League Experience (Ep. 46)
- Should You Go to College? These 4 Questions Will Help You Decide
Want more cool stuff? You can find all sorts of great tools at my Resources page.
Timestamps:
- 0:01:41 – A good alternative to college and to get career education
- 0:11:22 – Definition and costs of trade schools and community colleges
- 0:19:00 – Becoming a well-rounded person and learning by yourself
- 0:24:23 – Vocational schools and more “hands on” professions
- 0:31:33 – Opting for online certifications
- 0:35:34 – Testing out of classes in college
- 0:37:31 – Learning skills through coding bootcamps
- 0:44:33 – Free alternatives to coding bootcamps and landing a job
- 0:46:41 – Going to community college first and transferring credits
- 0:50:47 – Recap and conclusion
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