the school of hard knocks just get out there and do it the rest can be learned by yourself reading books. If you want an alternate career then major in the field you want your job in.
I majored in both English and Business Admin. I gleaned qualitative, cultural and more of an abstract skill set with my English, and learned quantitative applications with my business degree. I had to take many classes which were useless and annoying (statistics, marketing) but many that help me understand how business and economics work. Valuable if you plan on ever having money in America.
I wouldn’t say my degree has catapulted me into another level of functionality in general, but I’m certainly glad I have it.
To answer your question, the most valuable class I took in college, which also would benefit one greatly in REI and many other endeavors, was finance. Accounting sucked, but is a must. After those there were many classes that offered value, but not like those, in my opinion.
Also in my opinion, is if you are college age, and have the opportunity, GO. It opens doors and enables you to meet people and make long lasting connections you will never have otherwise. (Also, if you’re single, it’s the last time you’ll be surrounded by so many other single members of the opposite sex; a fringe benefit)
my 2 sense:
for what it’s worth:
i have a Masters Degree in Counseling.
life is all about psychology. whether you believe in psychobabble or not - life is about the psyche.
it’s not the classes you take that will propel you toward success. it’s not the teacher, the classroom, and God, it’s not the grades!
what it breaks down to is YOU!
understanding human behavior at a BASIC level is the key. and i’m not talking about Sigmund Frued and dream analysis or penis envy!
i’m talking about BEHAVIOR.
without getting too much into it, you have to realize in yourself and others - what drives behavior -
attention
task avoidance
stimulation
that’s it.
attention - means doing things to get some kind of external pay off - a pat on the back, a raise, a laugh, a kiss, etc.
task avoidance - means ESCAPE from something you do not want to do, for whatever reason - fear, anxiety drive this type of behavior - i.e. public speaking - i.e. for real estate - hesitance to invest as a noob for FEAR of screwing up.
stimulation - seeking internal stimuli pay off - chewing on a pencil, tapping your feet, scratching yourself, etc.
the first two are important to know, as a businessman/investor/employee/father/mother/son/daughter/brother/sister/etc.
knowing what motivates others to do the things they do puts you in the driver seat.
sadly, you WILL NEVER LEARN THIS IN COLLEGE.
get a degree. dont’ get a degree. it really doesn’t matter.
at the end of the day, what matters is
DID YOU GET THE DAYS WORK DONE?
DID YOU DO A GOOD JOB?
DID YOU HELP YOUR FELLOW MAN [GOOD DEEDS]?
DID YOU MANAGE TO LEARN SOMETHING?
DID YOU MANAGE TO HAVE SOME FUN!?!
DID YOU GIVE GOD HIS DUE PRAISE?
DID YOU REALIZE THE STRENGTH INSIDE YOURSELF?
As most of us know, fear develops from the unknown. Stepping outside of the comfort zone creates numerous feelings of excitment, stress, anxiety, panic, so forth and so on as this is natural and to be expected. A product or consequence of this affect is our behavior brought on by these actions.
Some folks can jump into a new venture with both feet and and say it’s that simple, however, it isn’t. If you take the plung without thinking through possible consequences then the choices you make will have a lasting affect either good or bad.
A lot of people have offered good advice and opinions as to what steps they’ve taken going forward. Deciding which way to approach your situation will not be easy. You may feel more comfortable taking a class here and there before you jump into the field, this is smart and will save you a lot of money and time if it’s indeed not your cup of tea.
To make money in real estate you’ve got to know what your doing and why you’re doing. There are very few people out there who have made millions in real estate without the help of good and reliable mentors and education — degreed or not. I think most fail because they don’t understand the complexity of the field and the various components involved, including supporting yourself until you can make some money.