After reading all of the entries (3 total), the winner is Pam in Colorado’s post!  HUGE thanks to everyone who participated and made this happen.  I am sorry it took so long to finally wrap up!

The judges (my roommates and I) loved all of the entries. Kristen, from BizChicksRule, wrote a magnificent post and had some great comments, and Kelly from TaxGirl brilliantly related the recession to the topic.

HOWEVER, as wonderful as each of these posts are, we thought Pam covered every facet of the subject.

Here’s my take on the contest…

It is difficult to find people who are not advocates of education. I have plenty of friends who have decided to pass on college and there are millions of reasons to swing the argument either way. After four years in college, I have discovered that an education is never guaranteed; but the professors are there to facilitate it.

In terms of entrepreneurship, much of what is desired is motivation and creativity – much of which cannot be taught.

Pam said:

I have seen the most creative individuals drop out of schools (high school or college) because they do not learn in the same way the schools present information. Many entrepreneurs seem to be kinesthetic learners and movement allows them to process, create and complete things. Our schools are not equipped to allow such styles. Sit still, pay attention, stay within the lines.

Stay within the lines really hits a note with the general theme of the subject. Entrepreneurship should not often revolve around conformity or standards. Creating, designing, building, and selling a successful product is an art… and staying within the bounds of what has been taught to be standardized can only be detrimental.

Higher education should be conducive to learning that allows thought processes and experimentation that supports failing forward, since failure that leads to success is amazing and the basis of most inventions. We need to learn how to overcome obstacles and encourage thinking processes that allow knowledge that goes beyond the 9 – 5 beliefs.

Congratulations, Pam – you wrote a $20 Amazon gift card post (yeah, I rounded up for the prize)!

Post from: EveryJoe

And the Winner Is…

 Alright, as you all know, I have this crazy cool contest going down called the “We Don’t Need No Education” contest.  You have until Tuesday to submit something!  I’m looking forward to seeing some of your results!   I kind of wanted to jump in and throw forward a few ideas.

I am an education advocate, but that is my opinions.  Since opinions are never facts and never wrong, an argument for both sides can always be made.

Oh… and for the record, my own entry doesn’t count towards the contest.

Creativity cannot be taught.  Ambition cannot be taught.  Motivation can be influenced, but there isn’t a formula for it in any of my books.  These three stepping stones represent the stairs to starting your own business.  Going to college, while helpful for those who need to fill out a job application, is costly and takes time.  Some days I don’t enjoy college – it often isn’t rewarding and (to be honest) I don’t really like my major.

You are force fed information and asked to memorize and regurgitate on tests that decide your grade.  If you fail, that’s money wasted.  Even if you pass, how does that help you become an entrepreneur?  You embody the idea of your business and it shouldn’t take a college education to support it.

Hopefully that will stir up some ideas for some more articles.

Post from: EveryJoe

My Entry In My Own Contest… No, it Doesn’t Count…