Posted by Rick Denney on June 08, 2000 at 13:15:13:
In Reply to: Re: Re: No college? posted by Joe S. on June 07, 2000 at 19:41:22:
Well I agree... sort of. Education without natural ability or talent will not success make.
On the other hand, talent and natural ability without the proper background may never emerge or be given a chance to flourish. In my field (engineering), a practitioner cannot get licensed to practice (with only a few exceptions not related to ability) without a degree. The prospective licensee must have experience, too, and be able to pass a couple of nasty examinations, but the college degree is the entry fee. Of course, this seems obvious because engineering is a technical field with the requirement for an extensive base of knowledge.
But I agree with Joe's statement that the very best in non-technical fields may not need the degree. One reason for that is that they already have the cherry gig before college becomes an issue. But it seems a little dangerous to say that because so-and-so prodigy succeeded without the degree that *I* can succeed without the degree or that doing so is the best course. Sure, the best two or three basketball players may be able to go into the NBA without a college career, but most even very good players need that extra experience and exposure in college before they are ready for the pros. It isn't always about what is learned in college, but just proving that you can learn something at a high level that makes a difference.
I was friends with a child prodigy. He was so good that he was playing professionally in Houston in the sixth grade, based on ability not novelty. You should see him on the Tonight Show, but you don't, because he didn't give himself the opportunity to develop the other parts of his intellect, and his head got screwed up. He's in the construction business now. We hear about the success stories of people who beat the odds because they are so good they glow in the dark. For everyone with that sort of talent, however, there are a number of others who languish in obscurity because they didn't give their talent a chance by enhancing it with a good education.
Rick "Prodigies follow a rare destiny" Denney