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Universities, by nature, have very rigid course structure that must be followed. Add other responsibilities like administrative formalities and deadline based w

Universities, by nature, have very rigid course structure that must be followed. Add other responsibilities like administrative formalities and deadline based work and universities become the last place an entrepreneur would be found. For example, if you watch the show Numb3rs, one of the issues that the crime-solving math proff has with the university is his lack of presence to teach and guide students. That is, what I believe, the problem with universities. Perhaps the online universities will resolve these issues as there will be faster processes and online paperwork that could be done at leisure. ( I ha e not read the article yet)

gravitronic 15y ago
You know what else has administrative formalities and rigid deadlines? Running a business. Suggesting an entrepreneur avoids these things is rather silly. IMHO the larger problem with universities is (in CS, at least) their subject matter largely provides theory and foundations without enough practical exercise. I realize it's a place of higher learning but graduating students who have never written larger applications than a few hundred lines of code is a disservice to the students who will have trouble adapting to coding in the real world.
- ahelwer 15y ago
  Where did you attend University? Most other computer science majors I've met encountered at least two classes during the course of their degree which involved a semester-long software project that was iterated according to new concepts introduced in the course.
  - azylman 15y ago
    Second this. A "project course" is a required part of the CS curriculum where I attended college, and that's almost always not the only project course you'll take. I did one every quarter for three years.
- nitinthewiz 15y ago
  I wasn't talking about student entrepreneurs. I was talking about professors who want to use their time to build businesses while still teaching.
- eli_gottlieb 15y ago
  Don't mind the anti-academic circlejerk.
jordhy 15y ago
Another big fail of structured education for entrepreneurs is the body of students selected for these university programs. You end up with many consultants, lawyers and small business owners in your network. This is not necessarily bad, but impractical for the connection hungry entrepreneur. Compare that to say doing YCombinator, a university for entrepreneurs (or at least a boot camp), one that gives you a solid alumni network of like minded entrepreneurs.

gravitronic 15y ago

You know what else has administrative formalities and rigid deadlines? Running a business. Suggesting an entrepreneur avoids these things is rather silly. IMHO the larger problem with universities is (in CS, at least) their subject matter largely provides theory and foundations without enough practical exercise. I realize it's a place of higher learning but graduating students who have never written larger applications than a few hundred lines of code is a disservice to the students who will have trouble adapting to coding in the real world.

ahelwer 15y ago
Where did you attend University? Most other computer science majors I've met encountered at least two classes during the course of their degree which involved a semester-long software project that was iterated according to new concepts introduced in the course.
- azylman 15y ago
  Second this. A "project course" is a required part of the CS curriculum where I attended college, and that's almost always not the only project course you'll take. I did one every quarter for three years.
nitinthewiz 15y ago
I wasn't talking about student entrepreneurs. I was talking about professors who want to use their time to build businesses while still teaching.
eli_gottlieb 15y ago
Don't mind the anti-academic circlejerk.

jordhy 15y ago

Another big fail of structured education for entrepreneurs is the body of students selected for these university programs. You end up with many consultants, lawyers and small business owners in your network. This is not necessarily bad, but impractical for the connection hungry entrepreneur. Compare that to say doing YCombinator, a university for entrepreneurs (or at least a boot camp), one that gives you a solid alumni network of like minded entrepreneurs.