The Uncommon Life

The discussion surrounding conventional education is changing and intensifying. This is a good thing because as the price to value of education continues to grow, people need to think seriously about their goals and how to best position their personal brand and market themselves for a promising future. Read More →

Truthfully, I don’t believe I could have earned the grades I did following conventional college advice. In fact, I believe that doing less, studying less (see tips 1, 2, and 3 in Part 1) and applying these 10 tips, contributed most to the outcome (it certainly wasn’t a natural gift for academics). And perhaps even more satisfying is knowing that these lessons can be applied in the professional world very well. Read More →

I never set out to get perfect grades. In fact, I clearly intended to place business and personal preferences as a priority. This was rather unusual in undergraduate school. My competitiveness kept me striving for good grades, but my lack of time kept me focused on effectiveness. Unexpectedly, this illogical amalgamation served me well.

Truthfully, I don’t believe I could have earned the grades I did following conventional college advice. In fact, I believe that doing less, studying less (see tips 1, 2, and 3 in Part 1) and applying these 10 tips, contributed most to the outcome. And perhaps even more satisfying is knowing that these lessons can be applied in the professional world very well. Read More →

This week marks an important milestone in my life. I am no longer a full time student of conventional education. Elation abounds. It’s back to business full time.

Anyone who knows me or reads my blog will know that I often wrestle with the concept and quality (return on time and money) of conventional education. Looking back, however, I did learn some key things – it just so happened that the majority of my most valuable “education” took place outside of the traditional curriculum. Read More →

We are often led to believe that knowledge creates a better life. This is not entirely so. If knowledge were all it took, there would be many more happy, wealthy people. The reality is: Knowledge is only as valuable as the degree to which it is applied. Read More →

If you would have told me 5 years ago that too much learning could be detrimental, I would have sought the nearest soapbox to beam my message of opposition. But during these last two years, as I spent an increasing amount of time online, I’ve realized how a deep desire to learn (and even a unquenchable curiosity) can also be a liability. Read More →

Every so often an individual’s curiosity, frustration, and/or inspiration urges them to break tradition and challenge the status quo. In my last post, high school Maverick and valedictorian, Erica Goldson, delivered a graduation speech no one expected by encouraging her classmates and the faculty to reexamine the conventional education system and their role within it. I think it is both inspiring and alarming to watch this growing number high school students step forth to speak out about the quality and “process” of their eduction. Read More →

Education is important, but it’s our definition of education that has become convoluted and misleading. Consequently, our “educational” institutions have drifted further away from the course of our emerging world. Academics have arguably become a parallel reality increasingly detached from the “real world.” Yet, the inefficiency of conventional education continues because of the society’s symbolic perception of value. Read More →

Unemployment continues to be a serious issue and many of us are hoping for things to change. However, as basic education expands and improves worldwide, more and more people are qualified to competently perform the majority of jobs available. Thus, outsourcing, off-shoring, and subcontracting are inevitable trends becoming more and more prevalent. The future belongs to those who learn and master more right-brain abstract skills-sets such as creativity, problem solving, resourcefulness, communication, leadership, and relationship building – this is the repertoire of the new-age artist. Read More →