Today I had the unique opportunity to interview Kyle, co-founder of WealthyAffiliate.com, the top online education platform for learning Internet business. I think that anyone that has gotten a college or university education, or anyone that is going will get a lot of insight from this interview.
Within the 4 questions I posed to Kyle, I was able to capture insight into the realities of the offline education world. He also walks through real life stories and compares his education in Computer Science to the opportunity online…along with the “new age” economy that we can expect going forward.
Here are the 4 questions I asked him.
Me: What do you need to get ready for college and how much will it end up costing you in the long run?
Kyle:I don’t think anyone can really be completely ready for college, but you are going to need money, time, and the ability to give up a few years of your life. If you are getting an undergrad degree, this is 4 years. If you are getting a Masters, 6 years.
Time is something that you will never get back, so you better hope that your University or College pays off. Money, is something that you have to pay back…and a typical debt from school and all of the associated expenses (books, residence, travel) is close to $50,000 – $60,000…and sometimes much more.
Think of it this way. If someone gave you 6 years and an opportunity to create your own business online…not to mention saving you $60,000-$80,000 and allowing you to earn while you learn, would you take them up on that? That is the opportunity that the Internet represents and what many folks are doing instead (and coming out on top).
Put your time into perspective as well because most people get completely lost in the value of the actual time that they lose as a result. Your time is worth money and a lot of it.
Four years of school is not only $40,000, but you are potentially losing $40K+ per year that you could’ve worked during your tenure at college. A college education really costs you $200,000 or more when you take this into consideration. A big chunk.
How Does A College Education Compare To Wealthy Affiliate?
Me: How would you compare this to Wealthy Affiliate in terms of price, value for your money, and success rates?
Kyle: 4 years at Wealthy Affiliate with our Premium membership (everything included), is a mere fraction of any institutionalized education. With our yearly membership, you can get full Premium access (includes all the training, tools, mentors/teachers, classroom access, live video classes, 24/7 support) for $359 per year (Less than a buck a day).
BUT, you can get started for free within Wealthy Affiliate, so regardless of your budget, you can get moving starting TODAY with your online business.
Does The Economy Affect The Average College Student Finding A Job After Graduation?
Me: With the economy the way it is today do you think that people would have a better success rate at getting a job in corporate america with their college degree, or do you think they have a better chance of success with the skills they can learn at Wealthy Affiliate?
Kyle: I have an education through college (Computer Science) and I have an online education, so I can speak on behalf of both. In hindsight, my education was good, but unfortunately you forget most of what you learn in school (other than the last year) and by the time you are done and ready to get a job, you really are ill prepared to work for any company.
In other words, before you can become useful, you have to get trained by them as to how to work.
I always wondered where I would be if I could take those 3 years back I spent in school…3 years in an intensive fast tracked Computer Science program. What could I have accomplished within the online business world and what opportunities did I miss as a result.
It is becoming more and more commonplace for jobs to shift overseas, I know first hand because we hire help from all areas of the world as we are living in a very global economy. If companies can find more skilled labour elsewhere…and at a cheaper price, they will do it. And trust me, this is going to continue to happen.
This might mean that the middle class will become the “lower class” because they are forced to work for less money in order to compete. That is why I think the Internet opportunity is so encouraging and is actually resilient to this sort of shift in the way our economies operate. It leverages the exact same “globalism” that companies are benefiting from.
When you understand the Internet and how the process of earning money online (as a business works), you are tapping into 2 billion Internet users. Every niche, no matter how small you think it is, has the opportunity to create a full time income and then some.
Either you go for it or you sit back and watch others succeed online around you. It can and will happen, I know first hand and I have helped 1,000’s of others over the years see the “light”.
Is What They Teach In College Outdated Information?
Me: Do you feel that what they are teaching in college today is updated information, and how does this stack up to the education offered at Wealthy Affiliate?
Kyle: What they are teaching in respect to “Internet Business” education is outdated and often times completely laughable. There are few programs even within the Ivy league schools that I wouldn’t even consider recommending to someone.
Simply because the material is dated and those that are teaching don’t have the hands-on experience or they are too high level (former management at a tech company) and don’t really have any growth ideas as an upstart.
Also, a semester at Uni would cost you up to $5,000. You could get an active, current, and all inclusive education (including websites, tools, hosting, and technical support) at Wealthy Affiliate for almost 15 years for the same price.
In fact, you can get going with an education at Wealthy Affiliate via the Starter membership for free. I am a bit biased, but there is good reason for it. The reality of the online business world is the start up costs to get an education and to build a business have become so minimal at Wealthy Affiliate that literally anyone can do it.
I can assure you that if you have a passion, you have drive, and you are willing to work hard, your education at Wealthy Affiliate will take you to no place that any job or any offline education ever could. I have worked with too many people over the years now that are running very lucrative online businesses and I know everyone holds the tools within them.
My recommendation to everyone is to get rolling with the Starter education at Wealthy Affiliate. It is free, no credit cards required and I will walk you through the fundamentals of online business and get you up and running with your very own business.
If you have any questions, opinions or feedback I would love it if you left it in the comments below.
Your Friend Scott
Nathaniell
I really enjoyed reading this interview. I think a lot of people miss the point and go to college ‘just to go’ or it’s because ‘that’s what successful people do’. If you know what you want to do for a career and find a program to teach you, university can give you an excellent ROI. If you go to uni and then decide to do whatever suits your fancy, you’re going to end up with a job you don’t like and lots of student debt!
Scott Newkirk
That is exactly how I feel Nathaniel, We are brought up to go to school and then go to college after high school. For some people that may be great, but lets face it in today’s economy the success rate of college grads is not what it was 10 years ago.
I read an article the other day that said over 50% of college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. They also had a lot of student loan debt and they had no idea how they were going to pay it back. I really appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts with everyone here and If I can help you out just let me know man.
Talby Kyon
This is a great interview, it’s true what they say about University becoming (is)a waste (not saying it’s bad and drop-out) but if you’re determined on succeeding else where, and have a passion for it, then I think College/University Education is a big waste. I’m a full time University student right now (Also studying computer science + I.T [multimedia], and thinking about leaving and continuing on with the online universe!
Cheers Kyle and Scott.
Really inspiring! haha
Regards,
Talby
Scott Newkirk
Hi Talby, I read articles online everyday where College/University grads are either underemployed or unemployed.They are pretty upset with the whole education system and you can’t really blame them. Working online is something I have always wanted to do, and I am so glad I have finally found a place that teaches you how to do this.
I wish you the best of luck with your online ventures and hope you experience much success with it. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the interview.
Scott
Kyle
Thanks for the interview Scott, I really enjoyed it. I hope this offers some insight to everyone that is thinking of getting an education…but not just that. It applies to all parents that think their child getting an education is the only way to succeed in this world.
I honestly feel as though my education actually set back my progress by 3 years. Sure, for those of you that want to go to school and end up with a mediocre job and hope that it is not outsourced to another country, an education is your best bet. But it is no longer a sure bet because of the globalization of our work force, our economy, and the way we can work as remote teams through technology.
I digress. Thanks for the opportunity to chat about education and I hope your readers find it of value and at the very least, educational (lol).
Scott Newkirk
Thank you for letting me interview you Kyle. It really has opened my eyes to what they are teaching in a university. I never had the chance to go to college and up until about 5 or 6 years ago I thought I would never get ahead in life. That is when I found this awesome opportunity of the internet and all the potential that it holds.
Like you said above, any niche no matter how small it is has the power to create a full time income and then some. I don’t think people realize how powerful the internet can be in terms of creating a business online. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to reach out to my audience and provide them with this useful information about how the education world has changed.
Anyone can take full advantage of what Internet marketing has to offer them and you can get started right now for FREE.