First off, you can take this with a grain of salt. I’m writing homeless and broke while finishing a book about falling in love with a monk. Naturally, I have to wonder how I ended up here. I wouldn’t change anything about my life, but I would second guess my decision to go to graduate school.

In 2007, I traveled across the country to attend Columbia University. Blinded by youthful optimism, a prestigious name, and the lure of New York City, I left a steady government job to enter the School of Social Work.

I received little guidance as to what my financial aid award would mean for my future. I worked part time throughout school to supplement money for food and expenses but still ended up crying in the financial aid office because I couldn’t pay rent. They gave me more loans.

After two years, I graduated with a social work degree and a mound of debt I will most likely never pay off (unless that previously mentioned book flies off the shelves). I consider what $100,000+ would do in another country, or even here in America. Like buy a house.

Education has become a business, not a mechanism for self-improvement and personal growth. We’re setting generations up for insurmountable debt. I figure if I can save someone else from this fate, I would like to.

What actually matters:

YOUR PASSION

People want to work with you because they trust you and like you, not because you have a list of letters after your name. Within seconds of meeting you, I can tell if you love your life and your job or if you absolutely hate it. Who wants to hire someone who is unhappy and miserable? Certainly not any company you’d want to work for. Your passion is what sustains you, brings the right opportunities to you, attracts the kind of people you want into your life. If grad school is going to dim that in any way, don’t go.

YOUR TIME

Spend your time building things and doing work that you love and are good at. People will notice. This is how you find a job and build a career. I wish the two years I sat in mandatory classes were spent doing the kinds of stuff I’m doing now — I delayed momentum by going to school. So if you decide grad school IS something you need to get where you want to go (i.e. a professor, a lawyer, a doctor), make sure you’re ready to take time out of your life. Your time is a very real investment you are NOT going to get back.

TRAVEL

The most valuable lesson I learned in grad school: empathy. Social work hammers this home. You can acquire this skill by visiting other places, learning how other people live. Simply, imaging what a day is like in someone else’s shoes. Travel helps you see this more clearly. I think before anyone decides to go to school, they need to take a breather and experience new things. It’s too easy to get stuck in a rut. Detours are good. They help you grow as a person — and confirm the direction you’re heading.

PEOPLE

I’m not rich, but I can tell you who to talk to if you’re looking for an exceptional social good consultant in LA or if you’re wanting a thoughtful travel photographer with international experience based out of NY. I’ve developed relationships with people who are incredible teachers and role models. Find individuals who are doing what you want to do and have had to struggle to get there. Ask questions. We all have something to teach, an expertise to offer — it’s just a matter of asking the right questions. Investing in people, in relationships, is a decision that can never go wrong.

Many of the skills needed to thrive in our economy are not obtained in classrooms. An outcropping of entities such as Skillshare and General Assembly offer equally valuable learning experiences. I strongly advise anyone considering graduate school to think carefully whether it will lead to the professional — and personal — satisfaction you’re looking for. Take a moment to consider what you could do instead, and absolutely-without-a-doubt make sure you’re informed of the repercussions of financial aid before signing any letter of intent.

Flame me: Disagree? Was your IVY degree worth it? I want to hear.

Hire me: Yes, I’m accepting select clients.

Help me: I hear they have these things called author advances, so you don’t have to worry about money and can focus on writing something beautiful. That sounds nice.