College educated vs None

[valia]

I was wondering if there is a difference in the potential income you can make from affiliate marketing if you have aquired a college education vs. having none? I myself do not have a college education but I learn all there is to know about subjects that interest me, and that's why I joined this forum, to learn all I can about affiliate marketing.

Thank you!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi valia,

Welcome to 5 Star. Thanks for joining us.

Thanks for starting off with a great question! I personally don't think not having a college education is a disadvantage. Now there are some things you could learn in college that could help run any type of business, but there isn't much that applies directly to affiliate marketing.

FYI, I make more money in this business (as a consultant, not affiliate) than most Doctors and I don't have a college degree. In fact I only went to college for about 3 months and then dropped out. Not many people know that, but now you do!

Even before my Internet career when I was in sales and sale management I made good money and was pretty successful. So I guess I'm biased, but I don't necessarily think a degree is necessary if you are motivated.

 

[TeDWooD]

Hi Valia,

Welcome to the forum.

When you say that you don't have college education i presume you are living at home with maybe a part time job for now, correct?
That being said, There are both advantages to being in college education and actually living at home when it comes to affiliate marketing. I will show you examples of how i find it.

College Education
Advantages

• There are many people you can speak to and share ideas off.
• My media course goes into marketing and helps me learn the basics
• You are continually working towards deadlines (Will help with your affiliate projects)
• Keeps you socially sound

Disadvantages

• Less time to actually focus on affiliate marketing.
• Lots of commitments such as assignments to be completed.
• Adds to the stress levels especially towards the end of the year.
• Come home tired and unmotivated sometimes.

Working at Home/ No College Education
Advantages

• Plenty of time to do tasks that you have set yourself.
• You decide when to take breaks and have a breather.
• Less stressful compared to being in college.
• You may feel you have to prove yourself to make money.

Disadvantages

• Lots of distractions i.e. TV, e-mail, facebook.
• Can get very boring working by yourself.
• Don't have the benefits to ask other students about software or misc etc
• Some discipline in college with regards to learning compared to none at home.

 

[ParetoMitch]

I think a person who wants to be successful will be successful regardless of their education.

There are pros and cons to school based education but the one thing to remember is that even if you are not in school you can be learning.

The one thing that is most affected by not getting a formal education is that some employers require a degree or certification. But that is where the beauty of being an affiliate comes in; you are your own boss.

I like this quote :

?Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.? -Liane Cordes

And I am sure you could squeeze in Formal Education in beside strength

Work hard, never give up, and you will make it in affiliate marketing.

 

[jonathan9926]

I have a college degree in computer science. Honestly, I have never ever used it in affiliate marketing. I'm still pretty new though. My degree did help me understand dreamweaver more but anyone without a degree who studies or plays with that software will be a lot better than me.

English courses and essay writing also helped making articles but you can outsource those now. The English courses did help me in making a website and the art of persuasion. But you can get that knowledge in any ebooks these days.

Honestly most of the important aspects of affiliate marketing(at least I think they are the important ones that are letting me make money), I was able to learn or get because I play a lot of video games.

 

[carrollw]

Hi Valia...

I don't think it makes much difference. There are a lot of kids ( 13-16 yrs old ) that are making pretty good money online these days. You just need the drive to be successful.

 

[JamesCpaWay]

I don't think being or not being college educated makes much difference in the affiliate marketing world. Some of the most successful affiliate marketers I know not only did not complete college, but some never finished high school completely(although that is probably rare).

It just comes down to drive and motivation, and much time and effort you are willing to put into something to become successful. College can help in the sense of helping you be able to self-motivate, but overall I would say its not essential for being successful.

James

 

[TeDWooD]

I don't think being or not being college educated makes much difference in the affiliate marketing world. Some of the most successful affiliate marketers I know not only did not complete college, but some never finished high school completely(although that is probably rare).

It just comes down to drive and motivation, and much time and effort you are willing to put into something to become successful. College can help in the sense of helping you be able to self-motivate, but overall I would say its not essential for being successful.

James

I totally agree, i was just trying to think of some minor points but being honest college education is never a factor in success.

 

[matthewzinda]

Good question!

I have an AAS in Business Management, and alot of the general principles that I learned in college apply to my online business!

However, I have found there are alot of technical, and specific principles involved in affiliate marketing that I did not learn in college!

If I had to do it again, it would be a difficult decision for me; to go to college, or not!

I did not particularly like school, bcuz I had to sit through alot of stuff, and spend alot of time doing things I was not really interested in, instead of just concentrating on the stuff i wanted, or needed to know, among a few other negative consequences of going to school!

However, there were many positive outcomes too! I now have better sense, and understanding of business in general! Also, I have a piece of paper that looks great on a resume, called an degree, which is something that has benefited me throughout my life since then!

So, I'm probably not much help in deciding whether or not to go to college!

If I were to do it over again, the one thing I would do differently is get involved with a much more specific trade than just business management! For example, if I were to start college tomorrow, I would go specifically for Internet Marketing, as opposed to Business Management in general!

Hope that helps!

Good luck!

Matthew Zinda

 

[LemonBasil]

Hi Valia,

I think it makes no difference. I remember when I was back at college doing photography I had a fantastic time. However, when I got into the real world I learnt more in 2 days, than in 2 years.

You can gain so much more by doing and learning by your mistakes

 

[yanamk]

I also agree that a degree pays very little role in the affiliate career, although I must note that any kind of learning is useful.

Despite the degree in computer science, most of the things I know today, I learned myself the hard way and not in the class room. It is all about trial and error and how fast you can stand back on your feet and try again!

 

[Niche48]

I will not tip toe around this question.

The real answer is you can either focus on what disadvantages not having a college education confers on you or you can focus on how to build your business and make it work.

There are a lot of examples of people without a college education who have gone on to build empires for themselves. It really is about your focus

 

[agentbuilder]

I went to college, but I wish I didnt, I think it was a waste. The type of work I am doing today has nothing to do with my college education. But some would say like my mother inlaw. That knowledge is a good thing.

 

[JR Davis]

Some interesting thoughts, comes back to each individual is different and each situation different.

 

[ivanadee]

In Affiliate Marketing, our educational status will not influence anything
what really influence our result is our experience in this business.

 

[melovemoney]

I actually think that not having a college degree helps me in this business, because I know that I am not going to get a great job because of no college degree, so it really drives me more to succeed at my own business, not working for someone else.

 

[ConnorBringas]

This is a really broad question but I personally think that if you know enough about online marketing, and know enough information about the internet and how to market products then you dont really have to go to school. The things you learn in college dont have anything to do with online marketing. No class exists that teaches you information like on this forum

 

[yanamk]

I actually think that not having a college degree helps me in this business, because I know that I am not going to get a great job because of no college degree, so it really drives me more to succeed at my own business, not working for someone else.

That's a very interesting point. The motivation is definitely higher in this case. Thanks for sharing.

 

[vincent_james]

I believe that you can learn alot from a college education, however I have not received any college education myself, but i do manage to understand , learn and practice what most people would learn in college and apply to business. So is college education important, sure it is, but is it necessary to learn everything u need to know about marketing and etc etc, no.

 

[ConnorBringas]

In fact, I'm positive they dont teach anything you need to know about online marketing in school...