Self Education and the Dropout Stigma | Andrew Morris | TEDxYouth@ColumbiaSC
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In 2010, Andrew dropped out of high school to pursue a less-common career path in cyber security, and he will be discussing how learning, passion, discipline, and failure have related to his own experiences.
Andrew is a consultant at an NYC-based information security company and a proud native South Carolinian. In 2010, Andrew dropped out of high school to pursue a less-common career path in cyber security. Since then, he has been hired by some of the largest international corporations around the world to pose as an attacker, hack into their computer networks, and improve their security by recommending how to how fix the security holes he identified. When Andrew is not hacking computers, he is traveling, playing whatever instrument is closest to him, wrestling with his dog, or trying understand what his dreams mean.
Andrew can be contacted by:
Email: morr.drew@gmail.com
Twitter: @andrew___morris
Website - morris.guru
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
For me, school sucked away my passion, curiosity, and wonder and left me a dry, empty husk. So I quit. But I forgot that I have to somehow pump all the life back into that husk. That has proved to be most difficult and trying.
It is only now, after dropping out of school that I realized that skills like discipline and focus, which were never deemed important enough to learn, are truly vital.
Anyhow, good talk. You're an inspiration.
I know what you mean. I've always been a creative person, and schoolwork has always been at odds with that. And i definitely went through a few years where there was virtually nothing in me to create. While some of the factors were personal, the shape that my Middle-school forced me into was probably the tipping point where I emotionally and mentally shut myself down until Sophomore year.
I have only a handful of memories from that time. What saved me then was a creative writing class; I finally got to "pump life back into," the husk. And i also started to read my Bible again. I hope you find a way to wholly fill yourself again.
I can relate, I’m an art student and it’s legit sucked out my passion and creative flow from what i used to do. Just not as fun. But ah well I’m sure we’ll all get back into that flow again of whatever you do. I know for sure that if my kids will not want to stay in school, i will let them be home schooled or even teach them my self! Because I’m a believer of spirituality and law of attraction and stuff like that!
I watch this because I am considering dropping out of college :D
So. Two things. One: Will you get any value from dropping out? (Will you be able to hone your craft more) Two: Is there no other way to get what you want without dropping out? If you answered no to both, you've probably not thought about this for very long. Everyone I know in the reverse engineering community is either a PhD in something, or dropped out during high school, like Andrew and I and a dozen other people he and I know. As he mentions, we're all just a product of our obsessions. I love figuring out how everything works. I just had a knack for it since forever. Andrew was always fucking shit up on computers and finding new ways to break shit, and he just got good at it. And that became our skill. That became our trade, so to speak. So when I'm in an interview, they generally don't really care about education, they just care "can you do the job." Now, this probably doesn't bode well in say the medical industry, but for the IT sector it absolutely does. They care, are you good enough to do your job, and can you stay motivated. You're going to have competition regardless, and a Bachelors degree isn't exactly going to differentiate you between the masses. What will, is learning super cutting edge technologies, like whatever is offering 6 figures for right now. I just did a quick Google search, and it's something called Django, ruby on rails, and a bunch of other shit I've never heard of. During the time I dropped out (2006) the new hotness on the market was Java. Java was fucking EVERYWHERE! Everyone wanted Java programmers. There's a meme from the 2006 era that goes something like: "Wanted: Java programmer with 10 years experience." Java came out in 1995. It wasn't even a fucking THING until at least 1999. And even then, it was like if you know Django right now, and back then learning was "OK how much is the book." Now, you just check out some douchebag's github repo on "Babu's first Django" project or some shit, and boom you can take it apart and figure out how to make the technology dance. Enough to at least get hired. Anyway, what happened was I got a lot of Nos. Andrew lucked out with the DC company, because they REALLY needed people, they were like "Can you spell TCP? You're hired." I eventually got hired by IBM, but it took almost 8 years, and going to ITT to get it. I found that even after dropping out, knowing C/C++/ASM and being a boss at reverse engineering just wasn't enough. You have to have differentiators to get you at least on the person of interest's desk. I recently got let go from my job, and even with 4 years of Java experience, I had to REALLY work just to get interviews.
TL;DR Take Andrew's advice. Don't drop out. It is a cool bragging right to be in a really respected position with PhDs and masters degrees, and you're the only one without a degree and you're better than them (and they fucking know it), but unless you're one of the Kewl Kids like us, who have just been doing your trade since forever and are really fucking good at it, then don't drop out. For the 99% of people, it's worth it to finish school.
Hey, +gir489 :) I'm afraid I can't see your comment entirely, but thank you for replying. Yeah, I think that's sort of right
I think that is only a good option if you are very skilled at something that can give you money without college degree, like coding, cad software.
Or at least, the motivation to learn that skill.
How is it going? ;)
same xD
I did it because in my country college is 6 years, and I knew I wasn't able to go one more year, not even one, learning things that I know are not that important. If you happen to be in the best University in the world it is worth it, but some universities are nothing but a business. If you have a plan, and you know what you want, you have to do what is best for you.
I was a bit judgemental until I realised he spoke from the heart and experience. No notes to smooth it up, no prompters.... just him and the audience. Respect Mr Andrews.
major respect. mans a legend.
Man, the last four minutes are what really make this speech phenomenal. If you are in the first ten minutes of the video, this TED talk might not be able to a rouse your appreciation for the speaker, but the last 4 mins is what got my attention. Andrew talks about how failure is our best friend and how it is so undervalued. Failing teaches you a bunch of new things, basically, it's an opportunity to learn. And that hiccup at the end of the video, that just might bring a smile to your face. This talk has it's own beauty, if you are willing to appreciate it.
thanks so much for your thoughtful response. I'm really happy you took value away from it.
I finished highschool (top quarter) but my grades were really bad comparatively. I had a +C average and could not find the motivation to me interested in anything half my teachers were talking about. I was a smart kid, I am good at figuring things out and public speaking is my greatest talent, calculus and biology....not so much. So after my 4 years of highschool I decided that I was going to go to college, I was going to be the first member of my family to go to college and graduate. I was the smart grandkid, I was the one they all thought was going to be a super genius with full ride scholarships....I applied under an education major to my dream school and managed to get in (not because of grades mind you but because of essays and an automatic acceptance SAT score). I get there and my whole family was supporting me (even my mom who throughout highschool would constantly ridicule me about my grades, which is a fair statement because they weren’t the best but in my mind it was only because it had nothing to do with my future) and I applied under an education degree. My plan was to go in under an education degree and get a masters in the subject so I could teach the next generation of teachers. I wanted to help students like me because I knew I was a terrible student. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, my goal was to be John Keeting from Dead Poets Society......I had to drop out after the first year. The school was extremely difficult (the 2nd most competitive school in my state) and had an academic policy where if any student fell below a +C average they would be put on probation and if they didn’t raise their cumulative GPA above that average....they would be removed from the school. It is/was tough (I am writing this a week after my final grades were in). I’m sorry for the long winded comment but here is what I am trying to get at....I am going to a junior college and I’m not sure what to do. All I know is that somewhere down the line I am going to help people, I want to make a difference. This helped me a lot, this is actually giving me the motivation to move forward with my plans and to figure out what I am doing with my life. Thankyou for reading :)
I hope everything goes well,keep us updated lol
They need to bring back Vocational High Schools so kids can get hands on experience in the field of their choice. Everything from agriculture to engineering.
Exactly!
I am a teacher. And I tell you. You don't need to be in school to be educated. Schools have inherent weaknesses because they are based on the old factory model and yet the world is entirely different. There is a disconnect.
Self-education is not a new idea and yet so few practice it
I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. Now I'm just about done with a bach degree in computer science. It was way harder than it could have been if I had just stayed in high school. But I'll admit, it was worth it. Not taking the appropriate math courses in high school meant I now had to teach myself everything up and including calculus. I did it. Passed the CLEP exam for calculus 1. As I started calculus 2 (my first semester in college), I was floored by how well I knew the material when compared to other students. I guess there is something to be said about learning something because you want to as opposed to learning it because you are required to.
Paul Frazier I'm thinking of dropping out of high school. I still wanna get a degree eventually but I just want a break for a few years. Even so I can already do calc 1,2,3 I just want to learn on my own for a bit as I learned that I can learn highschool courses 30 times faster, and college courses 5 times faster. I want to study so I have a lot of free time when I start so I can continue to learn without being slow down. (I actually learn slower if I stay in school, there are reasons far too complex for this comment). Do you have any advice on how I'd get into uni?
Hey man I swear I’m not weird or anything but can you text me and I just got some questions and I wanna do what you did and I was hoping you could sorta guide me I a little way. 4236936775
ALscar be out of the Box
Literally described what my futures looking like to a tee. I want to work with computers, schools sucks all my energy and turns me into a husk, and I always did better educating myself. Currently in the 10 grade and thinking about dropping out cause COVID school is like a brick wall to me
How did you teach yourself?
I might have failed in academics but I never failed in life so help me God in Jesus name Amen 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 by Steve Irungu Jermaine
I'm debating dropping out of highschool. I want to be a children's book writer. School isn't leading me in the right direction , it isn't teaching me anything I need to further my life. The only thing I need it's going to give me is a graduation certificate? That's all I'll get after all the effort I would be putting in?
The way my mental health has already drained in only freshmen year , I can't see myself getting through any of the other grades.
Andrew Affordable Medical Equipment and Chris Carpenter or Coach Carp is proud of you .. Keep up the good work. :)
Watching this because I dropped out of College
Right, you are your own teacher, it is passion and discipline, love what you do.
In Finland there is a day that failure is celebrated, wow quite logical if you think about it!
I dropped out of high school at 17 to study law and commerce at university - long story short, I'm almost 19 and haven't done anything with my life. Stay in school kids. I am trying to get into university again, might do physics - I don't know. Reply for long story.
I'm thinking about dropping out of high school to focus on my dream which is the be a mma fighter in the UFC.
@@ftmws293 that’s a really hard dream to achieve, how are you doing so far? I also want to know about you @Count Claude de Castro
My life is similar to urs! But I’m an Indian :(
Same -__-
Yup! Here too.
This kid is AWESOME!
You don't have to be educated to be knowledgeable
True that!
Trueeee
Make it an obsession
-Mark Cuban
Is this the man who voiced Cicero in Skyrim?
Cicero's my all-time favorite character/follower! :D
This man speaks my mind.
2018 and i'm still listening to this (-;
*JUST DESTROYED the VIDEO TITLE*
5:10
Fuckin love this guy
Nice conclusion
Thanks, great video
The last 10seconds of this is very funny
Great video ... when people is young
The government get you with giant loans that people finishing school is not able to pay because they don’t find job well pay
Great video
its not the education its the school.... deal with it people