Adobe Training Video vs. College Degree
June 22, 2006
So, I hold a bachelor’s degree in advertising – not something I’m especially proud of. Why? Mainly because advertising is a sham profession that excels in hardcore sleazery. (Oh, how I wish I had gone to pharmacy school instead. You can work anywhere in the country sorting pills in exchange for a $90,000 salary. Amazing . . . .)
Ad Exec on lunch break.Anyway, my advertising “degree” is 100% worthless. I learned absolutely nothing. And I didn’t do poorly in my classes. I graduated with a 3.5 GPA, but nonetheless, I probably finished dumber than when I started. I spent FIVE (5) years and $40,000 learning that in order for an ad campaign to work, it needs to showcase a relevant product, make sense, go against the grains of competitive advertising, and be tirelessly repeated. For FIVE YEARS I studied this crap. For FIVE YEARS I studied basic common sense. I could have learned the same thing in a second-rate 4-week crash course at a community college on the outskirts of Cleveland. And as we all know:
Another aspect of my advertising “degree” was learning the Adobe Suite. In college, I took several classes that focused on the technical side to producing good print ads. (Radio and TV were virtually ignored.) The classes were usually led by bumbling, 22-year old, big-titted teaching assistants who knew more about highlighting their hair than graphic design. So, as students, we were basically left to our own devices if we wanted to learn anything of value.
So, about two weeks ago, a friend of mine (and former classmate) gave me a copy of Total Training Presents: Adobe Creative Suite 2, From Design to Delivery. The two-disc DVD set is basically a four-hour tutorial on the Adobe Suite, hosted by an annoyingly perfect British guy named Steve Holmes.
Steve Holmes: The Male Mary Poppins.
Wanting to brush up my already-disgraceful design skills, I popped in the DVD and began watching. The results were astounding.
After 4-hours, I learned more about print and web production than I could have ever learned at my university. After 4-hours, I also realized that the DVD-set contains more useful tips about print and web production than the collective brains of the entire teaching staff at my former university.
Now, here’s the really stupid thing. Had I not WASTED FIVE YEARS of my life earning a college degree, I wouldn’t have the job that I do today. However, had I skipped out on my degree and only studied these DVDs, I would have been much better prepared for my job.
Some gross comparisons:
University Tuition Cost: $40,000
Adobe DVD Cost: $249.99 on Amazon
Time at University Provided: A muddled set of vague concepts. No real skills.
Time with Adobe DVD Provided: A specific set of applicable concepts. Defined skills.
Time Spent at University: 160 credit hrs = 2,000 in-class hrs + 1,000 out-of-class hrs
Time Spent on Adobe DVD: 4.5 hrs + 2 hr review
The numbers speak for themselves. Had I favored the Adobe DVD instead of college, I would have saved $39,750 and have used the 3,000 hours of time spent in class to earn five years’ worth of full-time work.
I will conclude that the public school system in the United States is a scandal. With credit requirements rising, I’m convinced that the higher-education system is a nationwide scam to pillage everyone of their money. I would imagine many degrees – especially ones like advertising – could be streamlined into an efficient 30 credit hours. It would save our nation time and money.
So, I say screw advertising degrees. Take a 4-hour video course instead. You’ll be better off.
