It certainly can help, but is it a must? I don't think it is a guarantee. I think it depends on your line of work. I can have in-depth philosophical conversations with all of my college counterparts (one's that are very well-versed in a wide array of topics, one's that I do consider intelligent). I have gained general knowledge about many topics through research and reading many books. In other words, I responsibly took matters into my own hands because I never really cared for the structure of our schools. I can outwit plenty of college-educated folks (especially theists), because I noticed that even if they are reasonable with most things, they can be unreasonable with other things (I'm in no way implying that people that are not college educated are more intelligent on average, just that it is possible). I'd like think I have done my best without college. I still have taken several of college workshop classes that are structured differently since I found them to be much more useful in my personal pursuit of knowledge. What do you think?
There is intelligence. And there is education. Both of these things may co-exist, but often not.
Look, I can write a brief really well. I would not know how to fix a car. These two things are differently intelligent (although, in a zombie apocalypse, fixing a car would be more useful).
My point is that a college education is a chimera - the idea that it's more than it is. You sound like you've evaded that.
No, I was smart before I was ever college educated...but with one caveat: college does broaden and deepen your experience in ways being the smartest kid in the room cannot. That is the value of a liberal education in a STEM world.
I agree completely! I have read thousands of non-fiction books, attended lectures, I bought The Great Couses, on the study of religious, philosophy, psychology, and many studies on the brain. All this study has paid off in my old age, compared to my peers! But, I do see, where the college discipline is need, if you are to pursue one career choice! And you need the 'record' to prove your worth in a specific study!
Absolutely not. Intelligence is very likely a personal skill and maybe we don't really understand yet why does happen with some people and not others. On the other hand, the value of college education is that you get to strech your brain muscles and develope techniques that will help one succeed if one is willing to put the time and hard work. No shortcuts here. So, both valuable and if you can have both, intelligence and college education then that's awesome if you make the most out of it