UF student Kyle Eschenroeder is working on a project that explores one question: Is college a waste of time?
Eschenroeder’s soon-to-be website and documentary explore the college decision and other alternatives.
“We’re stuck on this path from kindergarten to 12th grade, and there’s not an easy way out until you graduate high school,” he said. “That’s when you can make a huge decision to stay inside the system or blaze your own path.”
SelfMadeU will go live May 1 and consists of a free e-book with case studies that follow individuals in their 20s to success without receiving a degree or attending college at all.
The joint project is geared toward three groups of people: students graduating high school and wanting to travel, people who want to work as freelancers or start their own businesses, or those ready to work.
The documentary starts filming Friday. It will be a yearlong project compiling what is considered to be the most interesting aspects of the website to viewers.
Kevin Schlenker, a subject in a case study for the project, started an online retailer of car audio equipment at 19. Last year, he did $280,000 worth of revenue and expects to do about $500,000 this year, according to Eschenroeder.
“It’s much more important to understand the market you are working with,” Schlenker said. “In my situation, I deal with car audio products. Knowing the industry is something critical that can’t be learned out of a business degree.”
