Ask Dad

[Warpe]

If you could speak to yourself at 18, 21 and 30 what would you tell yourself?

Get a university education, learn a foreign language (preferably more than one), travel the world. (x3)

What about a university education is so valuable to you?

Is learning a foreign language simply a "connect to people of other culture" mechanism?

Not having a degree closed a lot of doors for me. If I could do it over, I'd take 4 or 5 years out my life to get the piece of paper. I'm a smart guy and did fine without, but I would've done better with. It's a competitive world, and when it comes down to choosing someone for a job, all else being equal, the Wookie with the degree wins.

Knowing foreign languages allows you understand and appreciate the world better, expands your thinking because some concepts just don't translate from the original and, again, opens more doors. I think it's even more important to learn languages now than it was in the past, given globalization. Sure, the world wants to know English, but you've got a leg up if you can speak the native tongue.