Nehaveigur

The two most interesting ideas on what could replace college I’ve come across are charter houses and The Preparation.

Charter houses, proposed by Slime Mold Time Mold, are shared by 6-10 college age people. Rent is paid for them and they receive a small stipend. They will have little institutional support and need to figure out what they do.

The Preparation is a book written by Doug Casey, Matt Smith and his son Maxim Smith. Smith father also discusses it on Brett McKay’s podcast. The idea is simply a do-it-yourself curriculum that may include things like earning a certification as an emergency medical technician or building a house. Other components that I could imagine are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, starting a company, moving to France for a few months to learn the language, or do a job involving heavy physical labor some time. The aim is to build a well-rounded individual. Specialization is for insects.

Both of those ideas have weaknesses. Charter houses lack structure and guardrails, and a pick-your-own-adventure curriculum may not result in enough long-term social exposure. Is combining them the solution?