Do you have any particular topics you’re interested in that you could out-source preliminary research for?

For example, if I were interested in learning more about the French Revolution, given what I know now, I’d probably start by picking up an art history book and look into who was commissioning the art or providing patronage for the artists. But I’d have no clue where to start learning about how the thought was influenced at the time other than the relationship with the American Revolution and Thomas Jefferson, so I’d probably need to read about who Thomas Jefferson was talking to in France, and then look into what other thinkers those people were talking to.

It might feel a little silly at first, but I also recommend keeping a notebook or two just to keep track of where research sends you until you start to see the patterns of what interests you. Then you’re able to really double down on looking for the right sources.

Edit: I also think it’s perfectly normal and even good to understand that certain topics might be dead ends. For me, the idea of how Cartesian duality has affected how our culture relates to our bodies is a rather interesting topic. However, I also realize it’s a big can of snakes to go down and it might not be especially applicable or prudent to what I’m trying to do today. So it’s something I keep in the back of my mind but not something I’m pounding the ground looking for answers to.

In my experience (which is substantial on this matter), you can approach education with the intention of learning and without much regard for later employment.

I seldom invested much energy in work that I wasn't interested in or that didn't lead to something I was interested in. My teachers and professors often found this irritating, but I wasn't there to please them, I was there to learn.

It's a frustrating route to take, but you can take it.

You're other idea is good, too, though. There's relatively little you can't teach yourself, if you're motivated. Some of the advanced mathematics I took would have been beyond me, if I were on my own, but most everything else would have been doable.

The great thing about the age in which we live is it is easier than ever to be self-taught.

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education" -- Mark Twain

As someone who fooled themself into years of upper education in pursuit of nothing but my own interests, I can say that I found far more education outside that system since abandoning it

Why would I spend a year of my time and LOTS of money to learn about Descartes first, when all I wanted to study were the Classical Greeks?

Modern schooling erects many roadblocks to learning, masquerading as a form of meritocracy, but I would argue it has actually resulted in far less meaningful education overall

Don't take my word for it, either; look at literacy alone - the founding documents of America were considered to be at the reading level of children of the time, as was the pamphlet 'Common Sense'

Another example: what was Alice doing before she went on her Adventures in Wonderland? The young girl was studying Latin, and that was a perfectly normal scene at the time of writing

I ended up doing almost exactly as you are considering, taking only the work offering skills of interest while putting my education into my own hands during "off-time"

Nobody is more qualified than you are to determine your direction, but I will add this:

I regret nothing.

Yes, you're right. Current education really sucks! I don't know much about other places but in India it's creating humans who will be at sixes and sevens about what to do! I would also comment about the mindset of parents and educators from here. They both are on the same page that education does really provide a job instead of creating some form of better human beings. The books, the teachers, the schools all say in one tone that a student should study for some profession. Shame on the current education system!!

Actually, you can find a lot of older books on these topics, and they hold a wealth of information. Some of it can be a bit dated, though. My father made me read a lot about psychology and human behavior when I was younger. He said that was missing out of the public school curriculum.

With uDemy, Coursera, Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning - I can't believe the price of college/education in general hasn't come down. I know virtual learning doesn't replace in person learning, but some of the stuff on these sites is pretty damn good.

We don't require current schools and colleges. We should go back to 'Gurukul' times.

Modern education is beyond terrible.

Fortunately it doesn’t matter because IQ is more important

what i dont buy in modern education is placing different kids with different learning abilities other one room taking this same exams. Students with different learning styles or special needs might find it challenging to thrive in a standardized system. modern education does not prepare for the cruelty and reality for the real world

Tradies do very well in Australia, but there's also a 3-4 year path to getting a valid certificate for that too.

Once the money problem is more or less solved you're free to learn whatever you like.

Teaching something you specialize in might be a good way to earn money (in terms of payment/time) and spend the rest of your time learning.

Most here might agree that saving in bitcoin helps too.

When I start to complain about education I usually stop myself and correct what I mean. Education always has value and doesn't suck at all. What does such is the schooling system including so called higher education (Universities). In most fields from what I have seen the main value of university is the degree. The certification. There is value as an employer and even as a customer of a provider of services to know that an organization or collective has vetted something in an area of expertise.

But simply having that piece of paper doesn't IMO mean someone is educated. Nor does not having that paper mean they are uneducated. In many fields certification is required. The modern education systems in the US at least are a mess.

That said, today is a golden age of learning and education. Never before in human history has there been more access to more knowledge. Much of it is free and if you do have some money you can get even higher quality content to study. That said just knowing things isn't enough for many fields. There needs to be some second outside entity to confirm a level of competence. That I think is where the biggest room for improvement lies.

Many of us went through years of what we might now think of as wasted money, time, and effort to get a degree. Its pretty common. The mistake most make is not counting the cost before hand. How much time and money is this going to cost me vs. what I will get at the end. I don't regret the path I took really. Sure, I was super frustrated with it at the time and even today but it was a few years and I paid off my debts. I could have took a different path but I'm not sure where that would have led me.

I recommend people do the math on the field they are entering. Does the math make sense? But even before that try to get some exposure to what the field is actually like. Try to connect with older people experienced in the field. Even just take them for a cup of coffee. I've done this for people interested in going into software several times. You may find out it is not for you. Or, you may realize that it is worth grinding through these stupid classes to check a box.

As they say in my country, knowledge does not take up space