Post: #1

To give some background info. I'm 19 and from a small suburban town in England.
Its shit and i hate suburb life. Only place I'd want to live and work in this country is London honestly.

Summers over and I've been trying to deciding my path for a while now...

I have the opportunity to intern for my auntie's real estate rental company in Lake Tahoe in the US from January to March. i want to do this, as i feel it would look good on my resume, I'd learn some valuable working skills and living in Lake Tahoe would be awesome even if i don't know anybody there yet.

Anyway till then I need something to do with my time and I have some ideas of what I'd like to do ideally.
I started working out about 2 month's ago and I have started training in Calisthenics (bodyweight). I love working out and have become really passionate about my diet and workout and all. I follow some PT's on Instagram and their lifestyle looks really cool!


I definitely don't want the corporate desk job life so I'm discovering my options and have come up with a sort of plan but I want some advice from more knowledgeable guys about whether my plan is good or not.

My plan is to learn as much as I can about
social media marketing/accounting/finance/economics/shares/investing etc..
As these are valuable skills for life and especially if i want to be my own boss someday.
I also find these subjects pretty interesting although i have little knowledge about them thus far.
Also to learn about nutrition and muscle groups and all the knowledge needed to be a PT. I read online that you need certification to become a PT and I would be willing to do that.
So my plan is to learn through books and online resources in my time while I'm living with my parents for free and also with any spare time i get while interning with my auntie in the US and of course when I get back to England i would continue to read and learn about these fields.

My question is.. Will reading books and watching videos, online resources and podcasts give me as good knowledge on things such as accounting/investing/economy and all, as a course would in accounting lets say. I don't feel like i need the qualification in accounting ( I couldn't get into university anyway because of my high school grades *due to laziness and video games back then*, but could attend a community college or even do an Fast track A-Levels online course in accounting or economics. (I hear accounting is more beneficial)

But I'm looking at these A-Level courses and ATT certifications and wondering if its worth spending lots of money and over a year of studying and exams to get a certificate and knowledge about the subject which i could of learnt myself through books and online resources for free?

My goals for the future are to create a name for myself through social media and to have clients as a PT. I'd even work for a gym for a few years if i needed to. I also want to live and work in major cities but be free to move around to different cities whenever i wanted a change. I plan to go to major gyms in major cities around the world after getting certification as a PT and just network with as many people as i can and get my name out there, create contacts and get a social media following to improve my name and get bigger and better clients.

Then with the knowledge I will have from accounting/economics etc.. eventually I would maybe start my own business, do some consulting, PR, this kind of work on the side to earn more money and delve into more paths and opportunity's.




I would like to know,
If these are realistic expectations and a good rough plan?
Are certified courses worth paying for?



All feedback and opinions are welcomed.

Also after re-reading this i want to add I don't mean to come across pompous or unrealistic at all.

Post: #2

If you can, I would invest in paid courses and use the self-teaching methods to supplement it. You might have some questions about certain things you do not understand and its helpful to go to an expert when you get stuck. Assuming that those teachers have had real world background in accouting/business and have worked in the real world using it, their insight would be helpful to your own development. Remember, people are dependent on your knowledge and expertise if you plan to start a business and you want as much of it as you can so you will be dependable.

I put it this way (to use an extreme case). If you ever needed open-heart surgery, would you trust a doctor more who has a.) gone to school and was vetted by other doctors that he knew what he was doing, or b.) one who has only learned online and through reading. School is expensive, but the hands-on experience and expert guidance is well worth it.

Post: #3

(09-10-2015 11:02 AM)MdWanderer Wrote:  If you can, I would invest in paid courses and use the self-teaching methods to supplement it. You might have some questions about certain things you do not understand and its helpful to go to an expert when you get stuck. Assuming that those teachers have had real world background in accouting/business and have worked in the real world using it, their insight would be helpful to your own development. Remember, people are dependent on your knowledge and expertise if you plan to start a business and you want as much of it as you can so you will be dependable.

I put it this way (to use an extreme case). If you ever needed open-heart surgery, would you trust a doctor more who has a.) gone to school and was vetted by other doctors that he knew what he was doing, or b.) one who has only learned online and through reading. School is expensive, but the hands-on experience and expert guidance is well worth it.

This is agreeable for people who need to be professionals(ie: Lawyers, Doctors and Engineers).

However, he made it clear he wasn't interested in a regular profession. College is not a bad option for looking into careers but you should consider taking some time to explore your options before you go to college. It isn't the end of the world if you wait until you are 24 or 25 to go to school(And might be better considering most women are attracted to older men).

You seem to be interested in learning how to make money which is fine. On business books, here are some to start off with. Look into reading the following books.

a) 40 Alternatives to College-By James Altucher
b)The Education of Millionaires-By Michael Ellsberg
c) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People-By Steven Covey
d)Think and Grow Rich-By Napoleon Hill
e)How to Win Friends and Influence People-Dale Carnegie
f)How will you measure your life-By Clay Christensen
g)Zero to One- By Peter Thiel
h)Secrets of Closing The Sale-By Zig Ziglar
i)No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses-By Dan Kennedy

You can easily look into other subjects as well which you mentioned such as Accounting, finance and economics. I can't say much on accounting because accounting practices differ from country to country.
If you want to start learning economics, I would recommend Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. When you are done with that, look into his other book Applied Economics.

For investing, check out The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. I would also look into Barron's Finance. http://www.Investopedia.com is also a great site for learning the basics on finance.

Also, if you ever want to learn more on the fundamentals, go to a university book store, write down the titles they have for the courses, than order those books for yourself. For a self taught person, an older edition is cheaper and just as good.

Post: #4

(09-10-2015 02:27 PM)PolymathGuru Wrote:  This is agreeable for people who need to be professionals(ie: Lawyers, Doctors and Engineers).

However, he made it clear he wasn't interested in a regular profession. College is not a bad option for looking into careers but you should consider taking some time to explore your options before you go to college. It isn't the end of the world if you wait until you are 24 or 25 to go to school(And might be better considering most women are attracted to older men).

I understand that. I'm just giving that advice because the hands on learning in the classroom plus the accessibility of a professor or TA in case he needs help understanding the material or any questions he may have is valuable. He doesn't need to go to a big university, he can just go to a community college as he stated and get qualifications instead. My cousin got his A++ cetification at a local Community College and makes $70,000 per year running his own business.

Post: #5

(09-10-2015 03:31 PM)MdWanderer Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 02:27 PM)PolymathGuru Wrote:  This is agreeable for people who need to be professionals(ie: Lawyers, Doctors and Engineers).

However, he made it clear he wasn't interested in a regular profession. College is not a bad option for looking into careers but you should consider taking some time to explore your options before you go to college. It isn't the end of the world if you wait until you are 24 or 25 to go to school(And might be better considering most women are attracted to older men).

I understand that. I'm just giving that advice because the hands on learning in the classroom plus the accessibility of a professor or TA in case he needs help understanding the material or any questions he may have is valuable. He doesn't need to go to a big university, he can just go to a community college as he stated and get qualifications instead. My cousin got his A++ cetification at a local Community College and makes $70,000 per year running his own business.

But the trade off is that he needs to be where his mentors are. He discussed about traveling between England and the United States. He can hold off on college for now, but he wants some learning on some subjects. There are plenty of resources to go to get the basics. He should learn about his interests as cheaply as possible before going to school. After he finds his interest, it would be a good idea to go to school.

Post: #6

I would certainly go the route of at least getting some courses with feedback. I self studied a language for 2.5 years while living abroad, and while competent, am not really satisfied with my progress. The saying is practice makes perfect, but practice makes permanent. With zero feedback, a lot of my self-practice was simply reinforcing bad habits, and incorrect grammar because I was simply doing what I *thought* was right, because I had no one to tell me otherwise.

Post: #7

(09-10-2015 05:33 PM)PolymathGuru Wrote:  But the trade off is that he needs to be where his mentors are. He discussed about traveling between England and the United States. He can hold off on college for now, but he wants some learning on some subjects. There are plenty of resources to go to get the basics. He should learn about his interests as cheaply as possible before going to school. After he finds his interest, it would be a good idea to go to school.

I agree with this, but he was asking whether it was better to self teach himself instead of taking courses and to just save the money, not which ones to do first. I agree he should consider doing both, whether its classes first or reading books first.

Post: #8

(09-11-2015 08:09 AM)MdWanderer Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 05:33 PM)PolymathGuru Wrote:  But the trade off is that he needs to be where his mentors are. He discussed about traveling between England and the United States. He can hold off on college for now, but he wants some learning on some subjects. There are plenty of resources to go to get the basics. He should learn about his interests as cheaply as possible before going to school. After he finds his interest, it would be a good idea to go to school.

I agree with this, but he was asking whether it was better to self teach himself instead of taking courses and to just save the money, not which ones to do first. I agree he should consider doing both, whether its classes first or reading books first.

That is true. You are not wrong. But keep in mind, reading his posts he isn't very decisive about what he wants. Here are some impressions I got from reading his post:

1) He is 19 and lost in the world. He made his post looking for advice from people senior of him. He also doesn't know what to do in life.

2) He doesn't understand the differences between Economics, Accounting, Finance and Marketing. Most people don't, but he needs some understanding of those subjects to understand what he wants from his courses.

3)A certification is great if you are looking for a job to build on a resume. He also discussed interning for his aunt's real estate company to place something on his resume. But he wants to be his own boss. Self employed people don't need resumes, but they do need credibility which comes from experience.

4) He wants to become a personal trainer. Does he need a certification in Accounting for that?

5) If he wants to Intern at his aunt's real estate company, he said it was going to be starting in January. He said he would need to spend over a year in courses. He would have to drop anyways.

6) I don't know what "lots of money" means to the OP but at the age of 19 it may mean he has to struggle to pay for school. I don't know what the cost of community college in England costs. My local community college(in the united states) costs can easily be over $2000 for a full time student per a semester and $190 per a credit for a part time student. That doesn't include the cost of books which can easily be another $100 per a class.


There are some things to consider. Lets assume he wants to become a Personal Trainer. Does he need certifications in accounting to be a Personal Trainer? Does a business owner need certifications in accounting to own a business? You need those certifications to become an accountant. If he spent $1000 a year on classes, would it be worth it when the cost of the book can be $100? At the age of 19, can he afford to be invested in school for that? There are obvious disadvantages to the school route. He has to set his time around school where as a book can be read on his free time.


To the OP: If you are looking into dieting stuff for personal training purposes, Check out http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/. A good book to read would also be Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

Post: #9

Lake Tahoe is fucking beautiful.

I will warn you though, you won't have affordable school here without residency. People will feel more comfortable with you if they know you at least have some formal education.