I obtained a degree in Media Studies... concentration Public relations and Media Production. I minored in distribution technology... which offered classes in sales, promotions, and merchandising. These studies will help me out but will my not being a business major hurt me in any way? Do i need to take more classes? Do you think that I could be taken advantage of if i seek others help?

First of all, this is a great place to learn from real business people. If you do seek a degree, make sure your instructors have actually owned, or own, a business. If you do take classes, take them at night. The people in night classes are generally more serious about school and the instructors often work in the fields they teach during the day. Classes can help, but also seek mentors. That's something I wish I had done in my younger days.

Do you need to take more classes? No. Should you take more classes? That's really up to you. I would think you could learn some very helpful things given the right class, but I've also taken classes in many subjects that were so bad I didn't learn a thing.

I'm always on the side of learning more. I think the more you know and the more informed you more capapble you are of making good decisions.

Where that learning comes from is up to you. It could be a class, it could be reading books, it could be from forums like this one and others. So much of running a business isn't going to be taught anywhere. A lot can be, but some things seem to just take the experience of doing and seeing what works.

Mnay people have succeeded without a business degree. I suspect most did their research, but not necessarily in a classroom.

A degree sure will make you feel good, but it will never substitute your real world experience. I received a BS in computer science and started my masters in business, but everything I practice have not been from what I learned in the class room.

The only thing I remember learning from school is how to teach myself. The rest is history. I spend a great deal of my time reading books, listening to business audio books, creating new projects, frequenting business forums and getting clients, among other things.

In my sophomore year of college, I got a full time job in my school getting paid a great deal of money, practicing those things that I had thought myself, not what the same school was teaching me.

If you get to understand that schools are “business structures” with “education” as their product and are in it for themselves, whether you learn or not, then it will be very easy for you to start taking action into getting some real world experience. There comes a time when you need to get your feet wet and even if you stay in school for 40 years, the real world will always provide its variations from what school has to offer.

I would recommend that you get your feet wet as soon as possible so that you can fail quickly(is almost inevitable to get things right the first time), recover and acquire some experience. Chances are most of your learning will probably come from your mistakes, so don't be afraid to fail and whenever you do fail, see it as another learning experience and not a heart attack.

If you do go back to get your degree, do it for yourself, and not to impress others. As someone who's worked in the staffing industry for 10 years, I can tell you that 99% of the time, experience is more valued than a degree. It's one thing to read about riding a bicycle, but quite another to get on one and try to ride it.

Excellent point Jorge. I think the greatest thing I learned was how to learn. I'm not opposed to education. I do think it's important, but the specific degree is only important for certain industries where it's required.

I have two undergratuate degrees, one in history and the other in engineering. I never use what I learned in either, though the history degree does come in handy for games like trivial pursuit.

And like Jason said it's experience that counts. I've always though that my degree helped me get my first job or two and since that time it's been pretty irrelevant in any job I've gotten.

I think by now we all agree that experience will beat the degree at any given point, although the degree may be required to get you in the door.

To some employers, the degree just tells them that you are couchable, but not necessary qualified for the job. It's the experience that tells that you are qualified for the job.

You also don't need to go to school to learn anything, especially business. There are so many books to learn from which would cost a lot less than taking classes. And, in business you learn more by doing than by studying. I went to school but I kind of think it was a waste of time.

Preach It!

BS BS BA, I continue to go to school, usually taking classes in anything I am dealing in.

Plastics/Chemical Industry and the DNA Biotechnology, Split cell Biology, Genetics, and Genetic Engineering.

Taking classes in what you are doing, or what you are interested in. Noone says you have to get a degree, but honestly, a degree does help when looking for investors, most could give 2 cents about your product, they usually invest in WHO you are.