If you had $100000 to spend on any training / learning / education or self improvement what would you invest in?
October 25, 2007 2:23 AM Subscribe
If you had $100000 to spend on any training / learning / education or self improvement what would you invest in?
$100k Is the Max, it could be alot less.. and the time scale should take no longer than 5 years at the absolute max as well.
It could be anything.. from a University course to Astronaut Training. You can interpret the word "invest" to mean anything you like.. from something that would have a commercially financial return or a spiritual return.
In general Im a believer in the Socratic saying "you can't teach anyone anything, you can only make them think" and anyone who says otherwise is just a Sophist. So if your suggestion is an academic one, it better have a good argument as for why.
$100k Is the Max, it could be alot less.. and the time scale should take no longer than 5 years at the absolute max as well.
It could be anything.. from a University course to Astronaut Training. You can interpret the word "invest" to mean anything you like.. from something that would have a commercially financial return or a spiritual return.
In general Im a believer in the Socratic saying "you can't teach anyone anything, you can only make them think" and anyone who says otherwise is just a Sophist. So if your suggestion is an academic one, it better have a good argument as for why.
This post was deleted for the following reason: hypothetical chatfilter, what is the problem you are trying to solve?
I'd quit my job, put the money in savings, and get a job at a nice library (preferably the night shift).
Everything fascinating I've learnt has been through self-learning: my books and the 'net. Subjects I slept through in college I found fascinating two years later when I read them myself. Plus I like the freedom to pick, choose, and drop subjects at my leisure.
posted by arungoodboy at 3:29 AM on October 25, 2007 [1 favorite]
Everything fascinating I've learnt has been through self-learning: my books and the 'net. Subjects I slept through in college I found fascinating two years later when I read them myself. Plus I like the freedom to pick, choose, and drop subjects at my leisure.
posted by arungoodboy at 3:29 AM on October 25, 2007 [1 favorite]
This is $100K that I have sitting around, free and clear, on top of money I can use to live with?
It'd go straight into a diversfied portfolio of stocks and mutual funds. Between oil standard issues (it's not just Saudi Arabia, either...) and foreign currency pegging, betting against the dollar looks really tempting right now, too. Mmhmm.
posted by empyrean at 3:29 AM on October 25, 2007
It'd go straight into a diversfied portfolio of stocks and mutual funds. Between oil standard issues (it's not just Saudi Arabia, either...) and foreign currency pegging, betting against the dollar looks really tempting right now, too. Mmhmm.
posted by empyrean at 3:29 AM on October 25, 2007
Empreyan, all very nice, but it sounds like the asker's money has an education string attached to it. I would go figure out how to implement my gazillion earth-friendly ideas on a macro level - something like Inventor School, with heavy does of material science, environmental science, and chemistry. Time to pown me some manufacturing systems and whatnot. Water-powered jetpacks for everyone!
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:34 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:34 AM on October 25, 2007
Also I would get a tummy tuck.
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:35 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by DenOfSizer at 3:35 AM on October 25, 2007
For me, a course on plane-building or something. Or maybe further education; I haven't quite decided if I want to do a Masters right after my Ba.Sc
But I agree that if the question had not imposed limits on possible activities, it would have been invested in something that gives financial returns, for the time being anyway. There's very little I want to learn now that can't be learned on the cheap online or somewhere.
posted by kureshii at 3:48 AM on October 25, 2007
But I agree that if the question had not imposed limits on possible activities, it would have been invested in something that gives financial returns, for the time being anyway. There's very little I want to learn now that can't be learned on the cheap online or somewhere.
posted by kureshii at 3:48 AM on October 25, 2007
Empreyan, all very nice, but it sounds like the asker's money has an education string attached to it.
Well, no. It's pretty wide-open the way it's been phrased.
You can interpret the word "invest" to mean anything you like.. from something that would have a commercially financial return or a spiritual return.
In fact, he kind of holds answers with an academic bent to a higher standard:
So if your suggestion is an academic one, it better have a good argument as for why.
I agree with The World Famous, this question is pretty much the definition of chat filter. If it was reworded to ask what the best thing to do with that money would be from a financial perspective, I'd give the same answer.
At 14% return you could just about double your money in the 5 year time frame given. Leave it for 30 and you could retire very comfortably. Chip in another $10k each year and you retire extremely comfortably.
posted by empyrean at 4:11 AM on October 25, 2007
Well, no. It's pretty wide-open the way it's been phrased.
You can interpret the word "invest" to mean anything you like.. from something that would have a commercially financial return or a spiritual return.
In fact, he kind of holds answers with an academic bent to a higher standard:
So if your suggestion is an academic one, it better have a good argument as for why.
I agree with The World Famous, this question is pretty much the definition of chat filter. If it was reworded to ask what the best thing to do with that money would be from a financial perspective, I'd give the same answer.
At 14% return you could just about double your money in the 5 year time frame given. Leave it for 30 and you could retire very comfortably. Chip in another $10k each year and you retire extremely comfortably.
posted by empyrean at 4:11 AM on October 25, 2007
learn how to become an investment banker.
posted by fumbducker at 4:25 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by fumbducker at 4:25 AM on October 25, 2007
This isn't chatfilter, it's a poorly-worded version of the request to demonstrate to the asker how spending money on a traditional type of education could be used to real benefit.
B-school or med school are obvious answers but they're also places one could go on a loan and then easily pay back the loan. So there are probably much better answers.
posted by rxrfrx at 4:34 AM on October 25, 2007
B-school or med school are obvious answers but they're also places one could go on a loan and then easily pay back the loan. So there are probably much better answers.
posted by rxrfrx at 4:34 AM on October 25, 2007
Start making regional microinvestments with the proviso that after a year your customers give you a half day in-situ presentation of what they did with it.
posted by jwells at 4:41 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by jwells at 4:41 AM on October 25, 2007
I'd like to take some fly casting lessons.
(I am lucky enough to live in the UK, where the government paid for me to go to medical school. But regardless, being a doctor is potentially a spiritually and (reasonably) financially rewarding career, with lots of opportunities to find a specialty you love, and enough time off to develop other interests like fly fishing)
posted by roofus at 4:41 AM on October 25, 2007
(I am lucky enough to live in the UK, where the government paid for me to go to medical school. But regardless, being a doctor is potentially a spiritually and (reasonably) financially rewarding career, with lots of opportunities to find a specialty you love, and enough time off to develop other interests like fly fishing)
posted by roofus at 4:41 AM on October 25, 2007
I would spend it on a financial adviser to learn my best options for investing the leftover portion.
posted by fallenposters at 4:47 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by fallenposters at 4:47 AM on October 25, 2007
Private Pilots License and Commercial Pilots License. Fun and financially rewarding eventually.
posted by fire&wings at 4:52 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by fire&wings at 4:52 AM on October 25, 2007
Cooking lessons and Berlitz.
posted by IndigoJones at 5:35 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by IndigoJones at 5:35 AM on October 25, 2007
Kicking lessons. NFL place kickers and punters make a lot less than their teammates but a lot more than most cubicle dwellers.
posted by klarck at 6:14 AM on October 25, 2007
posted by klarck at 6:14 AM on October 25, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you want to enjoy life, then there are no shortage of apprentice opportunities - boat building and furniture building schools come to mind, as do cullinary schools and artist retreats and writer's workshops. You'll never see that $100k back again, but you'll have a full and rewarding life once you're through... just not a rich one. Find what moves your soul, and run after it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 2:35 AM on October 25, 2007