Let’s Cut the Bullshit—The Truth About College
I graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in December 2023 with a degree in marketing management. Before we dive in, let me just say this—I fucking hated most of it. Not because I’m lazy or anti-education. Quite the opposite. I love learning, but most of my time at CPP felt like running on a hamster wheel—busywork, outdated curriculum, and professors who never ran a business in their life pretending to teach us how to run one.
If you’re thinking about majoring in business at Cal Poly or honestly anywhere, I’m here to save you some time—don’t. Unless you need a degree for some specific reason (and no, your parents’ approval doesn’t count), you’re better off learning online, networking, and actually doing the work.
Why College Was Overrated for Me
I didn’t go to CPP because I was passionate about school. I almost dropped out entirely, but my dad wasn’t having it. I stayed, mostly to check a box. And let me tell you—checking that box came with a whole lot of filler classes, irrelevant projects, and grades based more on participation than performance.
Now don’t get me wrong, some classes weren’t complete trash. A few even taught me useful skills, like Excel (shoutout to IBM3202). But let’s break it down. Here's a speedrun of every class I took and why it sucked—or didn’t.
The Speedrun Breakdown of My Courses
BUS4990 (Spec Topic): Managed the Bronco Startup Challenge. Sounds cool? It wasn’t. Graded on time spent, not quality. I half-assed it and got a B while people doing robotic, repetitive tasks got A’s. Teams failed because their leaders were clueless, and busywork ruled the grading system. Lesson: don’t mistake activity for progress.
IBM3012 (Marketing Mgmt): Theory-heavy class that’s decent for beginners but a waste for anyone with prior experience. I had marketing experience, so this felt like learning how to overcomplicate simple concepts. Got a B+ after skipping the final exam because I didn’t care.
MHR3010 (Principles of Management) & MHR3020 (Org Behavior): I don’t even remember what I learned here. Probably could’ve gotten A’s, but I skipped assignments because I wasn’t chasing grades. B and B+—meh.
IBM3062 (Professional Selling): Hated this course. Maybe because I hate sales, but the project—selling Bic Pens to Walmart—felt like a completely unrealistic scenario. I know people in CPG, and this isn’t how sales works. I got a B- because I couldn’t bring myself to care.
IBM3072 (Promotional Strategies): Completely autopilot class. The professor didn’t put any effort into it, and I passed purely based on intuition. Learned nothing.
IBM4032 (E-marketing): Teacher was nice, but the class was outdated. Focused too much on basics like SEO and even forced us to get Google Ads certifications that aren’t valuable. Got an A- with minimal effort.
TOM3010 (Operations Mgmt): Focused on systems and processes, but you can learn this faster by running a business or watching YouTube tutorials. B+ because I didn’t try too hard.
CIS3100 (Computer Basics): Took it twice—first time got an F because I missed the drop deadline and intentionally failed. Second time got a B+. It’s basic computer literacy but outdated and filled with jargon you’ll never use.
IBM2000 (Career Exploration): Giant 300+ student class with random career advice and busywork. Got a C because it was pure fluff.
TOM3020 (Operations Analysis): Math-heavy and unnecessarily complicated. Unless you’re micro-optimizing billion-dollar operations, this class is useless. Got a C because I intentionally skipped assignments.
IBM3202 (Excel Class): Most useful class I took, but still not efficient. You’d learn more from a $15 Udemy course. I did well because it forced me to learn something practical.
IBM3302 (Marketing Research): Failed this once because the group project pissed me off. It felt like marketing research from the 1920s and didn’t reflect how modern research works. Retook it and got a B+ when the professor changed the structure.
IBM3292 (App Prototyping): Easy class for me since I had Adobe XD experience from high school projects. The professor was great and even offered me a job. Got an A without much effort, and it was more about networking than learning.
FRL300 (Finance): Math-heavy and annoying. Got a B+ after skipping assignments intentionally.
IBM4212 (Marketing Proposal): Had to write a 20-page proposal for Disney+. Overcomplicated and boring—wish I could’ve focused on my own business instead. Got a B+ with minimal effort.
BUS4950 (Strategy): Loved this because I’m obsessed with strategy. Did a business simulation game and carried my group to second place. More classes should be gamified like this. Got an A.
General Ed Classes (PLS2010, PSY2201, etc.): Picked easy professors, winged them, and got A’s. PSY2201 sucked because of a group project, so I dropped it once and retook it later.
The Bigger Picture—What I Learned Outside the Classroom
You know what CPP did give me? Access to alumni who actually knew what they were doing. I networked with people running $100M+ businesses, got real-world insights, and even landed opportunities through LinkedIn strategies I teach in my guides. THAT was worth more than 90% of my classes combined.
I also walked away from CPP with an ego—and I mean that in a good way. I left believing I could do a better job than every single professor I had. And honestly, I hope to prove it. I love helping people and have already helped a handful of people go from $0 to over $100k/yr in revenue. My advice to educators? Use relatable case studies, invite guest speakers, share podcasts, and incorporate more games and simulation-based assignments. That’s how you actually teach.
Final Thoughts—Was My Degree Worth It?
No. If my parents weren’t breathing down my neck, I’d have dropped out and built my business full-time. My first business partner did, and he’s already retired. I could’ve been right there with him.
If you’re serious about building something, start now. Network hard. Learn online. Build projects. And if you do end up going to college, don’t mistake it for a shortcut—because it’s not.