What is your COLLEGE DEGREE IN!?

General Real Estate Investing
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What is your COLLEGE DEGREE IN!?

Scott Graham
Westford, MA · Member since 2016 · 113 posts · 106 votes
Hi BP! My name is Scott and I am just starting out my real estate investing venture this year. I find it to be imperative for all investors to look back on their past and understand how their formal educations have helped launched their real estate investing careers. PLEASE JOIN IN AND SHARE HOW YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE HELPED LAUNCHED YOUR REI CAREER!! I was trained to be an architect at Wentworth Institute of Technology. There I earned my Bachelors of Science in Architecture and Masters of Architecture in 2015. On top of that I earned the title of Valedictorian and an AIA National Award for Emerging Professionals. Upon graduating I had numerous offers from several prestigious design firms throughout Boston and greater New England. In my past two years I have found that working as a Young Architect provides too much stability and consistency. Personally, I enjoy the adrenaline rush of controlling my own future and destiny. Also, I love being on site studying and analyzing properties, design layouts, and creating ways to add value to homes. When people ask me "Why are you getting into real estate? I thought you are an architect?" - little do they realize that my I am using my strong understanding of design and construction and applying it to a more exciting career!
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Mindy JensenPro Member
BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
9y

Like all successful real estate investors, I studied Fashion Design in college.

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  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Agent · Washington, DC · Member since 2016 · 126 posts · 34 votes
    9y

    I got my first bachelors in Kinesiology. I got my second bachelors in Accounting. I jumped into real estate last year.

    0Reply
  • Justin Fox
    Software Developer · Vidor, TX · Member since 2015 · 922 posts · 639 votes
    9y

    Computer Science.

    1Reply
  • Dave Van HornPro Member
    Fund Manager · Wayne, PA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    Good question @Scott Graham!

    My degree is in Business Management but I changed my major nearly three quarters of the way through my college career to that from Accounting. So I learned a lot about accounting along the way, which looking back I feel very lucky to have done. Between the two majors I'd had learned everything from "Money and Banking 101" to Micro/Macro Economics and Statistics. We even did internships with struggling companies. It was a great birds eye view of what the business and finance world had to offer.

    I must say though, my collegiate education wasn't the only thing that shaped my investor mindset. After I graduated I desperately tried to get a job in corporate America and was either turned away or couldn't find anything worthwhile. So I continued on in my career in construction for $3.25/hour (it was the early 80's mind you!). I stayed with the same company for about 13 years and actually formed my first business with my experience and contacts from there. This construction experience (and network I built) was monumental when it came to flipping houses early on in my Real Estate Investing. I still use that background today when evaluating REO properties. Not long before leaving to start my own construction business, I also began moonlighting as a Real Estate Agent. This taught me about things like financing, appraisals, property management, contracts, real estate law, the list goes on on and on! In fact, I still gain value from it that I'm even an agent today. It's also feast or famine when your pay is fully commission, so you quickly have to learn the skill of salesmanship along with it. Not to mention you're fully independent which is key when breaking into Real Estate Investing.

    On my short lived journey to becoming a Broker and running my own office, I had to take my first Real Estate Investor education course. Well, before you knew it I was hooked and after building quite a portfolio of my own, I ran into a financing problem (meaning I needed more of it!) so someone suggested I go to a local REIA meeting. I did and it was another "a ha!" moment for me, improving my financing, real estate education, and overall network forever. I was bit by the networking bug and continue going to meetings to this day; whether it's local REIA's/Meetups, Business Owner/CEO groups and think tanks, or even learning with my own business coach. It's all beneficial in the realm of bettering yourself, your investing strategy, and your business.

    Long story short, the three big educational things for me alongside my formal education were my formative experiences in construction, as a real estate agent, and networking with likeminded investors and business owners. The important thing is to never stop learning!

    Podcast Guest on Show #273
    1Reply
  • Kelly Lund
    Real Estate Investor · Reno, NV · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 10 votes
    9y
    Hi Scott! This is a great topic! I received my BA in Psychology at the University of Nevada Reno. I have been interested in Real Estate for a long time. I started looking at homes in San Diego just after high school. I had no idea how I would ever purchase a home but I loved looking at new builds and open houses. My dad took me on a trip to Reno to visit Lake Tahoe. While we were visiting I applied for the university and shortly after I was accepted and my family made a trip to Reno. We looked at homes. They were half the price of the homes in San Diego! Throughout my college career I would visit new builds. I purchased my first home before I finished college and I purchased my second home just after college. My husband shares the passion for real estate. He currently has a rental. We are looking at several options right now. We want to build our rental portfolio and possibly flip a home.
    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Cranston, RI · Member since 2017 · 22 posts · 7 votes
    9y
    Hi Scott, My degree is in Accounting. I currently work for one of the top 100 firms in the US. I too see a lot of clients especially high network invest in real estate to take advantage of tax deductions. I myself am looking into real estate, however I need a mentor!! I live in Rhode Island
    1Reply
  • Nate B.
    Lender · Emeryville, CA · Member since 2016 · 18 posts · 6 votes
    9y
    I have my B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and currently pursuing a masters in Predictive Analytics. My plan is to leverage my W2 income to buy as many rental properties as possible. Currently have a duplex under my belt.
    1Reply
  • Stephen R.
    Investor · NEWTOWN, CT · Member since 2016 · 80 posts · 23 votes
    9y

    BA- History 

    BA- Political Science with a minor in Global Studies

    Graduate Certificate- Business Continuity and Risk Management

    Graduate Certificate- Counter-Terrorism Studies

    MA- National Security with a concentration in Intelligence Analysis

    MA- National Security Law

    How did they launch my career in real estate? They got me into it! They taught me that a degree isn't worth the time and money spent to achieve it. It took all of this education for me to finally learn that, unlike Robert Kiyosaki, the choices I made were only leading me down the path to become a "poor dad" to my son. Thankfully, and I say this as a novice with nothing but faith, commitment, and a firm reliance on Divine Providence, that real estate will lead me to the future I once believed my education would take me to. 

    1Reply
  • Daniel Hanson
    Investor · Waukesha, WI · Member since 2011 · 199 posts · 97 votes
    9y

    I started out majoring in Engineering Astronautics. This was great because I could tell girls at parties I was going to be a rocket scientist...

    3 years in, switched it over to industrial engineering when it became clear to me that the aerospace industry was dependent on defense contracts and jobs were getting hard to come by.  All of the tools of analyzing and improving a production line, running a spreadsheet what-if analysis, investment go/ no-go decision making later came in very handy when applied to real estate.

    1Reply
  • Erica Edwards
    Investor · Conesus, NY · Member since 2017 · 5 posts · 3 votes
    9y

    Thanks for the vote @MikeCumbie!

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Syracuse, NY · Member since 2016 · 13 posts · 5 votes
    9y
    Hey BP, I have a BS in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Studies with a minor in Economic. I have a lot of restaurantexperience too. I would say I have a solid education in people!
    1Reply
  • Harjeet BhattiPro Member
    Lender · Glenview IL- CDLP NMLS#230554 · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 747 votes
    9y

    I  have my bachelor degree  in commerce, majoring in accounting. My bachelor degree definitely help me in my career. 

    1Reply
  • Jay Helms
    Rental Property Investor · Gulf Breeze, FL · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 733 votes
    9y
    B.S. Computer Science with a Masters Business Administration.
    1Reply
  • Sarah Melton
    Akron, OH · Member since 2017 · 25 posts · 14 votes
    9y

    I have a Master's in Community Counseling from Kent State University and a Bachelor's in Psychology and Women's Studies from West Virginia University.  Might seem like a far stretch from that to Real Estate but really I just made a profession out of studying people which I think will be incredibly helpful in my real estate career!

    1Reply
  • Ken Konecny
    Real Estate Agent · Davis, CA · Member since 2013 · 41 posts · 16 votes
    9y
    B.S. in Landscape architecture and a M.S. in Urban Land Development. Both are real estate related to some degree. The MS has been most useful.
    1Reply
  • Jason Sandegren
    Professional · West Des Moines, IA · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 11 votes
    9y
    Hello Scott, My undergrad is in economics. That education exposed me to an interest in markets and the housing market in particular. I then went to law school to focus on real estate transactions. I've been licenses for a few years now and the firm I joined closes thousands of transactions per year. I love what I do. Perfect collision of personal and professional interests.
    1Reply
  • Pearce G.
    Investor · Hendersonville, NC · Member since 2016 · 138 posts · 71 votes
    9y

    BS Biology

    MS Microbiology

    MBA

    Working on my PhD from BiggerPockets University

    3Reply
  • Michael Dolan
    Bettendorf, IA · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    9y

    BS, Systems Engineering, USMA (West Point)

    MBA, Fuqua School of Business (Duke University)

    I am new to real estate investing but am preparing to start in 2018. I'm currently reading books, listening to BiggerPockets podcasts, and connecting with other investors.

    1Reply
  • Kate Johnson
    Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2016 · 24 posts · 7 votes
    9y
    BA in Econ and Environmental Studies from Baylor. MBA from Yale. Then married a fighter pilot and had 3 kids. Had the 3 kids quickly so they could get into school fairly soon. They are slowly getting there! For a long time I thought I would try to go back to corporate America (worked in finance for Oil & Gas company and in commercial banking), but I think an entreprenurial gig would be better with my main responsibilities as a Navy wife and mom. I think my education taught me how to juggle 20 different things at a time. It wasn't overly difficult, but it was a lot of work (the MBA was).
    1Reply
  • Alexander Monnin
    OH · Member since 2017 · 45 posts · 38 votes
    9y

    I'm getting an electrical engineering degree.  Very excited because i will be graduating with not only zero debt but a good amount of money from doing internships.

    1Reply
  • Casey Faul
    Lafayette, LA · Member since 2017 · 27 posts · 11 votes
    9y

    BS in Business Management. My major was management information systems. A hybrid of business and IT. None of it prepared me for investing. It prepared me for the E quadrant to be an employee. Self directed learning and networking with successful people has taught me more than my degree. I really believe success is linked to your CQ, connection quotient. Love the fact that relationships is the foundation for real estate. 

    1Reply
  • Lisa Hause
    Real Estate Agent · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 5 posts · 2 votes
    9y

    Bachlors of Science in Adiministration of Justice with a minor in Sociology from Pennsylvania State University. I formerly worked at a shelter/detention center with juvenile delinquents and basically kids awaiting placement into foster care. The kids ranged from violent offenders all the way to kids not going to school or kids placed there because of horrible parents. My degree has not helped in my REI per se but actually working in the field caused me to really think about what I wanted in my life. Being stuck catering to 14 years olds who sexually abused a sibiling will really motivate you to change careers. So i eventually ended up doing a weekend real estate course, tested for my license, became a realtor and never looked back. I've been out of my old field for 4 years now and have spent the last year learning everything I could about investing, business, enterpenurialship etc. I am actively looking for my first investment property and could not be happier but if it wasn't for that terrible job I'm not sure if i would be where I am.

    1Reply
  • Malcolm Boston
    Titusville, FL · Member since 2016 · 55 posts · 40 votes
    9y
    BS Mechanical Engineering MS. Biomedical Engineering Wouldn't have my day job without them. Wouldn't have my utter fearlessness WRT troubleshooting and fixing all manner of problems in distressed property without my Day job. Wouldn't have the money to recover from a bad marriage and get into real estate investing without my day job. All in all I'd do it all over again. Wish I were less conservative sometimes. I get into analysis paralysis a lot.
    1Reply
  • Dawn BrenengenBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    BA in Psychology with a minor in anthropology from the University of NC at Chapel Hill

    It definitely helps me navigate working with people all day!

    Podcast Guest on Show #101
    1Reply
  • Kuba F.Pro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 694 votes
    9y
    Scott Graham fun topic. BS in Applied math has been pretty useful in analysis and approaching projects systematically. MS in InfoSys was part of my career long education in computer science that allows me to build the investment tools that I then use daily in my own investment activities. School of hard knocks helped me figure out how to not lose money.
    2Reply
  • Mike Flatow
    Maitland, FL · Member since 2016 · 45 posts · 17 votes
    9y

    BA in Economics. It may or may not have helped lol.

    1Reply
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