--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My dad should have listened to me when I…" description: "\"“My dad should have listened to me when I told him that college was not my thing. Instead, he insisted on learning a $200,000 lesson the hard way. That..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/babe-walker-30607_education_my-dad-should-have-listened-to-me-when-i_1419156.jpg" --- # My dad should have listened to me when I told him that… ![“My dad should have listened to me when I told him that college was not my thing. Instead, he insisted on learning a $200,000 lesson the hard way. That’s the thing about college—you pay a ton of money just to realize that everyone is a fucking moron.” quote by Babe Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/babe-walker-30607_education_my-dad-should-have-listened-to-me-when-i_1419156.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/babe-walker-30607_education_my-dad-should-have-listened-to-me-when-i_1419156.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/babe-walker-30607_education_my-dad-should-have-listened-to-me-when-i_1419156.jpg) > ““My dad should have listened to me when I told him that college was not my thing. Instead, he insisted on learning a $200,000 lesson the hard way. That’s the thing about college—you pay a ton of money just to realize that everyone is a fucking moron.”” [Babe Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. College can be an expensive lesson when expectations clash with reality, revealing that money doesn't guarantee wisdom. **In simple terms:** College can be costly and disappointing. Key Takeaway Weigh costs vs. personal goals. Themes education financial risk disillusionment Mood critical skeptical Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - choosing a major - student loans - career planning - family expectations Key Concepts value of experience economic pressure Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to traditional college could you consider? - How can you extract value from a costly mistake? A Different Perspective Not all college experiences are negative; some provide valuable networks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. 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Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [Time management is easily the 1 thing to have in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-management-is-easily-the-1-thing-to-have-in-college/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Does college pay? They do if you are a good open-field runner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/does-college-pay-they-do-if-you-are-a-good-open-field-runner/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I worked while in high school and college so that I could pay for school. I also had loans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-worked-while-in-high-school-and-college-so-that-i-could-pay-for/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [Change is God's way of congratulating us for learning a lesson, and he is helping us move on to achieve another. 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(Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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