The Right Way to Drop Out

Through this alternative route keynote, Zach Sims, the co-founder of Code Academy, shares the knowledge he has gained from dropping out of college. People are currently a part of a “too long don’t read” culture, and according to Sims, many Americans are constantly looking for shortcuts to get through life as fast as possible. Sims speculates that the reason for this is society's tendency to work in compressed time periods that force us to get through information as fast as possible without soaking it in. This way of living is having adverse effects on society.

Due to this, Sims founds that in college, there was an emphasis on reading as a means to learning, yet this has often left a fleeting impression of knowledge on many. Looking for an alternative, Sims decided to combine a habit of reading and doing, believing that this active learning will cement what is found in a book with real-world experiences. Sims foresees the future of education, embracing online technology and thus, allowing for the possibility to find a better approach to learning instead of following the traditional method.