A couple people have suggested a stupid idea. A wonderful, crazy, stupid idea. To share the degree with everybody who has helped me get to Oxford.
I love it. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier. But here is is:
To those who have helped me get to Oxford, I will send a piece of my degree afterward. Yes, an actual piece of the actual degree. I’ve calculated that I can cut an Oxford degree up into about 7000 3mm by 3mm pieces. Maybe more if I can use a particularly sharp blade to get smaller pieces (…I can just picture the nice people at Oxford thinking: he’s going to do what with our degree!?!). And I’ll send this out, with a letter of thanks, to people who have helped me get there. I suspect popular bits might be parts of the Oxford logo, or course name. Georges has already laid claim to part of the ‘B’ (and he gets to choose, because he’s helping me edit the next video right now).
The idea:
Step 1: Get degree (**This is obviously a fake I made. I actually have no idea what a real degree from Oxford looks like. And I couldn’t find one on google, which to be honest is a good thing. There’s probably a lot more latin stuff on a real one)
Step2a: Cut degree. For full satisfaction, I think I’ll start with the name.
Step 2b: Continue cutting. I don’t think I’ll use my $1 ‘niceday’ scissors though. I’ll need a laser-sharp cutter to get enough pieces.
Step 2c: End up with little tiny pieces. The real pieces will be smaller than this. Smaller and more authentic.
Step 3: Post the pieces off. Yes, in England the post boxes look like funny little red mushrooms.
Why do I love this idea? Getting to Oxford in September will be a result of thousands of people having the faith in me to help me get there. There are some great ways to pay that back: keep the blog going full tilt during my studies so that people can experience some of the year with me, get feeedback on what courses to take, and what kinds of thesis topics are interesting. But the most symbolic might be to send a piece of the actual degree to everybody. I’ve even had a friend promise to frame her piece with toothpicks!
I’ve been humbled by a few pretty significant donations. I’d like to encourage this type of behavior. So a second offer: any company or generous individual who donates $500 or more will have their name or logo on the cover of my thesis. Yep, I’m selling sponsorship of my thesis. There’s already two names on there: Paul Nielson and Tuitionbids.com. But there’s room for a few more.
There you have it folks. A massive thanks to the many so far, and two kinda stupid ideas. What could be better?
Brendan
Want a piece of an Oxford degree? Just click on the shiny button below:
(if Paypal isn’t working for you, please let me know, or try another method)
(as has always been the case, if I don’t get there, all donations will be given to Engineers Without Borders and Medecins Sans Frontieres)
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32 comments ↓
Colleen has asked a pretty good question: won’t sending off all those pieces cut into your funds (Colleen is pretty astute)?
Sure, but not as much as you might think. For one, the average donation is more than three dollars, so that helps. I’m not sure everyone will want a piece of the degree, so that helps as well (although I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get to at least send a few out). And the margin on a three dollar donation, even with paypal and degree postage costs, is still decent (well, in the US, Canada and UK, which constitute most of my donations so far).
I hope that helps, Colleen.
What if we want a larger part of the degree, instead of a 3mm by 3mm, if we give a larger donation for say 10mm by 10mm? Or say an entire letter, such as the X in Oxford?
I hope you do it man!
Thanks Derek,
At this point, I’m thinking egalitarian, ie everyone get the same shot. Of course, if you’re willing to send a few hun my way, I might be able to find a piece of the X for you!
B
Hey Brendan,
Got my fingers crossed for you, it would be wicked if you pulled this off.
Best of Luck,
Charlotte
P.S. and now I’m going to give you a stumble upon thumbs up
hmmmm, well i’m not sure what i’d do with a scrap of your degree, but i certainly admire the logic. . . i’d like to see you get your tipping point so good luck
Hello!
Nice programming, fancy my job? All the best, you deserve to go all the way.
Hey Brendan,
A friend sent me an invite to join your Facebook group. We don’t even know one another, but I’ve read all your posts and messages, and this is the coolest thing ever! I wish you the best of luck with it!
Cheers,
Adam
Sweet, I’m looking forward to my scrap — I can frame it and put it on the wall.
I can’t claim credit for most of the design, only for getting more talented friends to help out with it!
Brendan
Do you realize that sending 30.000 letters all over the world will cost you nearly as much as paying for the tuition yourself?
Arne,
Please see my first comment reply. It will cost a little chunk of change, to be sure. But I bet less than you’d think.
The average donation is somewhere between 10-15 dollars. Consider maximum $1 to send each letter in Canada, US, and UK (where the vast majority of my donations have come from), and you can see the margin’s still pretty solid. Add that to the fact that not everyone will care to receive a piece of the degree, and my costs should be even less.
It’s definitely a good point, but I would be a pretty weak candidate for business school if I hadn’t thought it through!
Cheers,
B
Awesome campaign BB. I already know the place where I will hang out your 3mm * 3mm piece of Oxford diploma. I would like a wooden frame if possible..
Seriously, way to go buddy … we’re all behind you
You’re ridiculous Baker, but that’s what we like about you.
The only question I have is where do you find a 3mm x 3mm frame to display my piece of your degree?
Seems to me that it’d be way easier to give us all a piece of your thesis. And since framing seems to be a concern for a lot of people, that’s more reasonable.
Or since we’re investing in you, allocate parts of you for ownership. Seems stingy to only give up one piece of paper. Although I guess a $90 000 piece of paper is pretty good.
Oh, and your french immersion education was revealed with “90,000$” in your video. The $ goes at the start.
good effort i must say, but do you have a back up plan? ie. get a loan?
This is truly another Brendan Baker move… Love it! I don’t even care which piece I get, and you can even mail mine with other people’s to save on the postage. I’m sure I could pass along my parents etc.
I’ve always wanted a degree from Oxford (or at least a piece of one) - and hey, if you’re going to do the work for me, then I should probably donate my coffee change for today to get it! Way to go!
Brendan, you’re the sh*t. I’m asking people to send money, but I’ve told them that in exchange they either get your first born or you’ll clean their house naked. Hope you don’t mind, I figure either/or it’s worth a degree from Oxford.
Good luck!
d
Way to stir it up man! I hope this last push works for you. This reminds me of a couple of US students that essentially sold themselves as corporate sponsorship and in turn got the money to go to college, with a few nice perks.
Wish I could see the faces on the Oxford admissions team when they heard about this! They probably spilled their tea…oh no!
Why don’t you just get a loan like the rest of us?
@ Loan and random,
I have already got loans for education and if this campaign gets close enough but not all the way there, I’ll do the same for Oxford. I’m happy to borrow what I can afford to pay back for this, which will probably amount to tens of thousands of dollars. I just can’t afford the whole amount, hence asking for help.
B
Good job Brendan, glad to see that your plan seems to be working out. Keep it up!
@ Loan,
I forgot to mention: one of the reasons I also like this approach is that it’s a chance to try something different. I respect the existing systems we have in place (including those that allow people to access education), but feel very strongly that new ideas are needed as well. We need to be less afraid of taking worthwhile risks, and challenging existing ways of thinking.
Is my campaign going to fundamentally change the way people pay for their studies? Of course not. But does it provoke people (including myself) to think of new ways to do it? Maybe.
B
Hey Brendan, you just got my 3 bucks. You say if you don’t raise the funds you will donate it to your specified charities? At what point would you determine you are unable to go? What is your deadline for reaching that amount of funds? This is definitely a cause I can get behind and surely we can find 30,000 Canadians who agree. Whats your time frame. I could get into this.
Hi Kim,
First off: thanks.
My deposit is due on Thursday. At that point I need to decide whether I’m going to get to a point where I can afford to pay the rest and go. So:
If, as of thursday, it looks like I’m going to hit 90K before school starts, then great, I’m going.
If, as of thursday, it looks like I’m going to get to around say, 50K, then I’ll decide to go, and borrow/pay the rest myself.
If, as of thursday, it looks like I’m only going to get to 15-20K, I’ll call it quits and give the money away. As much as I want to go, I just can’t afford it.
Although I’m trained as an engineer, and engineers like precise numbers, I just can’t put an exact figure on the threshold over which I can afford to go. But it’s probably around half.
B
Why not wait a year and go next year? Run this site to see if you can reach your goal within a year, and also work and start saving up for schooling? Just because it doesn’t happen in 3 months does mean you should quit.. give it another 12 months and I guarantee you will be going.
Derek
You can’t not go! Thursday is so soon! Can you get the funds then keep running the campaign to assist you in paying them back? If not can you defer your acceptance? If no, then I will do everything in my power to help you get those funds by Thursday (not that I have them) but someone must! If you were to get specific backing from a company or government to steer your research or a project in return, would you be willing to partner in that sense? I am from the Northwest Territories and what has come to mind is what if Nunavut, the Yukon or NWT could assist given their need for economic development of resources (i.e.engineers) with the delicate issues of land claims and the Northern people they affect (if I have understood the social entrepreneurship aspect correctly?). While many of the diamond, exploration and oil and gas companies that exist up there are southern (a good ole northerner’s term) and in even multinational companies, there is still a very local feel to the presence of these companies and the impact on the communities and concern for the environment and people they affect…. I can work my contacts and see if ANY partnership funding is available. Sorry its probably a very random idea and in its infancy but I hate when money is an obstacle to good opportunities and this one is nothing short of amazing! This has been on my mind all day since a friend on Facebook circulated it to me, I can’t imagine what you must be feeling! I want you to go!!! I am totally behind a Canuck doing well in this world! I was just living in the UK for the past 5 years and have thoroughly enjoyed reading many of your perspectives and can relate! I know someone who would support you. Another Vancouverite. Matthew Good. He checks his blog daily!! I am going to send him your story!
Hope you don’t mind, I am going to do an Alberta/NWT media blitz of your story noting the Thursday tuition deadline.
Ok, so at the risk of sounding as random as I will, I blitzed some radio station and media companies up north, some governernment and engineering associations, and some private companies and for the heck of it Tim Hortons. Can’t get much more CDN than that eh? As well as my friends. Good luck and let me know if I can be of any help between now and Thursday! How amazing must it have been to open that acceptance letter! I hope you go! Let me know!
So: let me get this straight: I give you $500 and I get my name on the thesis. Well, B, surely I’m half-way there by now? Does that qualify for Doug B +1/2 on the cover? I’d settle for “Dad”
Hey Brendan! We are still TOTALLY behind you on this! This can still happen! I believe my Canada can meet you half way. You have my $3 each week for the next year. That is certainly one of the best ways I will be spending $156.00 this year. With 250 similar donations (which I will endeavour to get you from like minded Canadians, companies, corporations, organizations, associations, employees, anyone), we would be crazy not to support a Canuck with this much potential! 250 cool canucks x $156 CDN bucks= $39k more means Brendan goes to Oxford, right? I’m in. 249 to go…. Congratulations from Canada on all you have accomplished to date. You make me so proud to be Canadian! $3bucks-a-week-for-Brendan!!! (thats just a coffee a week!)
$3bucks-a-week-for-Brendan.com
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