It isn’t for everyone — a typical disclaimer when things don’t seem to work out. It could be a marriage, a job, a gym membership, or even the color salmon. That’s becoming more and more of a trend for higher education. It’s not for everyone.
This was something that I actually struggled with myself when applying for colleges. Is college for me? After putting yourself in a great amount of debt, you then have to apply for jobs that aren’t a guarantee to hire you. Before someone begins to argue that college is more than a degree, it’s an experience, I agree. Most college graduates walk away with the ability to write down some of their greatest attributes on their resumes. They created some of their fondest moments with their friends and built great relationships with their peers and faculty. People usually say it’s the time to “find yourself.” That is until you find yourself out of college, stepping into the real world.
Anyone who has a degree should be proud as it is not an easy task to accomplish, especially for the 70 percent of students who work while enrolled. College has been a traditional approach for most people, led blindly by the promise of a successful career path. However, not everyone decided to take that avenue. Wherever there’s a rule, there’s an exception.
These leaders fall into that category by pursuing their vision and steering left of their college degree.
These extraordinary individuals prove that their actions are unprecedented and their leadership has driven them to remarkable success without a college degree. Simply put, college isn’t for everyone.
Out of the world’s 2,043 billionaires, I’m sure there are a few individuals that come to mind first for everyone. My guess is that Bill Gates is top of that list. After all, he is the richest man in the world as of today with a net worth of $86 billion, according to Forbes.
He’s known for being Harvard University’s most famous dropout. In 1975, he dropped out of the top-notch university after attending for two years to found Microsoft. Although he doesn’t regret dropping out, he’s an advocate for college.
“Although I dropped out of college and got lucky pursuing a career in software, getting a degree is a much surer path to success. College graduates are more likely to find a rewarding job, earn higher income, and even, evidence shows, live healthier lives than if they didn’t have degrees. They also bring training and skills into America’s workforce, helping our economy grow and stay competitive.”
Fun fact: Back in his college days, Gates never actually showed up for his classes but would rather participate in other classes he wasn’t enrolled in. He thought it would be more fun to overload before finals for his enrolled courses.
“I’m kind of a weird dropout because I take college courses all the time,” Gates says. “I love being a student.”
Earlier this year, Bill Gates mentioned if he were to pursue a career today, he would go into artificial intelligence, the energy sector or biotech. If you’re feeling the need to switch careers anytime soon, I think it would be safe to take his advice.
His father was a barista and his mother was a flight attendant. He struggled with dyslexia. If you read a synopsis of his early life, you would probably not believe that he would later become a multi-billionaire.
Just at the age of 16, Richard Branson dropped of school to start a magazine called Student. The first edition sold $8,000 worth of advertising. This was clearly just the beginning.
He later acquired everything from music studios, record labels and airplanes to an island. With his ambition, he turned that $8,000 revenue into $5 billion without a degree.
“I don’t go into ventures to make a fortune. I do it because I’m not satisfied with the way others are doing business,” Branson said in Entrepreneur.
Sir Branson is thriving in the tech world as he continues to invest in several different markets including the latest startup, Memphis Meats, which produces beef, chicken, and duck directly from animal cells without raising and slaughtering livestock or poultry.
Over the decades that Branson has been in business for himself, he always seems to have a passion for whatever he does. He pushes that same theory onto others who are willing to listen.
“The best advice I could give anyone is to spend your time working on whatever you are passionate about in life.”
Mark Zuckerberg
Does he even need a story line? If you are not one of the 1 billion active Facebook users who contribute to his success, you may have been one of the moviegoers who paid $15 to watch the story of his rise, “The Social Network,” on the big screen that generated over $260 million in sales revenue.
Mark Zuckerberg, an individual most of us are aware of, has made a big impact on society. He is the co-founder of Facebook and yes, he is another college dropout. After his sophomore year, he left his Harvard dorm to take his rising social media platform to Palo Alto, Calif.
Remember, college isn’t always about getting a degree. It’s not for everyone. However, while Zuckerberg was attending the prestigious university, he was able to build relationships with his peers that helped develop Facebook into what it is today. Not to mention, Harvard is where he met his wife, Priscilla Chan.
Although Zuckerberg dropped out of college at the age 20, he did receive an honorary degree 12 years later. Earlier this year, he was invited to speak at Harvard University for the commencement address. In his speech, he touched on several topics that many starting-out entrepreneurs would find helpful:
“I’m here to tell you that finding your purpose isn’t enough. The challenge for our generation is to create the world where everyone has a sense of purpose,” Zuckerberg said.
Cosmas Maduka’s story proves that where there’s a will, there’s a way. At the age of 4, he lost his father, which caused financial hardship for the family. At 7, he dropped out of primary school to help his mother. He worked as an automobile apprentice for his uncle until their relationship turned sour. He took what he learned from that turned it into what is now a billion-dollar dream. He’s failed at many businesses which eventually led to his success. He started a company called Coscharis Motors that has continually expanded. It’s now one of the largest automobile dealers in Nigeria. Today, his net worth is $1 billion. With all that Cosmas experienced, it was not coincidence or luck, but all about perseverance and determination.
If there’s anything to take from Maduka’s story, it’s to not give up.
