Why drop-outs are more successful than you could ever be

Bill Gates (Microsoft), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Steve Jobs (Apple), Jan Koum (Whatsapp), Evan Williams (Twitter), Richard Branson (The Virgin Group), Philip Emeagwali (the Internet), Walt Disney (The Walt Disney Company), Oprah Winfrey (Well…a lot).

If you take a look at the people listed above, I am sure you will be familiar with some of the names and if not, definitely their companies. A few years ago one particular problem with the list above really began to bother me and some of you may have already figured it out. No, it is not the fact that they are all billionaires (or near enough to it) or incredibly successful. It’s actually the fact that each and every one of the people listed above dropped out of high school, college or university. These people did not get a degree, A-Levels and for some not even a high school diploma, yet, they are some of the most successful people in the world today.

Many of us (including myself), work very hard in order to achieve the best grades, so we can get a decent job because that is what we are told is the key to success. However, looking at the evidence we have here, that is clearly not the case because these people would not be where they are had they followed the beaten path (aka the path you are ‘supposed to take’). The problem we have here is, clearly, these people have done very well for themselves, so should I drop out and go my own way to get there too? Weeeeelllll…No! That would be incredibly stupid.

Here is my point- these people are successful not because they shunned the education system; but because they realised that learning without school is the only way to be original. Think about it, we all go through the same education system, are taught the same content, sit the same exams, are awarded the same degree as tens of thousands of others. What is there that distinguishes you from the rest that makes you capable of being more successful?…I hear crickets….exactly!

What you need to be doing is educating yourself on areas that are not covered in the classroom or lecture theatre. Ever heard of the term commercial awareness? When was the last time you took a product design class? How about entrepreneurship, investment, business development? Even if you are at University, these skills cannot be taught by a teacher but developed by interest. School, College, University- they provide us with a good foundation to build upon. You cannot own a business without being good with numbers, and how are you to get a good job if your written and verbal skills are not up to par. It doesn’t matter what you want to pursue in the future, the skills and knowledge you gain from school are fundamental, you just need to make sure that it does not define the entirety of your knowledge.

So, pick something you find interesting, do a little research and maybe add it to your list of hobbies. You don’t have to start a business or develop a new software but you could be keeping up with what’s happening in the world of commerce, or even just start finding new ways to complete those tasks you find rather tedious. Just don’t get comfortable with being as good as ther rest. To truly make it, you must ‘be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-itsafers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.’-Cecil Beaton

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This post was written by No.1 Tutors