Bill Gates started Microsoft when he was 19 and has since become one of the world’s
wealthiest people. Mark Zuckerberg owns one of the most highly-valued tech
companies in the U.S. Steve Jobs founded Apple in his garage.
What do these three people have in common? None of them finished college; in fact,
Bill Gates is considered “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” What’s more, there are
countless others who have gone on to start successful businesses without first earning
a bachelor’s degree. So, considering modern opportunities and technological advances,
is a degree still necessary? Or is it possible to succeed without college?
The short answer is “yes.” It is possible to succeed without college. But the longer
answer is that succeeding without college especially to the level that Gates, Zuckerberg,
and Jobs did is the exception, not the rule. To have a truly successful career, earning a
college degree gives you a clear advantage.
Succeeding Without College
People define success in different ways. For some, it means having enough money to
buy the things they want. For others, it means being respected by your peers. For
some, it simply means having a loving and supportive family.
Regardless of how you personally define success, the stats show that a bachelor’s
degree can make having a successful career more achievable.
Could You Be the Next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates?
Hard work and determination certainly have their place in achieving success, and if you
have an entrepreneurial spirit, connections with angel investors, and a mind for tech
trends it’s possible to follow in the footsteps of Jobs or Gates. For the rest of us (those
with interests outside of starting the next global tech phenomenon), the path to making it will be steadier and more traditional.
Also, not everyone has what it takes to risk it all and if you look at those who made it big
on a dream, they often face huge setbacks. Gates, for example, started a failing data
company before Microsoft, causing him to start from scratch. Without a backup plan, an
incredible support system, and unfailing work ethic, most of us can’t sustain these types
of setbacks more than once in a lifetime.
So, Can You Make It Without A College Degree?
Why do so many people think that you have to go to college to be successful? It’s likely
because they have experienced the benefits personally. Yes, it’s possible to succeed
without a college degree. But with so many programs designed to take you from having
no experience in a field to being highly-skilled and job-market ready, having a college
degree offers a clear advantage.
Most of us aren’t Steve Jobs. And most of us don’t come with a vast network that we
can fall back on when things get tough. A college environment provides the kind of
support most adults need to not only get a degree, but start a life. Success, for many
adults, starts the day they get that bachelor’s degree.
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