the college dropout entrepreneur dreamer versus the college graduate who is most likely to become
rich and succeed in life the billionaire college dropout is an enduring and inspiring story of
famous millionaires and billionaires who dropped out these stories have led many young people to
consider ditch college to chase after their dreams but does this romanticized idea of a
super successful dropout bear out in real life or do most of the kids who drop out
see their grand ambitious plans fizzle out rather quickly sadly statistics favor college graduates
admittedly there are some few outrageously successful dropouts but these are exceptions
the few college dropouts who became wildly successful like bill gates and mark zuckerberg are
what malcolm gladwell termed outliers the reality is that a great majority of successful americans
graduated from college sorry to disappoint you but the likes of jeff bezos marissa
meyer and sheryl sandberg among countless others all graduated from college a 2017
study examined the percentage of the wealthiest and most powerful americans who finish college
the 11 745 participants in the survey represented ceos politicians millionaires billionaires
business leaders federal judges and people who are globally recognized as powerful in their sectors
the study found that among forbes billionaires just 10.9 percent had no college education
44.8 percent graduated from an elite school such as harvard and 44.3 graduated from other
colleges again out of 30 millionaires 79.9 percent graduated from college and only 20 percent had no
college degree dropping out of college after all is hardly a predictor of success so why has the
college dropout become synonymous with success in popular media despite the hard facts that college
graduates do better overwhelmingly there's the trendy narrative that college is a waste of time
while being unnecessarily expensive that young people are better off for going college and going
after their entrepreneurial dreams the issue is that successful dropouts make for better stories
what's better than hearing about a kid dropping out of a promising academic course to tinker
about in his parents garage and come up with a multi-billion dollar product three years down
the line but the unsuccessful dropouts we never get to hear they're the people who left school or
didn't attend it all to tinker in their garages or bedrooms and decades later are still puttering in
the same garage not that they are failures just that they are not precisely the success stories
we all love to hear about and retell we unintentionally ignore these unsuccessful and
sometimes unemployed dropouts who are in reality a much larger population why wouldn't we after all
they never achieved anything newsworthy at the core of the american dream is the story of the
underdog who struggles against overwhelming odds to create things worth talking about
we like to believe that it's a nation where anything is possible where anyone with enough
dreams and the right amount of grit can make it it's only normal for us to want to sensationalize
the story and cheer them on the truth about successful college dropout entrepreneurs
if we closely study the minority dropout successes we will realize that they aren't just anybody who
stumbles upon a brilliant idea and made millions overnight several factors make these individuals
stand out they are mostly extremely hard working people they are usually obsessed and in most cases
they are more connected than most with a solid network that ensure they get access to resources
not readily accessible to others the successful dropouts don't typically drop out for the sake of
it they had a big idea worth working on and they went after it with all their heart they didn't
quit when things got rough and they ended up creating something of value their burning ambition
to actualize that dream is so obsessive that they won't have time for anything else college
inclusive here are some other things the few successful dropouts have working in their favor
one starting earlier the time it takes for people to complete college could range from 4 to 10 years
and in time their peers who decided to drop out or not attend at all are already up and running sure
they will have stumbled and fallen severely which is typical of any new venture but these failures
and setbacks act as fuel for these dropout successes they learn from endless iterations
and with time will know what works and what doesn't in their journey to achieve their dreams
the few dropouts who succeed maintain this head start and almost always increase the gap in time
two being non-conformist a school is a place for rules where you're ordered around and told what
to do all the time it asks that students follow all the rules and do things in a particular way
while most people are okay with being conventional and obedient this stiff guidance is not for
everyone and these misfits who chafe at the school system are the ones to drop out and
typically become millionaires while their peers learn how to conform they are busy breaking all
the rules and doing things in their unique way they are cutting paths through forests others
don't know about or are unwilling to venture 3. creating their path while college guides you on
an expected well-trodden path the dropouts are forced to create theirs the successful college
dropouts didn't get rich by working 9-5 for someone else in a dimly lit factory
they had an idea for solving a problem and went all in to create a solution in their way
entrepreneurs are trailblazers by creating a new venture they bear most of the risk and the
rewards when it finally becomes successful and that's the common thread with all successful
dropouts they're innovators that bring something new to the market and when their products win we
celebrate them massively college prepares you for a predetermined future of getting employed and a
lifetime of trading your time for money which is not exactly the fastest path to financial success
four have their back up against a wall college was supposed to arm you with a
degree that will secure you a job and ensure a financially secure future for you and your family
yet you leave it halfway for some crazy idea and possibly disappoint your folks so you burnt your
bridges now what this backdrop often acts as a catalyst to push dropouts to succeed failure is
not an option you try harder because you can't afford to see the knowing smirk on your friend's
face when you end up penniless and degreeless after four years you can't afford to look your
parents in the eye and admit they were right all along and you should have finished college
dropping out is an act of great courage if things do not work out the dropouts you go on
to become successful always find a way to make it work no excuses so a combination of these
factors sets the more successful college dropouts apart from the rest of the pack
if you or someone you know is thinking about shelving the idea of going to college consider
first if you have the passion for pursuing your vision why you should complete college so now that
we've seen some of the underlying factors that motivate successful dropouts we'll equally have to
look at why finishing college is a great idea for most people at least one high return on investment
admittedly college can be expensive however it's a fact that a college degree increases
your ability to earn in the future people who join the workforce with a college degree start with and
earn considerably more over their lifetime than their peers who dropped out additionally the rate
of unemployment of college graduates is way lower than that of those with just a high school diploma
according to the us department of labor two personal development and life skills financial
security isn't the only reason to attend and complete college college also aids your personal
growth you learn life skills like communication writing confidence speaking critical thinking
and presentation amongst others these are valuable skills that will prepare you for life
within and outside the work environment you will get to connect and interact with lecturers
and fellow students from diverse backgrounds and learn from them the knowledge and skills you pick
up in the four or so years in college will prepare you for career success college if done right will
help you become a consummate professional in your field armed with all the requisite tools to meet
the challenges of the modern workplace three access to better job opportunities increasingly
employers are looking for workers with a degree even for entry-level jobs therefore you're far
more likely to land a job with a college degree than a high school diploma a georgetown university
study finds that college graduates have access to 57 percent more job opportunities than those with
only a high school diploma a college degree qualifies you for these job opportunities
and gives you more options to choose from even with the relatively high u.s unemployment rate
data from the bureau of labor statistics suggests that there's a massive shortage of
educated skilled workers therefore opportunities abound for job-seeking college degree holders
bachelor degree holders also have the advantage of having more access to these job opportunities
a whopping eighty percent of job vacancies that require a college degree or higher are posted
online compared to only fifty percent of job openings requiring only a high school diploma
according to the same georgetown university study this makes it harder for non-graduates to connect
with those hiring a college education also hooks you up to a network of peers professors mentors
and advisors this network often proves valuable for opening doors and connecting you to industry
leaders and policy makers you can explore these connections to seek new business opportunities
or advance your career in your chosen field four career growth if for some reason you didn't
complete a degree that means your educational qualification is a high school diploma although
you can land a reasonably good job a high school diploma will hold you back from advancing in your
career you'll quickly hit a glass ceiling that you can't surpass unless you complete your degree
and it's risky to stagnate in a company either you move up or they may force you out the good
thing is that many employers are willing to help defray the cost of college education for employees
who they want to keep and who are interested in advancing their career in a company they love
in conclusion the financially successful dropout as popularized by the media makes skipping
college look cool but statistically these dropout billionaires are a tiny minority the fact is that
those that complete college are significantly more likely to succeed in life than those who do not
completing a degree gives people the necessary skills opportunities knowledge and resources
to create a good life for themselves this puts them far ahead of their peers who dropped out in
summary you should complete college and if you feel that traditional 9-5 is not for you you
can start your venture you can always look for a job with your degree if your business flops
if on the other hand you drop out of college to pursue your billionaire ideas
it may be hard to get a good job when you're planning for world domination tanks
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