My Dilemma: Is School Vital To Be Successful?

[nickhumph]

Yes, quit school if you want to be an entrepreneur. But what will you sell or do if you quit? Without knowledge you won't succeed especially with that effort you seem to have.

I want to be an entrepreneur too but I know I won't be anything without networking with others and learning about operations management, accoounting, marketing, finance, and other topics that I learn in University. Plus whats better than working for the one of the top 4 accounting firms, or an investment bank for 200K+

I have an opportunity to work for TD, GE or BMW, sure I'll take that! Then I'll think about my own business. Otherwise I can only consider physical labour jobs as my option. No thank you

Hey.
Well since i'm only 15, I have to think and decide. I've been involved in selling many different things over the last 3 years, a serial entrepreneur

I don't think I ever want to work for someone, I want to people to work for me and it's not because of that desire most employees have of being the boss and running everything "become your own boss" thing.

[RLorenzen]

And your saying these can't be learn't by reading a few blog articles or a decent book?

If you really can't make a decision how about trying this: Graduate high school and take one year to work your entrepreneurial ventures. After that year decide whether you think it's possible to continue without a degree or that you need a college education. You won't know for sure what you want to do until you try it out.

[pcbres16]

I am in the same boat, my grades aren't so ggod either. Thats why I am planning to go to Uni in the "Third World" The Uni of Guyana requires a 5th grade education to get in. Plus it is CHEAP! What have I go to worry about? Okay, maybe a Coup or an Uprising.

BTW History is NOT worthless, if you are going inot the field of Diplomacy or Government. I think the most useless is MATH! All you need to know is Algebra, thats it unless you are going to go into the Science field.

So, yes school IS worthless if you have a plan and a develpoing business, but just b/c those sucessful people made it, doesn't mean you will.

[crackah]

I'm using these web stores as a tool as a "trial and error" basis on which I can integrate marketing plans, branding models, etc.

Yeah thats fair enough. Its a start. I was the same as you.

Finish school. If your businesses dont work out you then have the option to goto uni etc.

I cannont stress how important it is to finish school.

[hichloe]

I agree with many of members here.

Finish high school first and why don't you take several business classes you might be interested in college to see how you fit in?

/Chloe
_____________________________
CareerLadies.com

[Xanifur]

It's beneficial but definitely not necessary today. Most majors today didn't exist 10 years ago. With that said, we are preparing students for technology that doesn't exists yet, as well as career paths that have an uncertain future.

I just got my associates degree, by the way. It's helpful, but if you know the right techniques and have enough interest, you don't need a post-secondary education to make money.

[nickhumph]

Oh.. maybe a misunderstanding here. I DO want to finish high school.. just clearing something up.. lol

[RLorenzen]

How successful have you been without a college education? (And anyone else here saying don't go to college can feel free to answer that as well.)

[nickhumph]

It's beneficial but definitely not necessary today. Most majors today didn't exist 10 years ago. With that said, we are preparing students for technology that doesn't exists yet, as well as career paths that have an uncertain future.

I just got my associates degree, by the way. It's helpful, but if you know the right techniques and have enough interest, you don't need a post-secondary education to make money.

Hi.. Yes, I think University Education is "old skool" now. Many have not adapted to the super-fast growth rate of technology and trends. I think one of the main factors are those professors that are more or likely from the baby boomer generation and obviously cannot grasp a full understanding on aspects of technology and the internet than we can.

+ Who knows what's next! For example, many people think facebook is DEAD and I believe it's SecondLife that will take over. But Can you think BEYOND SecondLife and create an new, revolutionary form of.. ?? Who knows Social-Gigabisindadfdf. Who knows what type of knowledge will be needed...........................

[Nigami Enterprise]

I believe that everyone is different and not everyone should be educated through university, otherwise we would all be thinking along the same lines. But then some people need that bit of extra education to find them selves, and to provide them with the best opportunity for success.

I don’t understand why people seem to think that a degree provides such beneficial networking opportunities.

Why would you pay money to network????? Personally I prefer to get payed to network. The best contacts I have made have been through work places rather then through education.

If you are serious about an industry get into it as soon as you can. Work for someone else for a little while, make contacts learn the competition, and then fire away.

With a question like you have asked your always going to get different responses. The best thing you can do is work hard in what ever direction you take and you will succeed.

[Inglesa]

I thought I'd put forward the case for actually getting a university education, whether people think it's necessary or not...

1. It trains you to focus deeply on a subject and understand it in depth
2. It teaches you discipline and structure, both needed for completing and carrying through tasks.
3. People immediately treat you with more respect once they know you've completed a degree
4. You can have the opportunity to make hundreds of contacts with future movers, shakers and influencers of the future
5. If you choose a study topic you really enjoy, it can be good fun! (Though if you end up doing a topic you're not really hot on, it can be hell!)
6. Having a university degree is great for opening doors to later entrepreneurial chances. It's certainly easier to get a loan for a large venture if you can show investors that you are an 'expert' in your field
7. Once you've finished your studies, no-one can take that away from you. It can be a calling card you use for the rest of your life.

During my lifetime I've been an employee, a degree student, and an entreprenuer. In terms of life experience and knowledge being an employee probably taught me the least as far as earning potential is concerned. The degree came second, and striking out as an entrepreneur definitely comes first.

The University of Life will always give you the greatest learning experience of all!

[JaytheCreative]

Noooooo, the WORST thing to do is quit high school, and a notsogood decision is to NOT go to college!!

I definitely will have to disagree with Dmoore for the most part. Entrepreneurship can't be talk, because there are personality and mental requirements that depend on the individual as a person, and that person's willingness to go the riskiest route with more uncertainty, opposite the 9-5 route.

However, you need to learn the technical aspects of business. Sure, anyone can buy a book and start up a website. In fact, the Internet has created such a new field of "self-employed" people who use various webpages for income, and marketing.

However, no offense to many, there is a massive difference between Entrepreneur and the typical "e-venturer".

There is SO MUCH to learn, and SO MANY tools that will help you in your character development. College, I have learned, is not about the Degree, it's about the journey, and the growth within college.

Plus, most professors are industry experts with a long resume of accomplishments and a vast social network. It's much different than high school. Depending on the size of your school, you will find urself doing professional work with your academics that is equivalent to the real-world, and you will have your educators and experienced classmates their to help you as both colleague, partner, and friend.

Truly college is the best years of my life, thus far. I would recommend you find the school that fits your needs, and Explore, Get Involved, Study EVERYTHING you want, and be persistent.

I am becoming incredibly successful from the tools I've gain at school, the network I've established through school, and the personal growth and experiences during these times.

I'm working on my 5th business project and am planning on attending continuing education programs in various fields of finance, economics, accounting, etc. etc.

I have a BS in Business, with Concentration in Marketing Managament and minor in Financial Management.

[ScottRobertson]

Two very simple thoughts for you.

"There are plenty of people who are successful and drop out of school."

So what? More importantly, why don't you look at the proportion of university grads who are wealthy compared to the proportion of high school or university drop outs who are wealthy.

...but i then started the real learning the learning of life through mistakes most of the time and using those building blocks to start a business...

Why waste your time re-inventing the wheel. Learn these things from other people (much less costly & time consuming), so that you can advance much quicker.

[E320]

Hi nickhumph,
I'm afraid there is no black and white, yes or no answer to your question. Certainly, there is a handful of people who became billionaires without and education, I also believe there are thousands of people who got nowhere without it. Moreover, there might be thousands who also got nowhere in life despite have an education... So going or not going to collage is such a desigion that can be good for one person or devastating to another.

Since you already have some webstores, I believe, you already do understand that business isn't always as successful as we want to it be. How are they doing, by the way? For example when I opened my first coffee shop, I imagined it truing out into the next McDonald's shortly... but not so easy, few month down the road I was glad I sold it without any serious loss.

On one side, college does give you certain skills that might come handy when being an entrepreneur, but on the other hand I believe this skills can be acquired much faster in other ways. Say there are some e-collages that instead of teaching you life in a classroom, simply send you video files of their lectures. * cough * torrents * cough *
While being still in school, you can acquire such video lectures and see if they teach you something.

To those who say that collage is about social networking and being able to ask professors for an advice... From my experience I can't say that collage professors know much about real business, but anyway you still can come up to them from the street and say like "Hi, i am nickhumph, I want to be an entrepreneur, can you give my an advice on that and that?" you don't need to sit in their lectures 4 years for that.

[RLorenzen]

To those who say that collage is about social networking and being able to ask professors for an advice... From my experience I can't say that collage professors know much about real business, but anyway you still can come up to them from the street and say like "Hi, i am nickhumph, I want to be an entrepreneur, can you give my an advice on that and that?" you don't need to sit in their lectures 4 years for that.

I love that. Now that's an entrepreneurial mindset- thinking outside the box.