Mark Zuckerberg Didn't Finish University, Why Should I?

What do Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Michael Dell have in common? Well, besides being obscenely wealthy, these are the names that are on the tips of the tongues of those who ardently feel that a college education isn’t essential in determining the future successes of an individual. The three names above reside in the upper echelons of individuals who dropped out of college and proceeded, to not only become massive success stories, but also alter the landscape of their respective industries. However, merely labelling them college dropouts is only scratching the surface and would be a gross injustice to the trio. Are college/university degrees important then, or are those who traverse their own paths at the conclusion of secondary school much more likely to taste that sweet nectar of success?

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Clearing Up Misconceptions

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Why did Mark Zuckerberg dropout? Many only know that he did. But the basis behind him leaving college was rather simple. He had created something big and decided that it was worth turning all his attention to it. So, he did not earn his degree (Although he received an honorary one a week ago). Bill Gates’ story is similar, and he dropped out to start Microsoft. Both of these individuals, however, didn’t plunge directly out of college head first with no safety net below. Zuckerberg stayed on until Facebook was a bona fide success, before finally deciding to leave. Bill Gates always said if things had not worked out when he started Microsoft, he would have gone back to school right away. And there is one hugely important detail many choose to omit when talking about these dropouts. They dropped out of Harvard, one of the world’s leading institutions, a rock star of the tertiary educational world. Electing to drop out of an Ivy League school should not be mentioned in the same breath as ‘college isn’t for me’, commonly uttered by many inhabitants of this generation.

Selective Thinking

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Yes, of course the other name that immediately springs to mind is Jack Ma, founder of Ali Baba and worth a cool US$30 billion. He was rejected by KFC, being the sole one not given a job out of a total of 24. He was rejected 10 times by Harvard. An article published by fortune.com also stated that about 3 out of 10 billionaires, did not have at least a bachelor’s degree in 2015. On top of that, you hear stories about how Google and other giants of the industry put emphasis on soft skills and street smarts than on having an Ivy League education peppered all over your CV. These facts only fuel the fire in bellies of many students, provoking them in taking the alternative route once they become uncomfortable at university — be it the boring lectures, the long hours confined indoors and not to mention the examinations! But, before you press the big red eject button that is calling out to you, remember that there is always another side to a story. Remember the statistic mentioned earlier? Well, what was not mentioned, is how seven out of 10 billionaires DO have at least a bachelor’s degree, and that the percentage was up from the previous year – 70% compared to 65% the year before. Jack Ma DID go to university. He may have been rejected by Harvard, but he obtained his bachelor’s, then his master’s prior to creating his brainchild. And while it is indeed true that Google emphasises soft skills and how you may fit into their organisation more than just something written on a piece of paper, what this really means is that just having a fancy college degree doesn’t guarantee you the job. You need to be BOTH book-smart and street-smart. Students these days get so carried away with the latter, they so often forget and forgo the former.

The Current Situation

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If you happen to browse through the job listings on Jobstreet.com.my, you will undoubtedly find almost every opening requires you to at the very least possess a diploma. Other openings require at least a bachelor’s degree, with many complaining how a diploma just isn’t enough anymore. For those who want stable futures, a degree is undoubtedly a necessity in this day and age. But what about those shooting for the stars? Of course, they would say, ‘No risk, No reward’. While this may be true, one must be prepared to work above and beyond what they previously thought were their limits to even come close to achieving their goals. Many claim that tertiary institutions do not bestow the chance to smooth the edges around a student’s soft skills. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Besides formal education, college/university provides a solid platform for students to hone their soft skills and start pushing themselves to work harder than ever before. For most, it’s the first time they are away from home, from pushy parents and nagging aunties. It is the first time they get to do things on their own accord. While many choose to abuse this privilege, some choose to find their footing, to push themselves for once, to study without being told to, to wake up early after a long night without their mother there to wake them up. All these unheralded efforts help denote a sense of urgency towards a student, a conscious feeling of determination, which can be carried on into the post-graduation life.

Going back to the examples of Zuckerberg and Gates, one has to ask, would they have achieved the monumental success they did, without the help and assistance of the people they met at Harvard, without the connections of the highest order made at the Ivy League school? Would Facebook have become the social media juggernaut that it is today without the help of Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, Zuckerberg’s friends? Would Microsoft have made Bill Gates the richest man in the world (as of the time of writing) without the aid of its co-founder, Steve Ballmer? The answer is probably not. And they met all these people, made the connections, then in turn, connect the dots of their projects! University helps you make connections that you can then later use upon graduating. For those who were smart, they mix around with others who push them, as they push back. A healthy, symbiotic relationship that brought the best out of each other. These people may then want to collaborate, may know of opportunities you may not have known about. These connections are much more reliable compared to someone who says that ‘my friend’s friends’ brother told me this is a good business venture’.

The Conclusion

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So, when people tell you, ’But Mark Zuckerbeg and Bill Gates did it’, just remember that they dropped out because they chose to, not because they did not like it, with a safety net already firmly in place. When it all boils down to it, does a college degree guarantee success? The answer is, no. Nothing can ever be guaranteed. But, while it does not guarantee success, the LACK of a college degree does not guarantee success either, which is what many students should always remember. A college/university degree does however, give students the best chance of obtaining the success they crave for, it helps them learn soft skills if they chose to, to absorb the culture of working hard on their own and to make connections of the right kind. In the current economic climate, it is indeed crucial to obtain one, and remember that once you do, continue to work hard and push even harder.