I was thinking the other day when I saw a commercial on TV for a community college, “Why does everyone think that they need to go to school to be successful?” Sure, it helps, but it is not necessary. I thought of all the people in history that have made a lot of money simply by having discipline and acting on their ideas. For example, James Fontenet, whose story of rags to riches can be read here, is an example of the possibilities that people can achieve with what they have already. Or James Garfield, our nation's 20th president, was born on a poor farm and even worked as a janitor before becoming educated and becoming the leader of the U.S. I know what you're thinking. “What about Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and all the major money-makers in the U.S.?”
These people are very wealthy indeed, but they had a head start from the beginning - their family already had money. But their parents and grandparents had to start somewhere, and their discipline and hard work helped the present billionaires to become what they are. But it all started somewhere. You could be the start on something now - in 2008. I have met a lot of people that have made millions of dollars and I hold them in the highest respects- until I find out that their parents just gave them money to start a business. Yes, it does require drive and determination, but if they fail what happens?
I doubt their parents will foreclose their house if they do not pay back the loan. Also, I don't believe their parents ran a credit check before lending the money or asked for any collateral. I don't lose all my respect for these kind of people, just most of my admiration for them. I would take the money if my family had it, but in turn I would not expect very much admiration or esteem from it. What I'm saying is that it's different for someone that comes from money to go on a business venture and fail than someone who is putting their savings at risk or took out a loan on faith. I don't mean to be sarcastic, but what good is winning the race if the engine was already started for you and you didn't have to look for the key? Today, there are so many ways to make money simply depending on ingenuity, perseverance, and organization. The internet is a huge opportunity for anyone with a computer and internet service. Just add a little creativity. Just look at what the creator of PrintnPost.net did. He had an idea, saw it, and focused in on it, and look at what it has become today. Or the lady that started e-Bay, she saw a need for a shopping place online, saw how much junk people have in their home, and saw that if they sell it locally they would probably not get the money that it's worth. So she created a worldwide bidding system and look at her success.
Idon't see how a degree in biology would be necessary or even help here. I know a degree in business would provide some help on the tax part, and administrative and legal perspective but to wait four years and get yourself into several thousands of dollars or more in debt for an idea that you had your freshman year seems ridiculous. I am not saying that education is useless, on the contrary, I find it very enlightening and it nurtures and open mind and a sense of curiosity, and I am in my last semester for my B.A. in psychology (It's not exactly my passion, but it's something to fall back on if I ever need to). And you have to at least know how to read and write to make business deals and be able to read any paperwork, so at least a high school diploma is necessary.
What I am saying is that education is not the only door to a fortune or at least a good income. It may have been that way in the past, but times have changed. And I realize that for every 100 people that drop out of college, a good percentage of them regret it and end up at some job they hate. Some of them even return to college when they're older. But most of the time this is because they lacked the discipline to actually follow through with their ideas (if they even had them in the first place). There are too many distractions for many people and when you are an entrepreneur everything rests on your discipline and diligence. But if you have these qualities and a truly original idea, whether it be an invention, a website, or a business, you might have something to talk about with the self-made people you read about above.
