Does education guarantee success?
If you want success, ditch education!
We were ALL told when we were kids that education is important. 'If you don't pass your exams, you won't amount to anything.' 'How are you going to get a job if you don't get any qualifications?'
Now I agree that 'the Three Rs' (reading, writing, arithmetic) are important. But I've got news for you, folks: if you pass your exams, you'll never amount to anything. If you go to university and get a degree, you'll be selling yourself short! Sure, you'll be able to go and be a drone in somebody else's organization, but you'll never spread your wings and soar!
The real business geniuses never wasted time at university: Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, John Harvey-Jones (apart from a 6 month stint at Cambridge to learn Russian!). But what about the ones who did go: Donald Trump and Bill Gates.
And of course, if you happen to be in the UK, you'll end up in massive debt to get an education, in many cases with no guarantees of getting a decent job afterwards.
SO...what do you think? Best to get straight into the 'real' world of work - or go to university and get an education?
YOUR TURN!
If you want success, ditch education!
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, better to get out into the world and be an entrepreneur!
Homejames says:
You learn as you Grow..... I did and now have a Successful Business... "One Year Plan""
Posted August 03, 2008
SJHubber says:
I flunked out of college; my brain was simply not structured for that crap. However, when I married a double-Masters Degree holder from Oxford (going for her PhD) I saw the world with a new set of eyes...
One that sees MUCH LESS value in a college education than ever before!
Right now we are very successful entrepreneurs and wouldn't have it any other way. I feel sorry for anyone who values their education, because THEY DIDN'T CONTROL WHAT GOT PUT INTO THEIR HEADS.
Someone else taught them to be what they needed them to be.
University Grad = Trained worker
At least if you don't accept their brainwashing then you can learn in the lab of life exactly how to be successful on your own terms, not how to make others successful.
Posted July 28, 2008
mulberry says:
I think the university education is invaluable.It SHOULD teach more than a trade and if you fail at your business you have more to fall back on. That's not to say that you can't be successful just diving in however.
Posted July 26, 2008
SerenityLive says:
I think there are definitely wonderful opportunities for people in this country without university education. Plus, student loans can really hurt! Especially if you don't have a great plan (or get really lucky) after school. I think everyone needs to make their own choice, but I'm not sure I believe in university just for education-sake. Thanks for writing on my forum post! I thought I'd drop by and give you some traffic!
Posted June 19, 2008
No way, university teaches students much more than just the lecture material.
Noadi says:
I have to disagree even though I'm doing decently well as an artist without having gone to art school. There are careers which don't require a college education just sufficient creativity (art and business being two of these) but there are many which a college education is an absolute must! Would you want a surgeon who didn't go to medical school for example?
I also have to add that I think people should be constantly educating themselves, whether that involves reading books, taking classes at a college (even if it isn't towards a degree), taking adult education courses, etc. You never know where new knowledge will take you.
Posted July 16, 2008
LauraMarie says:
In my case university enabled me to get a professional degree and allows me to practice as a health professional. For these type of jobs a degree is a must. However I do realise university is not for everyone, and some people come out in debt and cant get a good job. I am lucky I have my student loan paid!
Posted June 22, 2008
Read more about uneducated success-stories
Bannatyne, Branson, Edison, Ramsay and Sugar
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Richard Branson
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He has been called many names. Mavericks, madman, entrepreneur, innovator, adventurer etc. etc. Richard Bronson is not your typical entrepreneur. He founded and owns the Virgin Group, which is a business empire that spans across 5 continents and cons...
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Duncan Bannatyne
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Duncan Bannatyne is an entrepreneur from Scotland. He is better known as one of the Dragon's in Dragon's Den. His current estimated wealth is well over £200 million!
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Thomas Edison
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Although born in Ohio, Thomas Edison spent much of his later life in New Jersey. Edison is famous for his work with telegraphy, phonographs, the incandescent light bulb, and the kinetoscope, the first motion picture camera. He is shown here in his la...
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Gordon Ramsay
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Gordon James Ramsay is a Scottish celebrity chef, hwo has a large follower community in England and the Untied States.
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Sir Alan Sugar
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I love Sir Alan Sugar for a number of reasons, the biggest and most recent is because he finally helped to end the conversation in the black community that says "we can't get anywhere" Whether he knows it or not when he hired Tim Cambell he...
Read more about the successes...
...on their own websites
- Sir Richard Branson
- More information about Richard Branson on the Virgin website
- Sir Alan Sugar
- More about Alan Sugar on the Amstrad website
- Sir John Harvey-Jones Obituary
- John Harvey-Jones sadly died on January 9, 2008, and this is the Times Online obituary
- Sir John Harvey-Jones
- And this is what Wikipedia has to say about his life.
- Gordon Ramsay
- About the world famous and hot-tempered footballer turned chef, who earned fame and fortune through sheer hard graft and perfectionism
Business successes without university
Try out one of these...
The university educated success-stories
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Bill Gates ?
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William (Bill) Henry Gates III, born on October 28th 1955 in Seattle, Washington. Son of William Henry Gates II and (the late) Mary Maxwell Gates, both prominent figures in Seattle. One of three children with an elder and a younger sister. Gates was...
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Donald Trump
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This article is all about Donald Trump. Videos, photos, blogs, news and information. Your one-stop research place for everything to do with Donald Trump.
The ones who did go to university
Did them no harm!
ArtSiren's comment (July 25):
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the discussion. Some very interesting thoughts have been aired. I completely agree (Noadi) about continuously educating ourselves - I've spent about 10% of my income per year on courses, books etc to learn about new things.
The question of getting a degree to enter a profession is valid upto a point in my opinion, but the old days of 'get a degree, get a well-paid job for life' are long gone now. For example, my profession was chemistry, I went to four universities, and have a PhD. Unfortunately, these days a PhD is pretty much the minimum qualification for chemistry, and an increasing number of people educated to that level are having to resort to 6 month contract jobs, and then get booted out. Quite shocking, considering the student debts many accrue these days, without ever getting the job that will allow them to pay it all back!
My hope is that real, practical business gets taught more at highschool level, especially things like money management, basic accounting skills, writing business plans, the tax system, how to raise capital etc. And it would also be useful to teach kids about the value of savings, investments, pensions so they at least have some sort of basic knowledge to take with them into the world of work.
Still undecided? Have your say...
...or just say hi!
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bstpierre
Education has little to do with going to college. I know plenty of fools with degrees, and plenty of very well "educated" people who have probably never set foot on a university campus. You can skip half your classes and still manage get a degree without actually learning anything. And you can educate yourself without ever stepping into a classroom. Posted July 28, 2008 |
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mulberry
See my post verifies what I was saying. A degree doesn't make you literate either. I meant OUR schools not ARE schools. !!! Posted July 26, 2008 |
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mulberry
I agree with you in part, the basic financial skills and so forth should be taught early on; it's critical. On the other hand we need educated kids and I don't want to think that are schools exist to teach "basic" survival skills. We have talented intelligent individuals but are behind in the world as it often goes to "waste". I also agree that a university education doesn't guarantee success or even intelligence! Posted July 26, 2008 |
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Kanga
I think it really depends on what career you're aiming for. I know people who have degrees that they don't use, and I know people who really want to go to university to change careers because they never had the opportunity. Posted July 24, 2008 |
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JaguarJulie
Well, I think society still emphasizes that degree in so many ways as when filling out a Careerbuilder or Monster profile, see how the traditional education form is configured. I'm all for the creative, intelligent thinker -- not always having to be the people with the multiple masters degrees. Posted July 13, 2008 |
