No College? No Success
Let's face it: You've probably thought about opening up your own business at one point or another. You were probably raised with the belief that going to college and getting a degree puts you on the path to success. You were told that if you didn't get good grades in school, you would not get to college. Therefore, you wouldn't get a degree. And degree would have gotten you a good job. A degree would make you stand out.
Would it really make you stand out, however? Most people work their entire lives, putting in a solid nine to five schedule, working forty hours a week, collecting their paychecks at the end of the week.They'll soon get married, have kids, and then retire. Most people settle for an average life; they never get to achieve their dreams because they've been raised to believe that this - the middle-income lifestyle - is the way to live.
Times Change...
Times are different now. People have started to realize that going to college and getting a degree does not make them stand out from their peers anymore because their peers are doing the exact same thing. That is why college professors urge students to be involved in their community or to find other means of standing out. A degree alone won't make you be different than your peers anymore.
Our generation has learned that maybe by doing something different, we can expect a different result. Einstein once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Entrepreneurship has become so popular in today's world. Why is this happening?
The millennium generation has grown up in a more advanced world, as they realize that there's more to life than a nine to five job. Ashton Kutcher said, "Everything around us that we call life was made up by people who were no smarter than you." In other words, we have figured out that life is what we make of it. Hence: the millennial entrepreneur.
The Question Remains...
We know that times change. With that, the question remains: Should an aspiring entrepreneur go to college? We know that college isn't what makes us stand out anymore; it's what makes us blend in. Although an education is important, for one who seeks to open their own business, college is rendered useless. From a business standpoint, the return on a $20k annual investment is minimal - you graduate with a degree, but also with empty pockets and in debt.
Rather than putting one's self in scholastic debt, the entrepreneur could instead invest in their own business, learning from real-world applications. This seems to be a better decision for an aspiring entrepreneur. After all, we learn more from real-world experiences than we would in a classroom.
It's Been Done Before
Bill Gates. Mark Zuckerberg. Steve Jobs. Rachael Ray. All of these people have never been to college. That's because it's not the degree that defines you, nor is it the college you went to (unless, of course, you went to Harvard). It's the knowledge and drive of the entrepreneur that determines the success of that individual.
The Difference With Entrepreneurs
Granted, for teachers, doctors, and non-business majors, college is still essential as they need that education for their major. Some will need a Ph.D. and some need countless hours in the classroom to advance in their careers.
However, if you're an aspiring entrepreneur, it's not as necessary for you as the whole reason you want to be an entrepreneur is that you'll be employing yourself. Let's face it: You could graduate with thousands of dollars in debt, chasing after jobs just so you can repay your loans. Or, you could use those four to six years to work on your business, learn from mentors, and maybe have employees of your own. That's the beauty of entrepreneurship.
This isn't for everyone. Some will prefer the safe route of college, and some will value an education over venturing out while their peers are advancing in their scholastic studies. The idea of being an entrepreneur is scary to some, and one can certainly still be an entrepreneur after graduating from college. The difference is, however, that the college student will have loans to repay before they can pursue their entrepreneurial ventures.
As the cost of living rises, so will the cost of tuition. Is college worth the debt anymore? That depends on the person and what they want to do. But for the millennium entrepreneur, the answer just might be no.
"You don't have to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream." — Michael Dell
