Are you successful? vol: college dropouts

[onthenephs]

We all know the stories, bill gates, Steve jobs, mark zuckerberg, etc...
To some they represented ambition, drive and great ideas, to others they represented self made, and all that term encompasses.

Granted they may have been natural geniuses and were opportunists at the right time. However than can come from self actualization, and school in particular, post secondary school I believe completely hinders that.

I'm 26, have 50+ saved in my bank, operate 2 businesses only 6 months of the year have no college degree, thus no debt either.

I chose to not finish school because I didn't want to be molded in a particular way of thought. Or coming to a solution by the same process taught to a million other students.

I know not everyone who dropped out makes it, I want to know success rate of those o NT. And perhaps what steps they have taken to ensure their future.

My biggest fault now is meeting a woman who I can marry...I ultimately want her to be educated but there is a problem since I have no degree.

I passed all the self doubt and constant insecure feeling of not being amongst my peers in society, and it feels wicked.

 

[BALH ENH]

Hard work and endless networking. It can be done. Hasnt failed me yet.

 

[dipsetgeneral]

Finish college. Get a job and payback the money you owe. It's honestly such an achieving feeling.

 

[don dela vega]

Wouldn't say I am successful as I aspire to be one day. But definitely feel like the ball is in my court and am on the platform to take off and get there. Finishing school is still on my mind sometimes and is a possibility again ever since I found out I am approved for the Pell Grant. I'm happy but still hungry for me because I know I am capable of more.

 

[fontaine]

Inb4 endless #ntextremes of people thinking everyone that goes to college is 200k in debt...

And People who don't go to college will all become bill gates.

 

[105950]

OP, can you share your business?

But I know that feel all too well about not fitting in with other peers that went to college.  I have this feeling that the fact that I did not step foot in college (THANK GOD) I will always be looked down upon them.

 

[vagixxer]

Dropped out after 2 years.


Loved the entire college experience.

Make over 250k a year currently and hope to increase that in 2014.

I'm a real estate investor/builder

I think you can reach success without college, but I think you got to have that hustle deep down in you.

Reality is, most people don't.

EVERYTHING I've built so far has come from networking and endless leg work.

Good Luck NT

 

[Deleted member 37467]

OP, what do you have against high school dropouts?

 

[bruce negro]

Inb4 endless #ntextremes of people thinking everyone that goes to college is 200k in debt...

And People who don't go to college will all become bill gates.

I'm saying though...

I went to a community college for two years and saved my money up. Transferred to an in-state university where I will be graduating with about ~$17K of debt. I've already received a full-time job offer and I'll be able to pay all of that off with my first bonus.

Meanwhile, I'm working on my own start-up firm, which I've been able to do / think of due to my experience in college, the connections I've made with professors here, and the other driven students I've also met here. Hell, if I hadn't taken econometrics this semester then I probably would have given up on aggregating the economic data I need, as I wouldn't have knowledge of the Stata program. And even if this start-up doesn't necessarily work out, it'll be a great point on my resume along with my work experience and my (hopefully) magna cum laude graduation status.

So sure, I'm definitely not as successful as some people who dropped out of college, but even after college I will have a relatively small amount of debt for only a short period of time, and I will have set myself up for a wide variety of different career paths / opportunities.

 

[dman14]

Dropped out after 2 years.


Loved the entire college experience.

Make over 250k a year currently and hope to increase that in 2014.

I'm a real estate investor/builder

I think you can reach success without college, but I think you got to have that hustle deep down in you.

Reality is, most people don't.

EVERYTHING I've built so far has come from networking and endless leg work.

Good Luck NT

like you said, you got to hustle and really work hard. make your own path because it is difficult for you to be hired by a company without your degree. i think for ppl that drop out they have to have that entrepreneurial drive.

 

[curbsideprophet]

I aint wit it.

 

[onthenephs]

OP, can you share your business?

But I know that feel all too well about not fitting in with other peers that went to college.  I have this feeling that the fact that I did not step foot in college (THANK GOD) I will always be looked down upon them.

I am in retail. Specifically Halloween retail, $5 billion a year industry. I have consignments with one of the biggest Halloween distributors. Open my stores from sept 3-Nov 15. The consignment terms are top notch. This was my second year doing this and I've taken home about 60k this season. I also have other retail businesses for the Christmas season, allowing me to chill the f out for the remaining 6 months of the year.

Had I continued in my major which was marketing who knows where I would have been. But I do know i would have never had 60k CAPITAL to invest in other ventures, had I been getting a cheque.

That process is cyclical you depended on your employer to feed you.

 

[al audi]

props OP

 

[105950]

I am in retail. Specifically Halloween retail, $5 billion a year industry. I have consignments with one of the biggest Halloween distributors. Open my stores from sept 3-Nov 15. The consignment terms are top notch. This was my second year doing this and I've taken home about 60k this season. I also have other retail businesses for the Christmas season, allowing me to chill the f out for the remaining 6 months of the year.

Had I continued in my major which was marketing who knows where I would have been. But I do know i would have never had 60k CAPITAL to invest in other ventures, had I been getting a cheque.

That process is cyclical you depended on your employer to feed you.

WOW, Halloween a 5 billion a year industry, crazy.  I noticed those halloween stores pop up in random spots every year.  Do you just pinpoint a city and find the best available vacant commercial property to rent to distribute?  How did you link up with the vendors?

in b4 thread turns into "Ask a Halloween Distributor Anything...."

 

[melo0115]

I'm at that point where I'm trying to figure out if I need to continue school or just figure out what business I want to create.. I'm never going to agree with staying with my company and just working my way up, that life style IMO is so personally defeating.. I need to feel like I'm doing something important with my life..

 

[bruce negro]

I'm at that point where I'm trying to figure out if I need to continue school or just figure out what business I want to create.. I'm never going to agree with staying with my company and just working my way up, that life style IMO is so personally defeating.. I need to feel like I'm doing something important with my life..

I think OP's hustle attitude applies to starting out at an entry-level position and working your way up as well though. Nothing personally defeating about it, as long as you're willing to put your all into it.

Check out Mary Barra. She's the new CEO of General Motors, and the first female CEO of a major automaker - and she started out as an INTERN. Worked her way up the ranks, and now her paycheck is in the multi-millions. Whether you drop out of college, or get your Ph.D., start your own business, or start out at entry-level, you can get to where you want to be as long as you work your *** off to do it.

Story about Mary Barra - http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/12/10/gm-new-ceo/3950057/

 

[onthenephs]

Most cities are already designated, rent and location are on me.

I worked to get the connections. You will never find an answer to how someone met people. You basically have to have a scope and put people in the line of it, till it happens. Again, everyone networks differently.

I posted about this in the find a job thread last year before the season started trying to put some NTrs on, no one responded though.

However this thread is not about me, if I do spark some people in here to move then that is great. But for the ones who dropped out to pursue their self and are not compromising, I want to hear from you. We all feed of energy.

And as the poster above me said, attitude does play an integral role in your success. Saying you do not want to participate in the work force but you Dont know what else is there, will get you no where. Knowledge will help you, do research get experience and build.

 

[thunderchunk69]

NO, but it had little to do with college.
If anything, I'd be a lot better off if I hadn't spent that money on college.

 

[calypso chanta]

In all honesty, it depends on the individual. We've all met people who have degrees and are still working at the mall. Likewise we know people who never went to college and are doing well. If you want to be successful then you'll find a way, no matter the route.

I've never seen hard work NOT pay off in some form.

 

[onthenephs]

Truth be told I have put myself in a lot of positions to be able to do what I do. I have worked with 3 start up telecommunication companies, wind Mobile, public Mobile, and virgin. The companies may be garbage but being there from pre launch and being in management helped me understand numbers and budgets a lot. More so than theoretical knowledge. It wasn't like I was marketing manager or anything, just store manager. But I learned what it takes to launch. What it takes to brand, to train, etc. Things that are real valuable in operating your own business.


I thank God for those early steps as they put me on a certain path. Find the skills you have and experience thus far, and capitalize on it.

I may have opened up too much to you guys, its all good though, brothers.

 

[tekthemaestro]

I'm a marketing major now and I hate school more with every breath I take. These teachers don't care, and most of the education is a joke and moneygrab. I'm not successful yet. I hope I will be soon. Got a job lined up at gm for 60k starting but a class is standing in the way threatening to hold me back and make me miss my opportunity. Smh. Bottom line, college isn't for everybody. And it certainly doesn't carry the weight it used to in the business world

 

[leclutchjames]

If you hate it that much. Just drop out and follow your heart/dreams

 

[combo gd]

It never hurts to have a college degree to fall back on.

Its not like you are ready to be independent and take over the world at 18 years old anyway. Four more years of school won't hurt. 

If you have ambition/drive/business savvy, the degree will just be another credential you can use to sell yourself. 

College also conditions you to build a work ethic, time management skills, and discipline. 

You meet other ambitious people, and have the opportunity to build a strong and diverse network in college. 

Plus you actually learn a lot in college that will help you in whatever you do. 

All things considered... 

Degree > No Degree

 

[onthenephs]

It never hurts to have a college degree to fall back on.

Its not like you are ready to be independent and take over the world at 18 years old anyway. Four more years of school won't hurt. 

If you have ambition/drive/business savvy, the degree will just be another credential you can use to sell yourself. 

College also conditions you to build a work ethic, time management skills, and discipline. 

You meet other ambitious people, and have the opportunity to build a strong and diverse network in college. 

Plus you actually learn a lot in college that will help you in whatever you do. 

All things considered... 

Degree > No Degree

Here we go this is the mentality I am talking about. Who told you that you can't change the world at 18???

King tut was 13 when he ruled Egypt. Many war generals were 17,18 leading thousands of men.

Self actualization my friend. Dont think a man at 14 is not capable of achieving great things. Its all a system though. Have to have control.

 

[am1x90xnike]

Hardwork >>> any piece of paper, any social norm....