Why is it that the most successful people in the world rarely were the best in college or towed the line when it comes to education? Though stats say those who attend college generally are offered more pay, it doesn't necessarily mean they are more valuable. For instance, some of the top billionaires in the world didn’t finish college: Steve jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg.
The list could go on and on. Not astonishingly, Elon Musk, arguably one of the most intelligent and successful businessmen in the world, says Tesla will stop requiring ANY college or university experience in their application process. In fact, he has gone on record as saying, “I think college is basically for fun and to prove that you can do your chores, but they’re not for learning”.
We are not trying to say that college isn’t for everyone. If you want to be a doctor or lawyer, please go to college. You could be arrested if you try to practice without a degree in any of those fields. However, if you want to be successful in business or in sales, college might be a waste of time. How often is there real-world experience? Sure, a university may offer a one-semester internship, but most people go for four years to learn about business from a desk and a lectern. In fact, how many of those professors have any business or sales experience? If they were actually successful, they'd be mentoring through example, instead of teaching by way of theory. If you are a professor, we don’t mean to insult you, but with the average student paying upwards of $35,087 (A YEAR) for the best schools, we as a society have to begin questioning the data behind whether or not that "investment" translates as more of an expense.
As we said, college does make sense for some career pursuits. For everyone else, there's a better investment option that the top 1%, listed above, have learned. That investment option is a simple, real-life truth that will get you farther than a four-year degree. The answer lies in "relationships". It is hard to think of any successful person who didn’t work to build relationships in order to make them wealthy. Why relationships? It's simple math. The more people you know, the MORE opportunities will come to you. Also, the BETTER relationships you have, the better your opportunities will become.
In fact, treat relationships like real estate. Many forms of real estate investing allow you to hold on to that property for your entire life. It is a long-term investment. Relationships are no different. Don’t treat people so transactionally; like a sale or an object. Be in it for the long haul. Add value to and nurture relationships before you ever ask for ANYTHING. If there is an advantage to college; it's that— you can build relationships. But if you're not into the college scene, building relationships is as simple as going out and networking.
Again, we're not here to bash colleges. Some of your dreams may require it. However, don’t get caught up in the hype when alternatives are out there. Just understand that one of the key reasons why any of the people at the beginning of this article got to where they are is that they understood the value of relationships. Imagine where you could be in five years if you simply audited your circle of friends and connected with people you want to be around. Master developing relationships— it is the new real estate
