I went to college for about 5 semesters before realizing that it wasn’t for me. It quickly became evident that I didn’t need a fancy college degree to be successful in life.
Turns out, many other massively successful individuals seemed to agree with me. From my discussions with them, they all refer to college degrees as just another educational tool. However, nobody attributes their college degree to massive success.
In this article, I’m going to share 7 things that don’t come with your college degree:
1. A Job
When we first enter college, many of us have this belief that as long as we get a degree, we will be entitled to any job we want. As the years go by, our hopes and expectations become far more realistic.
I know many friends who have graduated with amazing degrees from schools such as USC, UCLA and Stanford. However, these people haven’t found a job that even applies to their field of study during college. Instead, they’re working a basic job that pays minimum wage.
2. The Ability To Sell
Far too many people don’t realize how important of a skill selling is when they are in college. Upon graduation, they realize that their whole life is essentially a sales pitch. Whether they want that next job or new client, they have to find a way to sell themselves.
You’re not going to learn to sell in college. It’s really unfortunate considering that sales is a crucial skill to have. The better you learn to sell, the better your chances of succeeding upon graduation are.
3. Professional Experience
College is almost all about memorization and very little about implementation. The real world on the other hand acts in a very different way. It’s about what you can do more than what you know.
When you get out of college with your degree, it’s hard to get that job or start that successful business because you’ve been so accustomed to memorizing what you have been told. Applying what you know is a lot harder than most think.
4. An Education For A Whole Life
When I was younger, I always thought that as soon as someone graduates from college, they don’t need to learn anymore. However, I know today that you can never stop learning and adapting to be successful.
Your college education isn’t a finale of all the learning you need to do in your life. If anything, it’s a starting point. After graduating, you need to continue educating yourself on a regular basis.
5. Ambition
Ambition is something that you just can’t teach. If you’re in an industry or space that you’re truly passionate about, your passion will guide you.
Colleges don’t teach you how to be motivated or ambitious in your craft. It’s really about finding something you love and using that fire inside of you to carry out your goals. You need to develop a strong sense of ambition to be successful in the real world.
6. Lots of Wealth
Just because the median person with your degree makes $95,000 a year does NOT mean that you will achieve the same results. Numerous variables and factors play into ones success upon graduation from college.
In order to obtain lots of wealth, you have to be driven and very persistent. You have to do something others in a specific industry aren’t doing and you have to do it really well.
7. Happiness
I hear too many stories from people who thought life would be amazing if they got that college degree who are absolutely miserable afterwards. A college degree doesn’t guarantee happiness.
Before you pursue a specific concentration or point of study, make sure you actually like it. Don’t focus on the money. Focus on your passion. If you love what you do, money will not be an object.
Conclusion
In this article, I discussed 7 things that don’t come with your college degree. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions down in the comments section below.
photo credit: dr.snitch via photopin cc
