<p>hey. my friend doesn't want to go to college, he has started a business with his cousins involving business real estate for asians. he's not particullary smart (360 on writing lol, and a 580 on math) but he can do really good if he tries. so he says that bill gates..etc etc didn't finish college. can you please help me persuade him into going to college?</p>
<p>...easy - ask him what he will do if his "business" venture fails...he's pretty much screwed. Tell him to go to college and do that on the side. Without an education its hard to get ahead in this world unless you're extremely lucky or have really good connections (parents / relatives high ranked in a field).</p>
<p>Don't persuade him at all. I have friends who are doing pretty well as of right now (none in business though) and a lot of them didn't go to college. One of my closest buddies trained to be a cop and just recieved an offer from two seperate city's police departments. Another started making $30K out of high school and is now make $45k. Not every who suceeds in the world has a college degree. Some fields, particularly the skilled trades (tool and dye, plumbing, miner etc.) still pay a lot and they don't require a degree that cost $90,000+. The only reason more people aren't doing them is because we have a tendency to look down upon blue collar work. It's better to make a lot of money with your mind than your hands. Personally, it's all the same to me. Money is money, how you make it isn't important.</p>
<p>i think if he doesnt want to go to college, he won't go. maybe ask him to take several classes at community colleges to hedge his bets, rather than a 4 year institution</p>
<p>ICrisis: 45k year is nothing to brag about, im sorry it isnt. and manuel labor isnt the same as brain labor when your back gives out at the age of 40. no offense.</p>
<p>Well in business he can start at a tech firm (apply all over) if he grabs a low end job he can work his way up. by not having a degree he has to make up for it with a really good work ethic. the odds are def. not in your favor if your a starting business's on your own with no degree. best of luck to him.</p>
<p>even though bill gates did drop out, he still had the ability to get into Harvard. Plus he was already rich when he started his business. I believe he also had quite a bit of connections as well. but hey, if his business is succeeding and hes making good money, why pay so much money for college.</p>
<p>"45k year is nothing to brag about, im sorry it isnt. and manuel labor isnt the same as brain labor when your back gives out at the age of 40. no offense."</p>
<p>Three years out of high school? I think it is. If you expect you waltz into Microsoft and be given a six figure salary one year out of whatever Ivy League you went to, expect to be disappointed. Everyone starts somewhere. My buddy started as a lowly tech support drone making 30K, and now he's one of the guys in charge of the IT Department and he'll probably get a raise or promotion in a couple years. If not, he has the experience and certifications to back up his skills and he can get a job somewhere else. If he needs a degree, he can easily get one as he's been saving his money and already has the hands on knowledge. Not everyone who suceeds got a college education right out of high school.</p>
<p>Manual labour is just as good as any other labour, there are just different perils that come with it. You may blow out your back working in a foundry, but you'll probably do the same thing if you're sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day eventually too. A good plus to some trade skills such as plumbing is that a lot of times you are your own business and the hours are yours to command once you get high enough in the ranks.</p>
<p>Sounds like he wants to be an entrepreneur. College is not a necessity and is not for everybody. Let him choose his own path. I have seriously considered starting a business instead of going to university.</p>