“The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.”
– Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs may not have been a Nobel Prize winner, but he certainly had a point.
Not that dropping out of college is ever an easy choice. University and colleges have a reputation as the place to be for anybody who is going to become successful. And for good reason! There's few places where you'll find a collection of so many young, hungry, and beautiful minds. They can be truly, truly magical.
But to take another look at it, is isn't as though higher-education is the only path to a fulfilling existence. Indeed, for some, the strict regulations and expectations of an undergraduate degree can be limiting. Not all people think the same, or thrive in similar environments. What about the late bloomers? Or those who just aren't built for a school environment?
As the saying goes, "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
So here's to those bold enough to take another path. It certainly isn't easy, but if there's anything this list proves, it's that a life well-lived has many possible paths.