Many people had no idea what I was doing when I decided to quit school. Well, today I’ll outline a few of the real reasons why I dropped out of college! I take you through the whole story, the faults of our education system, and the ways you can get ahead in business and life immediately.
An Introduction to the 4 Main Reasons Why I Dropped Out of College
Avoiding the “normal path” and taking on this unconventional one head on seemed crazy. If that wasn’t enough, moving to Thailand with two suitcases to start an online business was worse. Add to that, I had no experience and people lost their minds.
Despite this background noise, I confidently moved past the doubt some friends and family had, because I knew two things:
- Exactly why I dropped out of college, and
- I could and would make it
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew these two things.
If I would’ve let the doubt creep in, it would’ve created more stress and uncertainty.
The first step is winning in your mind, vividly… precisely.
Just like in the Art of War, you should strategically plan your attack. You must know your enemy and yourself. You need to conquer doubt and fear.
Do these things, and you win in your mind first. All battles are won in the mind first before the physical battle happens.
Leading Up to the Decision That Seemed Huge at the Time: Why I Dropped Out of College
I knew college wasn’t going to get me where I wanted. See, I wanted to be free; I never wanted a corporate job or a slow and mediocre climb to semi-success.
I wanted to travel, work when I wanted, and achieve goals that I set myself, not that were set for me. Quitting college seemed like the only logical option! However, dropping out of school for some reason just seemed like the biggest decision.
I had no idea it was possible to start creating residual income and live anywhere, until I read a few fundamental articles that shifted my perspective. I’m grateful for them to this day; one was from (now defunct) Bold & Determined, and the other from Steve Pavlina – you can find the only one still live here.
At first, I didn’t even know that working for money was a dumb trade. I didn’t know people earned money while sleeping. I’d never heard of people that didn’t actually trade their hours for money. These immediately added to the reasons why I dropped out of college.
I then shifted my mindset into a new paradigm:
You don’t have to work for money.
You don’t have to go to a job, work in your business, or slave for a certain number of hours to earn money. I’m here to tell you that you simply don’t.
Yes, you must build and create, but you don’t have to sell your hours for cash.
Of all the options that exist, it’s up to you what to pursue. Just make sure to pick one thing and stick with it, until you’re successful with it!
You could create a product of your own, physical or digital, you can sell someone else’s, (perhaps with E-commerce) you can create courses that teach people, you can drive leads to a certain offer, and much more.
So… If That Was True, and This Was Possible Then What Was Next?
Well, I learned that trading time for money is one of the dumbest transactions, and this helped me start to get ahead.
This applies to business owners and employees alike. Most business owners work in their business instead of working on it.
Change that mindset by reading this book.
Now that I understood people could earn money while sleeping, reading, playing with the kids, and traveling… where did that leave me?
It left me confused, excited, and scared with massive butterflies in my stomach. I remember sitting up in my dorm room without being able to sleep, so shocked that this lifestyle was possible.
I told myself that I would have it.
It was funny because I was reading these posts, letting the possibilities seep in, and allowing my mind to wander. I was hungry for that success level and freedom. In my mind I already knew what I was going to do.
I was going to drop out and go get that!
At first, I kidded myself for a while, playing with the option of staying in school, pursuing a degree and maybe starting a service-based business for Graphic Design. But before long, my mind was made up prior to consciously accepting it, and that’s what gave me huge butterflies.
Here are the main reasons why I dropped out of college, actually deciding to make what looked like the biggest decision of my life:
1. Dropping College Would Give Me a Head Start on Life & Business
Do you know how many options you have after dropping out of college? I didn’t; I just knew what I wanted.
For instance, if I could achieve financial freedom before 21, I would be stoked! I knew it was possible and made the moves to achieve that.
If I could travel the vast world as a young man, I would be so happy! I made it happen and saw 4 new countries in my first year out of the U.S.
If I could absorb all this real-world business knowledge before my peers even graduated, it would be insane!
I learned it, made residual business income, saved money, sold my first E-commerce website for just under $10,000, and kept investing in my companies and myself.
See, anything that you want can be created and mastered if you’re willing to commit and be consistent with it.
The Different Learning Styles, Necessary Adaptation & Theory Vs. Application
I knew that most of the content I was learning there was just theory. This was a large reason for leaving quickly. When I took the initiative to go out and learn from Graphic Designers in the area, I learned 100x more than I was learning in class.
This proved to me that application was more important than sheer knowledge or rote memorization.
The same goes for people in business classes and majors, the information they are learning is nowhere near as valuable learning from a business owner. Someone actually making money, getting leads and clients, and raking in sales.
People think they’re learning advanced knowledge in college, but there is hardly any application. Plus, the teacher is usually an employee, not an investor or entrepreneur.
I’m not bashing college altogether; I think it’s a good place to create yourself, establish your values, and learn how to network with peers.
I just see that the more valuable business opportunities in the real world, lie in learning from actual investors, business owners, mentors and guides.
Reading is excellent, if you apply the knowledge. Don’t get me wrong; I love to read and learn.
Business study is great if you’re working in a business where you can internalize the wisdom.
But by cramming the information for a test and regurgitating it, you’re missing a ton and only learning at a superficial level.
A Better Alternative to Business Mastery, Money Skill-Building, and Demonstration of Comprehension
One of the best ways a professor could test the retained knowledge of his subjects would be teaching from an investor’s standpoint.
If professors taught their students current knowledge, then made them set up a real business…
.. Where they must make at least one sale by the end of the semester, they would learn at accelerated rates.
This would be a simple task with an online business, and could easily be completed with the proper G.R.I.N.D., focus, and effort. Four months (roughly one semester) would be enough time to get this done.
What this would teach the student would be a balanced grip of skills: marketing, sales, advertising, distribution channels, supplier relationships, customer service, content marketing, and efficient time management.
When I learned first how to drop-ship physical goods, I needed to learn all of these skills first hand and it was a great introduction to business operations online. It’s been able to spur my experience as an E-commerce business owner, and build other profitable streams.
The 3 Main Styles of Learning: Why I Dropped Out of College to Learn On My Own Through Self-Education
This is all because there are three main effective levels of learning:
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- Hearing
- Comprehending
- Internalizing and Acting
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Hearing is the most superficial level. Comprehending is a bit better, but until you internalize, you never understand what it means.
In college, you hear a lot. You write and get tested on what you know too, so there’s a bit of comprehension.
The internalization is simply absent.
I cannot remember much of what I learned in college because I took forced, general classes. These included Geology, Art History, Communication, and other liberal arts. Thankfully I love to learn, but it’s hard to consistently learn things you’re not interested in.
Our school system of today is the exact opposite of specializing in one task or skill, which is what professionals get paid for. You don’t see many jacks of all trades making boat loads of cash, yet that’s what we subtly reinforce at school.
We’re never taught to build upon our natural strengths, and never shown how to develop our learning styles that are unique.
As I’ve said, a better way would be to customize the approach to people’s different learning styles, and tailor the knowledge to that. Then, following up with this would be a demonstration of internalization and action, proving the student retained the important parts.
2. I Was Willing to Live Like No One Else Would to Get What No One Else Could
If you’re willing to do the things that others simply will not, you can get ahead and claim what you want.
This is one of the biggest “secrets” that you learn from actual millionaires, like the ones I’ve networked with.
They are willing to do what everyone else won’t.
These people will quit school or whatever business action that isn’t working. They will move anywhere for opportunity. They’ll work 16 hours a day until their goal is accomplished. Additionally, they’ll actually go out to meet and hire the people they need.
These are some of the most impactful reasons why I dropped out of college.
I will do whatever it takes to get what I want.
And guess what? These people actually get what no one else can, because they deserve it.
How many other people would be willing to drop out of school, move 8,000 miles away from friends and family for a few years to pursue their dreams?
Not too many.
This doesn’t make me any different or special from anyone else, I was just willing to do absolutely anything to get what I wanted, and I got it. You can do the same.
It’s all been worth it so far, and I know as I learn and grow I will open up more of my potential each day.
3. I Would Control My Future, With No One Else’s Hands In It
When you take your destiny into your own hands, you’re the sole controller.
You’re the only person who will decide what you will and won’t do, and that’s pretty liberating.
For me to decide that at 20, and live like this by 22, I was able to crush specific goals I set for myself, and gain the understanding that I can use that same process with any size goal too.
However, when you go to college because that’s “what you’re supposed to do” or “mom and dad said you need to”, you don’t really control your future. You’re not risking it all and getting exactly what you want out of life.
But you can.
I’ve said this over and over because it’s true: decide exactly what you want, believe you can have it, set the goals, take the consistent action.
It doesn’t matter how big the goal is, you can smash it.
It’s not the size of the goal, because that’s irrelevant. It’s the size of your commitment and consistency. There is a specific science to getting what you want, and to getting rich.
Play by these laws and get your desired results.
4. Tons of Traveling Entrepreneurs Were Already Doing What I Wanted and I Could Learn From Them
Another powerful reason that compelled me to live in Thailand was the fact that there are so many traveling, working entrepreneurs. There are so many people already making passive income and building online empires!
I knew if I could go there with no knowledge of this sort, I would soak everything in from people who’ve done it, and wouldn’t get static from the talkers who haven’t.
There were people out there getting the exact results I wanted: being free to travel, living anywhere, working off of a laptop, and making money while catching z’s.
I knew I would gain tremendous amounts of wisdom if I went and immersed myself in the knowledge. I worked hard to condense it to shorten my learning curve.
Since I was young, I was always inspired by the successful college dropouts that never let their schooling interfere with their education.
I’ve got massive respect for those who forge plans in their mind, conceal them, and execute while the world catches up in their wakes.
Do What You’re Compelled To! Why I Dropped Out of College to Build My Own Life
Bottom line, your life is too short to live someone else’s.
We get caught up in what people think we should do, and we just follow it. You don’t have to follow what anyone else says you should do!
Most people don’t go to college because they’re super excited to spend four years learning slowly and paying a hundred grand.
As with any other sale, they buy because of the perceived benefit for THEM.
They purchase that expensive hat so it can “gain them opportunities” which is a misled belief.
The only opportunities that arise are the ones you hustle for, recognize and seize when they come up. Prepare before they even come up.
“Luck” is just adequate preparation meeting opportunity.
If you’re feeling deeply compelled to live a different life, then don’t wait! You might not have the time to chase it. Go do what you’re putting off, and have a consistent sense of urgency to make it a reality.
