I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Marketing. I put in the time, got my degree, and even graduated with honors. But to be honest, I’m not entirely sure how much that degree has helped me in running my businesses.
Understand, I believe in the power of education. I even believe in the power of getting a degree – even though the cost of these degrees is getting ridiculous. But I found that my expectations of what the degree would give me were far off from what I actually got.
Here are three things I learned from the process that I think people need to know about.
1. They can’t teach you to be good.
In school, they teach your principle, studies, concepts… But they can’t teach you to become a great leader or how to make a successful business. For instance, some of the projects that passed in the business proposal classes or marketing classes would be utter failures. And they passed!
Good leadership…business instincts… Schools can’t really teach that.
2. You get out what you put in.
I know some people who made it through school and got degrees who didn’t earn them. They skirted the system wherever they could and didn’t really learn the basic information they were supposed to. I could have easily been upset at that and thought it was unfair. But I know I’m reaping results of what I put into the degree that they’ll never get to experience. Even though it didn’t teach me how to be successful, what I did put into my schooling was part of my success.
3. They can’t teach you what’s possible, only what has worked before.
Finally, I learned that school can’t show you what’s possible in the future. That’s now what it’s setup to be. It’s setup to teach you what has worked in the past.
There’s a saying that past performance is no indication of future success. (I think I learned that in school.) It’s helpful to look at the past, but it won’t allow you to innovate until you break free of the bonds of the past.
So I believe in school. But I’m convinced that’s not enough to be successful in business or innovation, or frankly any endeavor. It’s all about your ability to work and grow afterward.