My Advice to Students: Education CountsBillGatesHundredsofstudentssende-maileachyearaskingforadviceabouteducation.Theywanttoknowwhattostudy,orwhetherit’sokaytodropoutofcollegesincethat’swhatIdid. Asmallernumberofparentssendmessages,seekingguidancefortheirsonordaughter.“Howcanwesteerourchildtowardsuccess?”theyask. Mybasicadviceissimpleandheartfelt:Getthebesteducationyoucan.Takeadvantageofhighschoolandcollege.Learnhowtolearn. It’struethatIdroppedoutofcollegetostartMicrosoft,butIwasatHarvardforthreeyearsbeforedroppingout–andI’dlovetohavethetimetogoback.AsI’vesaidbefore,nobodyshoulddropoutofcollegeunlesstheybelievetheyfacetheopportunityofalifetime.Andeventhentheyshouldreconsider. KathyGridland,asix-gradeteacherinOhio,wrotetosay,“Severalofmystudentsclaimthatyouneverfinishedhighschool.Sinceyouareasuccess,mystudentsperceivethatasareasonnottocaremuchaboutgettingagoodeducation.” Ifinishedhighschool! Thecomputerindustryhaslotsofpeoplewhodidn’tfinishcollege,butI’mnotawareofanysuccessstoriesthatbeganwithsomebodydroppingoutofhighschool.Iactuallydon’tknowanyhighschooldropouts,letaloneanysuccessfulones. Inmycompany’searlyyearswehadabrightpart-timeprogrammerwhothreatenedtodropoutofhighschooltoworkfull-time.Wetoldhimno. Quiteafewofourpeopledidn’tfinishcollege,butwediscouragedroppingout.Havingadiplomacertainlyhelpssomebodywhoislookingtousforajob. Collegeisn’ttheonlyplacewhereinformationexists.Youcanlearninalibrary.Butsomebodyhandingyouabookdoesn’tautomaticallyfosterlearning.Youwanttolearnwithotherpeople,askingquestions,tryoutideasandhaveawaytotestyourability.Itusuallytakesmorethanjustabook. Educationshouldbebroad,althoughit’sfinetohaveadeepinterests,too. InhighschooltherewereperiodswhenIwashighlyfocusedonwritingsoftware,butformostofmyhighschoolyearsIhaswide-rangingacademicinterests.Myparentsencouragedthis,andI’mgratefulthattheydid. AlthoughIattendedalotofdifferentkindsofclassesincollege,Isighedupforonlyonecomputerclassthewholetime.Ireadaboutallkindsofthings. Oneparentwrotemethather15-year-oldson“losthimselfintheholeofcomputer.”HegotanAinwebsitedesign,butothergradesweresinking,shesaid. Thisboyismakingamistake.Highschoolandcollegeofferyouthebestchancetolearnbroadly–math,history,varioussciences–andtodoprojectswithotherkidsthatteachyoufirst-handaboutgroupdynamics.It’sfinetotakeadeepinterestincomputers,dance,languageoranyotherdiscipline,butnotifitjeopardizes(危及,影响) breadth. Ifyoufallintoanobsessivepatterninhighschool,you’vegottwoproblems.Oneisthatyou’reunlikelytochangewhenyougotocollege.Theotheristhatifyoudon’tgetreasonablygoodgrades,it’shardtogotoacollegethathasthehighlymotivated,capablestudentswhocanreallyhelpyoulearnabouttheworld. Incollegeit’sappropriatetothinkaboutspecialization.Gettingrealexpertiseinanareaofinterestcanleadtosuccess–unlessthespecialtyendsupbeingadeadendoryou’renotgoodat.Graduateschoolisonewaytogetspecializedknowledge,althoughextendedcollegeeducationisn’talwaysagoodinvestmentfromapurelyeconomicstandpoint.AccordingtoGates,onelearnsbetterbyself-study.
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