Should I Finish School Before Starting a Business?
By Tim Berry •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I have lots of ideas that I have written down that I would like to see become products, but because I am still a kid I lack credibility that an adult would have. Also, school is important to me and if I did commit to a product it most likely will affect my grades and performance in school. Of course, I would need startup cash which I lack at the moment to fully invest in my products. What can I do? Are there any resources for younger, aspiring entrepreneurs? Should I finish school first?The middle-aged person you're going to be in a couple decades will miss the education you're getting now if you don't in fact get it. It's usually not a smart idea to sell yourself short by not having an education.
Mind you, don't get the education just because not having a degree will be like walking around for the rest of your life with reduced options. Get it because it will help you live every facet of your life -- including your business life and career -- better. Education is about becoming somebody else, with more experience in thinking, processing information, communicating and working with other people -- not just facts.
It's a great privilege that you shouldn't underestimate. In business, not getting the education because of the immediate opportunity can be short-sighted.
Sure, there are those rare geniuses who make it without finishing college. But you aren't Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs. And for every one of them there are a ton of people who wish they could have had the luxury of an education.
Bottom line: Business will wait. Or, if you really want to, you can do business while in school. But you have many years of expected life, and just a short time to get an education.
Related: Should Entrepreneurs Go to College?
Related: Are Younger Entrepreneurs Sellouts?
