4 Ways Going to College Helps You Become an Entrepreneur

Becoming an entrepreneur is something that many people fantasize about, but not all of them have what it takes to make that happen. You need to be creative, and you also need to be resilient. Your determination is part of what will get you from the planning stages to when you stand atop your business empire.

An entrepreneur is someone who owns a business. However, another aspect of this title or moniker is that this person might have to take some financial risks to reach their goals.

While it’s true that some entrepreneurs never finish high school or go to college, it is the rare individual who can make this claim. Most who aspire to create a business for themselves get a college degree. 

Let’s talk about why that is.

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An Educational Commitment

There is no single entrepreneurship path that is sure to make you successful. Some schools advertise themselves as an entrepreneurship college, and that might be the first place you’ll want to start. You can choose a major like:

  • Marketing
  • Computer science
  • Psychology
  • Finance   
  • Economics

Any of those might benefit you if entrepreneurship is your goal. However, just as critical as the major you choose is the fact that you’re willing to stay in school and finish a four-year plan.

Doing so is a way to remain committed to something. That perseverance is an excellent quality to have if you want to start and manage your own company or business empire.

It’s true that you hear about prodigies like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates not finishing college, but those are the exceptions, rather than the rule. The chances are that unless you possess genius-level intelligence, going to college and staying there through graduation is the right decision.

You Can Study Those You Meet

College is a great place to make friends, some of whom might play a part in your life’s direction. However, if you want to be an entrepreneur, there are some other reasons to get to know the people you meet at college.

Usually, at college, you meet people that have:

  • Diverse economic backgrounds
  • Different religious beliefs
  • Various ancestries
  • Different political beliefs

Meeting people from various walks of life encourages growth. You might not become best friends with all of them, but you’re sure to hit it off with at least a few.

More importantly, if you want to be an entrepreneur, talking with people and learning about them is a way for you to do market research. Presumably, as an entrepreneur, you want to offer a service or product. By talking to different people, you can identify their “pain points.”

A pain point refers to a lacking area in a person’s life. They want there to be some service or product, and maybe it doesn’t exist yet. You can take mental notes of pain points and apply that knowledge to your developing business model.

You Can Make Connections

You might want to be a business mogul, but no one makes it on their own. You may need to partner with someone, or multiple people, to get to where you want to be.

College is where you might be able to meet some of those people. Higher learning institutions attract the best and brightest. You might find some people with whom you’ll want to collaborate.

You can support each other and perhaps share in the financial risk once you graduate. Keep your ears and eyes open when you’re in college to try and find some like-minded people. The chances are high that talented individuals will surround you.

You Can Look for Mentorship from Your Professors

Let’s say that you want to be an entrepreneur, so you feel that it makes sense to major in marketing. Your professors will probably have lots of useful information that can help you develop your company’s framework.

If what one professor says truly appeals to you, you can ask them for some private tutorship. They might be willing to mentor you and guide you along. They’ll be honest about whether your idea is viable, or whether you should scrap it in favor of something else.

College makes sense for many individuals who want to start their own business or empire. You’ll probably have big dreams, but everyone has to start somewhere.

It isn’t likely you’ll have the expertise to do what’s necessary to become the entrepreneur you want to be unless you get an education first. The right college could make all the difference.