EDUCATION is important, there’s no doubt about that. Still, living in a society where a college degree is fawned upon (the more majors you take, the better) it is refreshing to know that there are individuals who made it in life without even obtaining one.

Okay, now don’t use that as an excuse to discontinue your education – we don’t want your parents to come chasing after us.

What we’re trying to say is that there are people out there who chose to follow their dreams instead of joining in the paper chase.

Just take a look at these people who totally made it in their lives despite lacking a formal tertiary education; what they did was to follow their dreams. They join the list of other successful individuals such as Britney Spears, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Coco Chanel, Abraham Lincoln, Amber Chia and many more.

Besides, who said you can’t get your degree when you are 60 years old?

(Disclaimer: Please consult with your parents before making any rash decisions regarding your tertiary education. Don’t get us in trouble, okay?)

Datuk Siti Nurhaliza
For more than a decade, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza has reigned as Malaysia’s top songstress. With her ability to sing a wide range of ballads, pop, R&B and traditional tunes, Siti has stolen the hearts of many Malaysians with her outstanding vocal talents.

Datuk Siti Nurhaliza

Born into a family of seven to a policeman father and a housewife mother, Siti completed her secondary education at the Sekolah Menengah Clifford in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.

In 2001, Siti held the record for the most number of awards received by a Malaysian artiste since she started singing in 1995 (it was 52 awards back then, and the number surely has grown).

She is also the second Malaysian singer, besides the late Sudirman Arshad, who was given the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

Michael Dell
If you’re reading this story online, chances are that you’re staring at a Dell-made screen. No? Well, it doesn’t matter. Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell, Inc. Born to an orthodontist and a stockbroker, Michael’s first experience with a computer came when he took a set apart at the age of 15.

While attending the University of Texas in United States, Michael started a company called PC’s Limited. Once he found enough success through his newfound company, Michael decided to drop out of college and at 19 began to run PC’s Limited himself, which eventually became a multi-billion dollar worth Dell, Inc.

Michael Dell

Larry King
Who knew this “king” of talk show was once so poor, his family was supported by the US Welfare Department? At nine, Larry King (born Lawrence Zeiger) lost his father to heart disease, and this caused the young boy to lose interest in school.

He finished high school and started working to help his mother support the family. Larry joined a radio station and was hired to clean up and do other odd jobs.

When one of the announcers in the station quit, he found himself behind the microphone. Larry eventually moved on to television and has conducted over 40,000 interviews with politicians, athletes, entertainers, and other newsmakers so far.

Walt Disney
He created one of the most beloved cartoon characters of all time, Mickey Mouse. Growing up during World War I, a patriotic 16-year-old Walt Disney dropped out of school to join the US army, but was rejected due to his young age. He then joined the Red Cross and was sent as an ambulance driver to France for a year.

A talented artist, Walt returned to the United States and together with his brother, Roy, started a studio in Hollywood.

The rest, as we know, is history. An influential animator, Walt won 26 Academy Awards during his illustrious career, and his empire consists of vacation resorts, theme parks, motion picture studios, record labels, television networks, hotels and more.

Simon Cowell
You know him as the notoriously blunt, rude but always correct judge on the highly successful talent show, American Idol. Born in East Sussex, England, Simon Cowell did not have many friends growing up due to his mean nature. Okay, we made that up.

Simon left school before completing the sixth form and earned money through various menial tasks until his father got him a job at the EMI Music Publishing as a – wait for it – mail boy.

But now, Simon is earning US$33mil (RM122mil) per season of American Idol and this doesn’t even include the amount of money he makes through shows such as Pop Idol, The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent!

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