No school in the world teaches us…

@manupaque

Do you need a university degree to get rich?

Some haters are probably ready to eat me alive… with fries. And here I am, cool as a cucumber, scattering seeds instead of bile. Because I’m going to try to explain this little bombshell I just dropped. Relax —you’ll understand everything by the end.

Who hasn’t felt that internal pressure, wondering: Can you really get rich without half a dozen master’s degrees or at least a shiny university diploma to hang in your living room?

Of course you wonder.It’s one of those questions that pop up when you stop for a moment to look at your bank account, your activities, and your decisions… and sometimes you think: dear God, how the hell did I end up here?

Me? With over 40 years of hard work under my belt, I could probably write a couple of books about all the things that got me here. And I can tell you this: almost none of them had to do with collecting diplomas.

Yes, you can. Straight up.

It’s been proven by people like Bill Gates, one of the richest men on earth, who dropped out of college to follow his passion; Zuckerberg, who did the same to invent his little digital toy —the most influential social network on the planet—; Richard Branson, who started his business at 16; Steve Jobs, Ralph Lauren… and so many others who tossed the script aside.

But hey! CAREFUL‼️ Young people —listen— I’m not encouraging you to drop out of school. Let’s be clear: that’s not where this is going. Preparation is fundamental —especially the basics. It’s the key to many doors you’ll need to open to reach your main destination.

What I want you to understand is that wealth won’t come from the diploma alone —but from discovering, first of all, what you’re good at and then aiming directly and effectively toward your dreams.

But I insist: we must focus meticulously on a more effective kind of preparation —the kind that makes us passionate and skilled at our craft, and from there, create abundance.

It’s not the same to “not enjoy school” as to “not value EDUCATION.”

Millionaires study much more than you think (bad news: and they keep studying forever).

The ideal education doesn’t always happen in a classroom or come with an official seal.What really matters is your mind, your discipline, your consistency, and your hunger to learn.

But let’s be honest —being an expert in… History? (memorized like a parrot)… come on. Knowing the past helps avoid repeating it, sure, but memorizing battles, exact dates, and the names of ten Frankish kings? That’s not exactly what’s going to save your bank account. Trust me.

Chemistry? Unless you end up a scientist or a molecular chef, knowing about atoms, electrons, or the properties of benzene probably won’t help you much day-to-day. On the other hand, a good class on how to read product labels and not poison yourself with detergent? Now that would be useful.

Advanced trigonometry, political geography of the last century… hmm, not convinced.

All of that is perfect —if you’re going to work in something related to it, of course— but us mere mortals can perfectly well pick up what we need through day-to-day learning.

Meanwhile, where were things like: financial education, ethics, emotional intelligence, how to negotiate, how to start a business, how to INVEST, how to handle failure?Conspicuously absent.

But hey, they sure made us learn about the Battle of Lepanto and how to calculate the density of an irregular solid. Because clearly, that’s saved our skin so many times… right?

Those who go far tend to be those who love what they do, who discover their talent and pour hours into it until it becomes something great.And yes —those people, even without degrees, often read more, learn more, and work harder than many college graduates.

There’s a phrase that never fails:

Don’t go to bed without having read something.That enriches you more than any piece of paper with your name on it.It’s the key that opens your mind —and, by the way, gives you options.Because in the end, those who really prepare and focus tend to have the best ideas —and they end up being the bosses.Or, less elegantly but more truthfully: the ones who own their time.

So the question isn’t whether you need a degree to get rich.The question is whether you have the guts and the drive to learn whatever it takes —in a lecture hall, in a book, or on the street— to stop selling your time to the first bidder.

Here are my practical recommendations:

— Don’t confuse school with education. Going to class doesn’t guarantee you’ll learn anything useful if you don’t put in the effort. And vice versa —you can learn a ton even if you never set foot in a university. The key isn’t collecting papers but having a hunger to learn.

— Learn from those already where you want to be. Not everything’s in books or classrooms. Watch, ask, imitate those who’ve already made it, and adapt what serves you.

— Read every day, even for a little while. This is non-negotiable. A book, a good article, something to wake up your mind before bed. In the long run, it weighs more than any diploma and opens doors you can’t even imagine.

— Travel teaches you what books don’t. With 28 countries under my belt, I can tell you: nothing gives you more life wisdom than traveling. You can read twenty encyclopedias about Paris, but until you get lost in its streets, you won’t truly understand it. You arrive thinking you know everything and leave realizing how small you are. And that feels fantastic.You come back a different person —whether the trip was 10,000 kilometers away or just to the next town. If you go with open eyes, you always come back a little changed.I always say: travel should be mandatory education.

— Invest more in your mind than in your image. Looks last for a while. A well-furnished mind lasts a lifetime —and, by the way, earns you everything you want.

— Find what you love and perfect it. Talent alone isn’t enough. You’ve got to work at it, put in the hours, fail and try again until what you do truly shines.

— Don’t confuse being busy with moving forward. Some people work themselves to death but don’t move an inch. Work on what actually brings you closer to your goal —not just what fills your calendar (to look busy).

— Stop selling your time cheap. The ultimate goal is for your time to be worth more —and for you to control it. That takes learning, focus, and preparing the ground so you’re not always the one obeying.

— Keep moving. Nothing kills a dream faster than sitting around waiting for someone to give you permission or make it easy. Start moving even if you don’t know everything yet.

— Grades don’t measure your worth. Don’t be fooled: failing a test doesn’t mean you’re useless, and acing it doesn’t mean you’re a genius. Talent doesn’t always fit on an exam.

— Don’t wait for a pat on the back. Congratulations are overrated. Do your thing, do it well, and take pride in it —even if no one applauds.

— Don’t measure your success with someone else’s ruler. Everyone has their own path and pace. Comparing yourself is like running a marathon while looking sideways —you’ll trip.

— Surround yourself with people who lift you up, not those who drain you. This one is HUGE. If your circle is full of complainers, toxic people, and envious folks… you’re in trouble. Find those who wake you up, push you forward, and walk with you toward your dreams —or at least don’t drag you where you don’t want to be.

Remember: school teaches you to pass exams; life teaches you not to fail yourself.

In the end, you won’t be judged by the diplomas hanging on your wall but by what you’ve been able to learn, create, and contribute when no one was grading your essay.

So don’t just sit there waiting for permission —get out there and prove it.

- Manu Paqué -

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