--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is true you can be successful without…" description: "\"It is true you can be successful without [college], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have. I would suggest ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/kanye-west-242_advantage_it-is-true-you-can-be-successful-without_2324642.jpg" --- # It is true you can be successful without \[college\], but… ![“It is true you can be successful without [college], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have. I would suggest to people to do all that you can. When I dropped out of school, I had worked in the music industry and had checks cut in my name from record labels…” quote by Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/kanye-west-242_advantage_it-is-true-you-can-be-successful-without_2324642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/kanye-west-242_advantage_it-is-true-you-can-be-successful-without_2324642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d1/kanye-west-242_advantage_it-is-true-you-can-be-successful-without_2324642.jpg) > “It is true you can be successful without \[college\], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have. I would suggest to people to do all that you can. When I dropped out of school, I had worked in the music industry and had checks cut in my name from record labels and had a record deal on the table, and when I wasn’t successful and Columbia said, ’We’ll call you,’ I had to go back and work a telemarketing job, go back to the real world, and that’s how life is. Life is hard. Take advantage of your opportunities.” [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Formal education isn’t the only path; leveraging practical experience and seizing opportunities can lead to success, though setbacks are common. **In simple terms:** Experience can substitute for college, but hard work remains essential. Key Takeaway Pursue opportunities and stay adaptable. Themes education opportunity hard work adaptability Mood ambitious realistic Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - job hunting - entrepreneurial ventures - creative projects - financial planning Key Concepts career development entrepreneurship music industry Questions to Reflect On - What skills can you develop outside formal schooling? - How do you handle setbacks while chasing goals? A Different Perspective Practical experience may not replace foundational knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Music industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-industry/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Record labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-labels/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Especially when you come from a successful college program, you want to have really high expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-stewart/especially-when-you-come-from-a-successful-college-program-you-want/) [Breanna Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-stewart/) > [There's a lot of different ways to be successful in college basketball. Most of it stems from talent and having the ability to recruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vogel/there-s-a-lot-of-different-ways-to-be-successful-in-college/) [Frank Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vogel/) > [Kerr's Three Rules for a Successful College: Have plenty of football for the alumni, sex for the students, and parking for the faculty. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/kerr-s-three-rules-for-a-successful-college-have-plenty-of-football/) [Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/) > [Never get married in college; it's hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you've already made one mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/never-get-married-in-college-it-s-hard-to-get-a-start-if-a/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Never get married in college; its hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds youve already made one mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-get-married-in-college-its-hard-to-get-a-start-if-a-prospective/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even though college has been hard, I don't want to give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverley-mitchell/even-though-college-has-been-hard-i-don-t-want-to-give-up/) [Beverley Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverley-mitchell/) > [As my father would have said, I went through the college of hard knocks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/as-my-father-would-have-said-i-went-through-the-college-of-hard-knocks/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [Every American college student goes to college with a hard drive. They take their laptop. There's not a CD player in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/every-american-college-student-goes-to-college-with-a-hard-drive-they/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [My family was really big on college, and it was hard for them to stomach that I was going to be a hairdresser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/my-family-was-really-big-on-college-and-it-was-hard-for-them-to/) [Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/) > [I wasn't very successful at running for office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sixto-rodriguez/i-wasn-t-very-successful-at-running-for-office/) [Sixto Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sixto-rodriguez/) > [Even though 'Aaranya Kaandam' wasn't successful or seen by many people, it has an aura around it. It's a false aura, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiagarajan-kumararaja/even-though-aaranya-kaandam-wasn-t-successful-or-seen-by-many-people/) [Thiagarajan Kumararaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiagarajan-kumararaja/) > [People didn't know much about Rajiv because unfortunately, he wasn't successful and that's the saddest part. He was a wonderful human being - warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randhir-kapoor/people-didn-t-know-much-about-rajiv-because-unfortunately-he-wasn-t/) [Randhir Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randhir-kapoor/) > [I became a film director, but I wasn't successful with my first couple of films, so I had to turn to becoming a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-chan-wook/i-became-a-film-director-but-i-wasn-t-successful-with-my-first-couple/) [Park Chan-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-chan-wook/) > [I regret that I wasn't more successful with my marriages, but it is what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/i-regret-that-i-wasn-t-more-successful-with-my-marriages-but-it-is/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [Everyone knows the history between me and Man United wasn't successful. I didn't want it like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memphis-depay/everyone-knows-the-history-between-me-and-man-united-wasn-t/) [Memphis Depay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memphis-depay/) ## More by Kanye West > [I feel that I'm very blessed. But with great blessings come great responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-feel-that-i-m-very-blessed-but-with-great-blessings-come-great/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Get away from me misery, get away from me loneliness, get away from me fake bitches I can't take the phoniness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/get-away-from-me-misery-get-away-from-me-loneliness-get-away-from-me/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [The creatives, they want to connect with people. 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This is the number one communications company. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/kris-jenner-and-the-family-they-have-the-power-of-communication-this/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [My wife has dated broke black dudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/my-wife-has-dated-broke-black-dudes/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [If it wasn't for race mixing, there'd be no video girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/if-it-wasn-t-for-race-mixing-there-d-be-no-video-girls/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [And my bitch in that new Phoebe Philo so much head, I woke up to Sleepy Hollow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/and-my-bitch-in-that-new-phoebe-philo-so-much-head-i-woke-up-to/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [It's funny because I've made a living off of words, but words get in the way of what you really want to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/it-s-funny-because-i-ve-made-a-living-off-of-words-but-words-get-in/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) [Explore all 839 Kanye West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. 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