--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I gave myself - I left school…" description: "\"Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in music. and I gave myself five years to make it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg" --- # Because I gave myself - I left school after the second… ![“Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in music. and I gave myself five years to make it and I made it in three.” quote by Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg) > “Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in music. and I gave myself five years to make it and I made it in three.” [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker set a self-imposed deadline for a music career and succeeded faster than expected. **In simple terms:** Self‑imposed deadlines can accelerate achievement. Key Takeaway Set clear, ambitious timelines for goals. Themes ambition self‑discipline career music goal‑setting Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career launch - creative projects - skill mastery Key Concepts time management self‑motivation Questions to Reflect On - What deadline motivates you? - How to balance speed and quality? A Different Perspective Pressure may cause burnout if unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Junior year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/junior-year/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I went to Oberlin College, and they don't have a film major, but they do have what's called an individual major, where you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/i-went-to-oberlin-college-and-they-don-t-have-a-film-major-but-they/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [I left school December of 1988. I was 21 at the time. And I hadn't quite finished my degree because I had done eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-left-school-december-of-1988-i-was-21-at-the-time-and-i-hadn-t/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [So it takes years to make a solid company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/so-it-takes-years-to-make-a-solid-company/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [“He’s had ten years to make you fall in love with him. I haven’t had ten weeks! Tell me how that’s fair!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-williams/he-s-had-ten-years-to-make-you-fall-in-love-with-him-i-haven-t-had/) [Sandy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-williams/) > [Shows than run for years together make you stagnant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kaushik/shows-than-run-for-years-together-make-you-stagnant/) [Satish Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kaushik/) > [Ninety percent of the time, you're going to hear no. It took me seven years to make 'Once Upon a Time... When We Were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-reid/ninety-percent-of-the-time-you-re-going-to-hear-no-it-took-me-seven/) [Tim Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-reid/) > [My M.O. over the years is that I make things better, where people give me that freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/my-m-o-over-the-years-is-that-i-make-things-better-where-people-give/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cantor/it-takes-20-years-to-make-an-overnight-success/) [Eddie Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cantor/) > [“You've had five years to make her happy, Collins. Now back the hell off and I'll show you how a real man gets it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcallister/you-ve-had-five-years-to-make-her-happy-collins-now-back-the-hell-off/) Scott McAllister > [That's the nature of this business. Something that took ten years to make can crumble in an instant. It could be snatched away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/that-s-the-nature-of-this-business-something-that-took-ten-years-to/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [“Taking five or ten or fifteen years to make an album, like Guns N’ Roses did, is just f\*\*king ridiculous, end of story. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/taking-five-or-ten-or-fifteen-years-to-make-an-album-like-guns-n/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Athletes have their career for 15 years and you have to make the most of it because once it's over, it's over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-russell/athletes-have-their-career-for-15-years-and-you-have-to-make-the-most/) [George Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-russell/) > [We'll meet again. We'll meet when years have passed, and years make such a difference, don't they?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-ll-meet-again-we-ll-meet-when-years-have-passed-and-years-make/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [It takes years to make an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cantor/it-takes-years-to-make-an-overnight-success/) [Eddie Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cantor/) > [A director, I forget who, told me that it takes 30 years to make an actor. And I believe that. You have to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cillian-murphy/a-director-i-forget-who-told-me-that-it-takes-30-years-to-make-an/) [Cillian Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cillian-murphy/) ## More by Ruben Studdard > [All of them had so much to offer us as far as, you know, knowledge in the music industry, and especially Randy and Paula…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/all-of-them-had-so-much-to-offer-us-as-far-as-you-know-knowledge-in/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [The only thing about my life that's really changed is the fact that a lot of people know me now. I'm still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/the-only-thing-about-my-life-that-s-really-changed-is-the-fact-that-a/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I have a greater goal - to empower young people through music education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-have-a-greater-goal-to-empower-young-people-through-music-education/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I mean I've always been a big dude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-mean-i-ve-always-been-a-big-dude/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [When one person does something that works, everyone else wants to do it. So it didn't surprise me at all to see people come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/when-one-person-does-something-that-works-everyone-else-wants-to-do/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [You have to learn that if you start making sure you feel good, everything will be okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/you-have-to-learn-that-if-you-start-making-sure-you-feel-good/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I like doing theaters. I like being up close and personal with the fans. It's really cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-like-doing-theaters-i-like-being-up-close-and-personal-with-the/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [Simon is cool. You know, it's different if you ever see him around his mom. He acts totally different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/simon-is-cool-you-know-it-s-different-if-you-ever-see-him-around-his/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [You know, Simon he's an artist representative, but Randy and Paula actually were in the industry as artists so they had, you know, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/you-know-simon-he-s-an-artist-representative-but-randy-and-paula/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I just want to make good music that, you know, appeals to all people, man. I want to branch out and you know just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-just-want-to-make-good-music-that-you-know-appeals-to-all-people/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [You can be confident and secure and know that you do a good job at what you do. But you don't know to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/you-can-be-confident-and-secure-and-know-that-you-do-a-good-job-at/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [My mother always taught me, even my dad, just never let other people's opinions of you shape your opinion of yourself. And I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/my-mother-always-taught-me-even-my-dad-just-never-let-other-people-s/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [People just take your kindness for weakness sometimes, and that's just the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/people-just-take-your-kindness-for-weakness-sometimes-and-that-s-just/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I feel like I have been totally blessed with everything that I have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-feel-like-i-have-been-totally-blessed-with-everything-that-i-have/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) > [I'm not in the best shape, but I want to prove to myself I can do something that seems insurmountable and inspire others by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/i-m-not-in-the-best-shape-but-i-want-to-prove-to-myself-i-can-do/) [Ruben Studdard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) [Explore all 51 Ruben Studdard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/) ## More Five quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-jackson/if-you-look-at-the-charts-every-year-there-may-be-five-or-ten/) [Randy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-jackson/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I am naturally a thin person and I am 5'1" and putting on five or 10 pounds, that looks like a lot on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-am-naturally-a-thin-person-and-i-am-5-1-and-putting-on-five-or-10/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/man-you-d-be-surprised-how-much-i-m-learning-not-only-about-myself/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) Browse all 6,265 Five quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in music. and I gave myself five years to make it and I made it in three.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ruben Studdard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-after-the-second-semester-of-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Five" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-after-the-second-semester-of-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/ruben-studdard-13163_five_because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-afte_1787314.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in…” — Ruben Studdard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ruben Studdard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-studdard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because I gave myself - I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-after-the-second-semester-of-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-studdard/because-i-gave-myself-i-left-school-after-the-second-semester-of-my/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```