Maybe it's just me, but in discussions like this, I consistently interpret an expectation of naivety in non-college graduates. In practice, I find it's the exact opposite.
If your mentality is to follow Gates' advice of a “much surer path to success” you've already demonstrated weakness.
Many graduates I know did not have a job before college. You don't learn practical job experience in school, so they're left having to figure it out. For example, a lot of my peers aren't comfortable solving problems in their workplace. After they vent and I recommend making changes, most are unwilling to act; they'll make excuses or expect to be fired. Having experiencing a wide variety of "professional" environments myself, I know where to draw the line, and how to stand up for myself.
I also find that expectations of employment differ. That MS title was hard earned, and gets them into interviews at companies with those requirements, so that's where they go. It's expected that you want a salaried job and will ride it (or similar positions in similar companies) to retirement.
Sure, I may one day be the "old dude without a degree who says he can code", but I'm actually preparing to be the dude who no longer codes because he has skills that apply to many industries. Try diversifying your skillset in your cubicle, or exclusively on weekends; from experience, I can say I'm better off without. In the 4+ years you were socializing and studying, I was already living life (actually, I've been working since I was 15-1/2).
If your mentality is to follow Gates' advice of a “much surer path to success” you've already demonstrated weakness.
Many graduates I know did not have a job before college. You don't learn practical job experience in school, so they're left having to figure it out. For example, a lot of my peers aren't comfortable solving problems in their workplace. After they vent and I recommend making changes, most are unwilling to act; they'll make excuses or expect to be fired. Having experiencing a wide variety of "professional" environments myself, I know where to draw the line, and how to stand up for myself.
I also find that expectations of employment differ. That MS title was hard earned, and gets them into interviews at companies with those requirements, so that's where they go. It's expected that you want a salaried job and will ride it (or similar positions in similar companies) to retirement.
Sure, I may one day be the "old dude without a degree who says he can code", but I'm actually preparing to be the dude who no longer codes because he has skills that apply to many industries. Try diversifying your skillset in your cubicle, or exclusively on weekends; from experience, I can say I'm better off without. In the 4+ years you were socializing and studying, I was already living life (actually, I've been working since I was 15-1/2).