I’ve lived in two alternate realities my whole life: one consisted of people telling me college is the correct way to continue life, while the other was my dad being living proof that you don’t need a degree to succeed. 

I grew up watching half my family continue their paths in the medical field through years of school, while my dad used his experience to climb the ladder in the business world. He never got a degree, but he has given me a life I will forever be grateful for.

Being able to see both realities play out in front of me has shown me what it really takes to be successful. My dad doesn’t have a degree, but we have a roof over our head, water and food; we live our life comfortably. We’re fortunate to be able to travel and give back; it isn’t because of a piece of paper that was followed by years of debt, it’s because of the hands-on experience and work my dad put into starting his own business. 

There are some career paths where not obtaining a degree makes no sense, such as medicine, engineering and education. Even then, it isn’t always the amount of papers with the word “degree” that makes the best candidates; it’s the dedication and experience that makes someone extraordinary at what others are just good at. 

The best doctors I’ve met have been those with experience, whether it’s over time or in varying circumstances. The best teachers I’ve met aren’t the ones who have three different degrees, but the ones who have experience understanding students. 

Nearly a third of the world’s billionaires don’t even have a Bachelor’s degree. Steve Jobs dropped out of college after one semester and ended up helping launch Apple — the largest company in the world. Bill Gates left Harvard University during his junior year to start Microsoft — the second largest company in the world. Not every person — with or without a degree — will start the largest company or invent the best technology, but these people show that it’s possible. Among those over the age of 25 who are experiencing homelessness, 25% don’t have a degree; however, 7% do, proving that a degree doesn’t guarantee stability.

A degree isn’t necessary to succeed. It can be a step in the process for some, but it’s not the most important and not the only part that guides someone to success. My dad was a boy from a little village in Pakistan who came to America and changed the trajectory of his entire life — all with no degree. He’s the person I look up to and the prime example of the importance of experience. A degree is nothing without experience and hard work, but even without a degree, experience and hard work are everything.