BS MD: Bachelor of Self-confidence Major in Determination

The base of a solid is the region enclosed by a circle with a radius of r units, and all plane sections perpendicular to a fixed diameter of the base are isosceles right triangles having the hypotenuse in the plane of the base. Find the volume of the solid.

Math problems; ever wonder when these type of problems would come in hand? Well, I do. I even wonder at times if a whole subject is needed to succeed in whatever field I choose to pursue. And then I reach the point where I question the need of college in my life. I believe that a college education or a college degree for that matter is not necessarily needed for a person to succeed in his or her life. In our society today, education is valued more than anything else. This has led people to struggle for a college degree believing that after they have endured these hardships, life would be easy. This culture has also led people who do not get a degree to simply give up and lose hope in their selves. Again, I believe this should not be the case.

One clear example of a successful person without a degree would be our very own hero Andres Bonifacio. Andres Bonficio was born into a poor family on November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila. His parents, Santiago Bonifacio and Catalian de Castro, died when Andres was only 14, and his two younger brothers and his younger sister were left under his care. He supported them by peddling paper fans, canes, tar and other goods and by working as a storekeeper and later as a messenger. He supplemented his low education through reading and self-study. Andres later on and went on to form the Katipunan. For me, he is a very good example of what I want to say. You don’t need a college degree to succeed in your life and Bonifacio exemplifies this. He did not attend school and yet he had a full and successful life.

Other good examples would be Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Bill Gates dropped out of college in his junior year to start what was to become the largest computer software company in the world; Microsoft Corporation. Similarly, Steve Jobs also dropped out of college after only attending a semester. These two well-known tycoons both did not have a complete college education and yet they went on to be successful in their own rights. Gates founded Microsoft while Jobs established Apple. Both of them went on to become successful because they knew that they had what it takes for them to reach their goals. They believed in themselves and I think that this is more important than a college degree. Having the confidence in one’s self plays a huge role in being able to achieve one’s own success.

The last and best example for me would be Lucio Tan. Tan was born in China’s Fujian province. His family moved to the Philippines when he was a child. He studied chemistry in Manila, but quit before graduating to take on a job in a tobacco factory. This prompted the non-smoker to start his own cigarette company, Fortune Tobacco in 1966. The company expanded rapidly, and the introduction of a budget brand, Hope, in 1975, raked in even greater wealth for Tan. Tan went on and became of one of the richest men in the world. Tan lacked a degree but this did not hinder him from achieving his dreams. Even if he entered a field full of well-educated people, Tan strived and did what he could to be able to compete and be the best. Tan had self-determination and perseverance; two important things that helped him succeed.

These four people are all common in a sense that they did not finish their college education but were all successful in their own rights but this isn’t the only thing they have in common. They also believed in education and that it could help a person become better. All of these people had education play a little role in their lives. Andres Bonifacio read books to make up for his low education. Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs experienced and learned in college. Lucio Tan meanwhile also had a little experience in college before starting his company and he attained a degree after all his success. Andres Bonifacio, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Lucio Tan all prove on thing; college education is not necessarily needed for a person to succeed. But before you start making plans to drop out, you must be able to answer this question: are you a hundred percent sure that you already have what it takes to succeed? Well, these guys were and they succeeded.