Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College or Finish High School?

Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College: Sure, let’s take a look at Bill Gates’ educational journey in a more conversational and straightforward style.

Bill Gates, the guy behind Microsoft and a bunch of other cool stuff didn’t just wake up one day and start a mega-successful company. Nope, he had to go through the whole school thing like the rest of us.

Back in the day, when he was a high school student in Seattle, Bill Gates showed a real knack for this computer stuff. Imagine a young Bill, probably with a head full of ideas and a passion for tinkering with machines. That was him in high school.

Now, college – did he go? Well, not exactly. Bill Gates is one of those famous college dropouts. He did go to Harvard for a bit, but the pull of the computer world was too strong. So, he ditched the traditional college path to start his own company with his buddy Paul Allen.

And that’s where the magic began. Microsoft was born, and the personal computer revolution kicked off. Bill Gates might not have finished college, but he sure knew how to turn his passion for computers into something huge.

So, long story short, high school was where he started to shine, and college was just a pit stop on his way to changing the world with Microsoft. [Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College]

Also read: Did Steve Jobs Ever Go to College or High School?

The article will look at Bill Gates’ educational background and how it contributed to his rise to prominence in contemporary history.

Here’s what you’ll find out:

• Did Bill Gates attend high school?
• Did Bill Gates ever go to college or graduate from college?
• Bill Gates’ Early Education and Growing Up Years
• What statements has Bill Gates made regarding College?

Did Bill Gates attend high school?

Back in 1973, Bill Gates got his diploma from Lakeside School in Seattle. This wasn’t just any school; it was a fancy one. Think of it like a really cool place where smart kids go. When he finished high school, they gave him this special title called National Merit Scholar because he was super smart.

Even though Bill did well, he wasn’t always a fan of Lakeside’s rules. Picture this: it was the 1960s, and Lakeside was all about being proper and strict. Students had to wear uniforms, and they had to call their teachers “masters.” It was like a school from a movie.

At first, Bill wasn’t too thrilled about all these rules. I mean, who likes uniforms, right? But hey, he got through it, and in the end, he did great academically. So, even though he wasn’t a big fan of the strict stuff at Lakeside, it didn’t stop him from becoming a super-smart guy who changed the world with computers.

Lakeside School, that fancy place Bill Gates went to, turned out to be a big deal in his life. Why? Because it was like the starting point for all the amazing things he did later. You know, like creating Microsoft and all.

So, Lakeside was where Bill first got into computers – his forever love. Imagine it like finding your favorite hobby; for him, it was all about those machines. But wait, there’s more! At Lakeside, he met Paul Allen, another student there. And guess what again? They teamed up later to start Microsoft together. [Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College]

Lakeside was the place where Bill Gates not only discovered his passion for computers but also found the perfect buddy, Paul Allen, to create something incredible. So, even though school rules might not have been his favorite, Lakeside played a huge role in making Bill Gates the computer genius we know today.

Lakeside School wasn’t just any school – it was super special because it had something that most schools didn’t back in the 1960s: a computer! Yep, you heard that right. It was like having a super cool gadget that nobody else had.

Now, this computer caught the eye of Paul Allen, Bill Gates’ buddy and the co-founder of Microsoft. These two were so excited about it that they even did something wild – they broke into the computer system! Can you imagine? They were like computer whizzes on a mission.

Also read: Did Ariana Grande Go to College? What About High School?

They even tried to get Bill Gates into an all-girls class using the computer. Talk about creative thinking!

Fast forward to 2005, Bill Gates looked back on his high school days with a lot of love. He said something really cool: “If there had been no Lakeside, there would have been no Microsoft.” That’s like saying Lakeside was the secret sauce that made Microsoft possible.

Did Bill Gates ever go to college or graduate from college?

Bill Gates went to Harvard in 1973, all set to study law. But here’s the twist – he didn’t finish. Nope, in 1975, he decided to bail on college and dive into working full-time for Microsoft. And you know what? He never went back to get that fancy college degree.

But hold up, his time at Harvard was pretty epic. It’s not like he just lazed around; he actually did something big. While being a Harvard student, Gates created Altair BASIC. Sounds fancy, right? Well, it was the first real product for Microsoft.

Imagine this – Altair BASIC was like the superhero for computers, especially the Altair 8800, one of the first personal computers out there. It helped people talk to the computer in a language it understood, called BASIC programming language. It was a big deal!

So, even though Bill Gates didn’t get that college degree, his Harvard days were like the training ground for making Microsoft’s first super cool thing.

Bill Gates left Harvard in his third year, like halfway through, to go all-in on making Microsoft big. He teamed up with his buddy Paul Allen, and they had this super cool dream: turning computers from fancy stuff for smart folks into something everyone has at home. And guess what? In 2022, it’s safe to say he nailed it. [Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College]

So, even though he didn’t finish his degree at Harvard, that school was like his launchpad. It gave him the skills to be an entrepreneur (that’s someone who starts and runs businesses) and a software developer (like a wizard who makes computer programs). Those two things are like his superpowers, making him the big shot he is.

Harvard was the training ground that set him up for changing how we use computers today. So, even without a fancy degree, Bill Gates rocked the world of tech and became the legend we know.

Bill Gates’ Early Education and Growing Up Years

Bill Gates grew up in Seattle, Washington, and went to regular public school. But when he was thirteen, his parents got a bit worried about him and thought he might face some problems at school. So, they sent him to a fancy school called Lakeside School, where he stayed from 5th to 12th grade. It only started allowing girls in 1971.

At Lakeside, when Gates was just starting high school, he created his first computer program. It was a game of tic tac toe where you could play against the computer. Pretty cool, right? And guess what, at Lakeside, he also became friends with Paul Allen, who later became his partner in starting Microsoft.

Once upon a time at Lakeside School, Bill Gates and his buddy Kent Evans got into a bit of trouble for using the school computer to get more computer time. But instead of getting punished, a clever teacher saw their talent and asked them to help make the school’s class schedule easier.

Then, something really sad happened. Kent Evans, the friend, had an accident while climbing a mountain and didn’t make it. So, Gates turned to his other buddy, Paul Allen, for help to finish the system they were working on.

After that, Gates and Allen started a business called Traf-O-Data. They figured out Seattle’s traffic patterns and made $20,000. Even though Gates’s parents thought he might become a lawyer like his dad, the young guy already had big plans to start his own business.

What statements has Bill Gates made regarding College?

Even though Bill Gates didn’t finish college, he’s always been a big fan of higher education. Here are some interesting things he’s said about American colleges and his time at Harvard

Addressing Harvard students in 2018, Gates admitted he wished he had been “more sociable” during his college days. Basically, he was saying, “Hey, connecting with people and making friends is a big deal.” Even though Gates’ life turned out awesome, he made a strong point about the importance of being friendly and building connections in college.

And you know what? These days, being good at making friends and connecting with others (we call it networking) is super important. It’s like having a bunch of friends who can help you out in your career and life. So, Bill Gates, the computer whiz, is also telling us that being social and making connections is a key part of the success game.

Bill Gates once said something interesting. He guessed that by the year 2025, more than two-thirds (that’s over 66%) of jobs in the U.S. would need people to have a college degree.

Now, because many folks struggle to finish college, Gates suggested that we need to change how we do education in America. Why? Because there’s going to be a bigger demand for people with college degrees, and if too many can’t finish college, we might not have enough skilled workers for all the jobs. [Did Bill Gates Ever Go to College]

So, it’s like Gates saying, “Hey, we need to make sure more people can finish college so we have enough smart and skilled folks for the jobs coming our way.” He’s basically pointing out that the way we learn and get ready for jobs might need a bit of a shake-up.

Many young business owners look at Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates and think, “Hey, they dropped out of college and became super successful, so maybe I should too!” despite having dropped out, Bill Gates consistently advises students to “stay in school and get a degree.

So, while Gates is like the ultimate successful college dropout, he’s also different. He doesn’t tell everyone to quit college. Instead, he shows us that you can succeed without a degree, but he still thinks education is important.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bill Gates’ journey through school is like a special story full of excitement, new ideas, and doing things in a different way. When he was at Lakeside School, he found his love for computers and met some really important people. Then, he went to Harvard for a bit, and that’s where he started the whole Microsoft thing.

His story shows that there are different paths to success, and it’s not always about the typical educational route. In a nutshell, Bill Gates teaches us that passion and thinking outside the box can lead to some amazing achievements.