Although Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, he remains one of the most vocal supporters of education. In 2018, the Microsoft co-founder shared tips on his Instagram that go beyond grades and exams. Success, he suggests, is not measured by intelligence alone. How students build relationships and recognize different kinds of talent, he argues, can affect not only their careers, but their entire lives.
Two ways to count your school years
Gates summarized his advice to students in simple terms: “The sooner you can do these two things, if you don’t already, the richer your life will be.”1. Choose your peers wisely“Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you and push you to be your best,” Gates advised on Instagram.This principle Gates shares with his long-time friend and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Speaking at Columbia University in 2017, Buffett said, “You’re going to move in the direction of the people you associate with. So it’s important to associate with people who are better than yourself. You want to associate with the people you want to be.”For students, the lesson is clear: the company you keep shapes your mood, ambitions, and habits.2. Respect the diversity of skillsGates also emphasizes the importance of recognizing different kinds of intelligence. “Learn to recognize and appreciate the different talents of people,” he wrote on Instagram.He admits it took him a while to figure it out. In a conversation with “Hamilton” composer Lin-Manuel Miranda at Hunter College in February 2025, Gates reflected on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s question: “If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Ask for a friend.”Gates replied: “I was so naive about different skill sets. I thought that if someone had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. And the idea that you have to mix these different types of skills together always continued to amaze me. There was such a simple idea of intelligence, and it could solve everything – I wish I knew better than to think about it.”For students, understanding is vital. Intelligence is not one-dimensional. Success comes from combining talents, learning from others, and appreciating different perspectives.
A broader perspective
Gates’ advice is a reminder that education is not just about exams or academic recognition. It’s also about cultivating relationships, embracing diversity, and preparing for a complex world. In short, smart alone is not enough; how students interact with people and skills can enrich their lives for a long time.
