A-level results day 2014: 9 successful people who didn’t get degrees

The cold sweats, the sleepless nights, the butterflies. People are all around you, jumping for joy, crying, hugging. It’s results day.

While it is always a good idea to stay in school and do your GCSEs and A-Levels, not getting the results you hoped for is never the end of the world.

There are plenty of other things you can do if studying is just not for you. And no one would blame you, university is not for everyone.

Here is a list of 9 very successful people who made millions despite not going to university.

1. Richard Branson

The brains behind Virgin Group which comprises over 400 companies.

2. Bill Gates

Co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft.

3. Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, french fashion designer who gave us the luxury brand Chanel, didn’t get a college education. She is responsible for one of the most iconic fragrances still worn by many today, Chanel No.5.

4. Henry Ford

Founder of Ford Motor Company.

5. James Cameron

The Terminator. Titanic. Avatar. Who needs a degree?

6. Philip Green

CEO of Arcadia Group. For those that don’t know, that’s Top Shop, BHS and Dorothy Perkins.

7. Wolfgang Puck

Austrian born American celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck managed to succeed in life despite not having a degree under his belt. People ate his food at Kim Kardashian’s wedding. (Not the one with Kanye in it, though).

8. Walt Disney

Mickey Mouse. Hello?

9. Mark Zuckerberg

Well, well, well. Facebook. The thing that probably distracts everyone at school and uni. Unlucky for us. Him – not so much.

The lesson to learn here is, whether you want to be a designer, a businessman, a film director or a top chef, there are ways to do it that aren’t through the university route.

And there are benefits to not going to university. You are likely to be earning a salary before your friends that did go, you will be debt free, and you can crash at your friends’ uni houses with none of the clean up and none of the rent!

Don’t worry if you don’t get the grades. It could be a blessing in disguise.