Dropping out of school is not something that should ever be recommended, not matter how much you may hate school, if you want any kind of job prospects in the future the staying the course is the best thing that you can do. Over 1.3 million US students drop out of school each year and very few of them go on to find any kind of success. Whilst the probabilities of having any kind of career are low if you drop out of school, there are some who have used the opportunity of leaving school to become incredibly successful. Let’s take a look at  some of those who never competed their education, but succeeded nonetheless.

Quentin Tarantino

TB Joshua

The influential pastor and prophet TB Joshua didn’t even get to his second year of the schooling system. Despite his lack of education the great pastor went on to build one of Africa’s largest churches and organizations in the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) after a heavenly message was brought to him. Joshua is now one of the most famous pastors and prophets in the World and has an enormous following of people who look to him for spiritual leadership and inspiration.

Philip Emeagwali

The unsung hero of the internet, Emeagwali left school aged 13 as a result of war conditions and a lack of tuition fees. The math prodigy wasn’t to be held back however and after making his way to the United States he taught himself high level math and calculus. In 1987 the young Nigerian conducted an experiment to connect several computers in different locations on the same network. The success of this experiment was the cornerstone on which the internet was built on.

Quentin Tarantino

One of the World’s most famous movie directors, Tarantino left school at age 15 and began to take acting lessons and work as an usher in a movie theater. This move would influence the young Tarantino to pursue a career in filmmaking and he has since gone on to smash box office records with movies like Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds. Tarantino not only became a successful movie director but he has created a unique style which is instantly recognizable as his.

Aretha Franklin

Having left school at 15 to be a teenage mum to her first child, Franklin never gave up on her dream of becoming a singer, a dream which she accomplished and in doing so became one of the most famous singers of all time. Franklin has gone on to win 18 Grammy Awards, sang at presidential inaugurations, received honorary degreed from Harvard and Princeton and has become known as the Queen of Soul.

These are just a handful of the many who quit school early and still went on to find great success, whilst leaving school is not a great idea, it is comforting to know that should things go awry, there are inspirational characters like these men and women to look up to.