In The Buccaneer Scholar, Bach discussed about his college drop out experience to “at risk” students at a special school. Bach believed that going to school is not equivalent to being successful because he stated, “Education is important. School is not. I didn’t need school. Neither do you” (1).  School is temporary while education lasts for a lifetime. Everywhere you go, there is an opportunity to learn and grow. Therefore, Bach is emphasizing that if you feel going to school does not benefit you in any way, do not feel like you are trapped. You have the option of leaving school and pursuing your own methods to achieve a higher education. After his speech concluded, the teacher claimed that his message was dangerous for children to hear but Bach merely dismissed her concerns. Bach stated, “Your job is not to make them huddle quietly in a corral, but to help them get out there and seek their fortunes” (6).  I agree because I believe that students should be given more options in order to grow and learn, rather than be cooped up inside school. In school you memorize facts while in the outside world, you watch, observe, and learn.

Concerning rapper/artist Kanye West, another successful college drop-out, he proposed a completely different approach from Bach. West stated, “It is true you can be successful without [college], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have” (Moss). West advised students to not take his approach and stay in school in order to get every opportunity possible. Although West and Bach’s ideas seem to oppose, there are some overlaps. The first one is that they both believe that education (whether or not it comes from school) is the key beneficial factor to your success. Another similarity they have is that the reason why they are both so successful is because they are pursuing their passion, something that interests them, drives them, and motivates them. While Bach studied software engineering and became a software test manager at Apple Computer, West studied music and became a rap artist. Therefore, although they have opposing viewpoints, they are similar in some ways.