Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has advice to offer to students which included looking beyond academic performance, saying that grades alone do not determine success. Healso urged young people to build meaningful relationships and recognise the diverse abilities of others, calling these qualities essential for both professional and personal growth.In a 2018 Instagram post, Gates shared a simple message for students heading back to school: “Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self. And learn to recognize and appreciate people’s different talents. The sooner you can do these two things, if you don’t already, the richer your life will be. Good luck!”

Although Gates left Harvard University before graduating, he continues to promote an approach to learning that values curiosity and collaboration over mere academic achievement. “Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self,” he said. This idea is shared by Gates’s longtime friend and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Speaking at Columbia University in 2017, Buffett had said, “You will move in the direction of the people you associate with. So it’s important to associate with people who are better than yourself.” The takeaway for students is clear — the company one keeps plays a defining role in shaping mindset, ambition, and habits.