I'm a Young Entrepreneur, Should I Pursue My Studies?

With the rise of entrepreneurship, especially among the younger generation in Malaysia today, many probably have had the thought of whether to continue studies or not. Are you one of them? If you are, congrats on having a growing business!

Building a business has become rather easy and convenient these days. We now have the internet and social media, which can already be a big platform for any aspiring young entrepreneurs to sell products and services online. There’s no need to open a physical shop, just at the tip of your fingers, everything can be built easily.

As long as you have the budget for your business, you can definitely get your business to grow bigger. 

If you are an SPM graduate and have a passion for business, you must be wondering whether you should pursue your studies at university or not.

We’ve heard stories of successful Malaysian entrepreneurs majoring in a different field but ended up becoming an entrepreneur. For example, the ladyboss of TudungPeople, Fazrena Aziz, pursued architecture for her bachelor’s degree but discovered that business is what she’s most passionate about. Now TudungPeople has become one of the most famous hijab brands in Malaysia!

We can’t really predict what’s going to happen in the future. Our interests can suddenly shift towards a different field. But if you really have a genuine interest in doing business, we would encourage you to pursue your studies in business, marketing and other related majors.

Especially when you already run your own business, you must feel like you don’t need to continue your studies and focus solely on handling the business.

Of course, we can admit that the best business experience is best gained through practice. However, there is more knowledge we can gain by attending classes, reading books and making connections with lecturers who specialise in business studies. There’s nothing to lose. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to strategise your business plan. 

Why you should pursue your studies in business:

1. It’s more than just ‘studying’

When you get into a college or university, you’re going to spend a few years to excel both academically and socially. Your student life doesn’t only revolve around books, classes, assignments and exams. As a business student, you will need to sharpen your soft skills early. Your leadership, social, presentation and teamwork skills must be built and continuously improved over time. Take this chance to be active in your curricular activities.

2. Think about the knowledge you can gain

Knowledge is priceless; every day we can have the opportunity to learn something new. Learning in class and learning on our own don’t work the same. The latter can provide understanding through book reading. The former works via two-way communication between the lecturers and students.

In class, you can ask questions, discuss and analyse the topics you learn through different ideas and perspectives. This process can mature the way you think and at the same time encourage you to learn new knowledge. Who knows you can implement new ideas for your existing business?

3. You get to build a whole new team

If you’re searching for passionate people, then university is the place for you to meet them. There are so many young and talented students who share the same ambition as you. You can create a new team to work on a business. You can also build a new network with any mentors who are well-trained in the field of business.

4. A chance to make your small business known

In university, there will always be events or fairs held every semester. The organiser typically calls out any vendors who would like to be a part of the event. Often times the rental price is registered differently for outsiders and students. So if you’re a university student, you can use this opportunity to book a spot, promote and sell your brand affordably. This way you can easily target your audience among the university students. 

5. Earn your qualification in the professional field

Not all knowledge can be learned from the internet. For professionals like lawyers and doctors, the students who pursue medicine and law must complete their studies within a given time accordingly. Same goes to business as well, it can be a bonus for you to gain a professional certificate in business.

To be a young successful entrepreneur, it takes a lot of hard work to constantly innovate and value knowledge. After graduating from the university, you’re going to take everything you learn into practice. Although doing business doesn’t necessarily require you to have a specific degree in business, it's best that you start and grow with the knowledge you learn.