In the United States, the overall dropout rate for undergraduate college students is 40 percent, per EducationData.org. However, this is not always a bad thing. For one college dropout in particular, this decision changed his life for the better. Meet Edwin Tsang.
 
Though he may only be 23 years old, Tsang is already making major moves. Tsang found a love of the entrepreneurial world at just 14 years old, and he has been a successful businessman for nearly a decade now. He was vital at the music label, Sakura Chill Beats, and his proclivity for “making it” has only gotten stronger ever since.
 
After graduating from high school, Tsang made the wise decision to take a gap year in hopes of determining what he wanted to do. “I went to tech conferences all around my city and tried my best to get into the door and meet anyone I could find,” said Tsang. He eventually went to college but dropped out during his third year, as he felt school was no longer suiting his needs and desires. He still took what he learned in his three years of college with him into his next phase of life. I had already met a lot of people and got the chance to partake in various classes that I thought interested me but found the information not very relevant to current real life,” he said.
 
Two years later is when Tsang finally noticed that his decisions were paying off. In the beginning, he really had to push through hard times and self-fund many of his projects. He had to take many free opportunities, too, but this is what helped him build a portfolio and prove himself in the industry he was working in. Another satisfying moment for Tsang was being able to travel all over the world from the ages of 19 to 22, which he says opened his eyes to “how vast the world is.”
 
Tsang now has experience in multiple different industries, including music and cryptocurrency, which has helped him build a network of people that have been instrumental in getting to where he is today. The most beneficial part, he says, is “the people you meet, the hardships, the roles I’ve been able to be involved in. I understand politics a lot more when it comes to working with a team vs working on your own.”
 
Tsang has some sound advice for younger generations who may be unsure whether to take a traditional route of attending college and entering the workforce, or a more unconventional path, like him, of pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. “If you are not happy with schooling, take a gap year. If you are about to enter college, consider taking a gap year first and traveling to find out,” he said. Tsang also adds that the internet is your best friend — use it. “Look for mentors in your city that you look up to. Try to get into their circle and show your worth so that you can get an opportunity to work with them,” he adds. To stay in the know for all Tsang has going on, check him out here.