Being smart isn’t enough: Here’s what Bill Gates says will enrich students’ lives

Though he famously dropped out of Harvard, Bill Gates remains one of the most vocal advocates for education. In 2018, the Microsoft co-founder shared advice on his Instagram that goes beyond grades and exams.

Success, he suggests, is not measured by intelligence alone.

How students navigate relationships and recognise different kinds of talent, he argues, can shape not only their careers but their entire lives.

Two ways to make your school years count

Gates summarised his guidance for students in a simple framework: “The sooner you can do these two things, if you don’t already, the richer your life will be.”1. Choose your peers wisely“Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self,” Gates advised on Instagram.This principle is one Gates shares with his long-time friend and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Speaking at Columbia University in 2017, Buffett said: “You will move in the direction of the people that you associate with. So it’s important to associate with people that are better than yourself. You want to associate with people who are the kind of person you’d like to be.”For students, the lesson is clear: the company you keep shapes your mindset, ambitions, and habits.

2. Respect a diversity of skillsGates also stresses the importance of recognising different kinds of intelligence. “Learn to recognise and appreciate people’s different talents,” he wrote on Instagram.He admits this took him time to understand. In a conversation with “Hamilton” composer Lin-Manuel Miranda at Hunter College in February 2025, Gates reflected on a question from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg: “If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Asking for a friend.”Gates responded: “I was so naive about different skill sets. I thought if somebody had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. And the idea that you needed to blend these different types of skills together, that always continued to surprise me. There was this simple idea of smartness and it could go and solve everything — I wish I had known better than to think that.”For students, the insight is vital. Intelligence is not one-dimensional.

Success comes from combining talents, learning from others, and appreciating different perspectives.

A broader perspective

Gates’ advice is a reminder that education is not simply about exams or academic recognition. It is also about cultivating relationships, embracing diversity, and preparing for a complex world. In short, being smart alone is not enough; the way students engage with people and skills can enrich their lives in lasting ways.