‘I have one big regret…’: Bill Gates has some serious advice for graduates

Graduating from college is exciting and terrifying, in equal parts.

For the first time in your life, your next steps are not set out for you. There isn’t an ‘obvious’ road for you to travel down – you’re on your own now. But don’t let that send shivers down your spine, it can also mean the opportunity for you to pave your own way. It’s like most things; once it’s over, you realise it wasn’t as scary as you thought it was going to be. With many of you facing into your last few weeks of college, we’re sure you’re looking for a little advice about what to do next. And who better to give that advice than one of the most successful men in the world - Bill Gates. The founder of Microsoft took to Twitter yesterday to share a little wisdom with this year’s graduating class, and here’s what he had to say:

1/ New college grads often ask me for career advice. At the risk of sounding like this guy…https://t.co/C68mjJ5g44

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

2/ AI, energy, and biosciences are promising fields where you can make a huge impact. It's what I would do if starting out today.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

3/ Looking back on when I left college, there are some things I wish I had known.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

4/ E.g. Intelligence takes many different forms. It is not one-dimensional. And not as important as I used to think.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

5/ I also have one big regret: When I left school, I knew little about the world’s worst inequities. Took me decades to learn.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

6/ You know more than I did when I was your age. You can start fighting inequity, whether down the street or around the world, sooner.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

7/ Meanwhile, surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self. As @MelindaGates does for me.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates 8/ Like @WarrenBuffett I measure my happiness by whether people close to me are happy and love me, & by the difference I make for others.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett 9/ If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this--the most inspiring book I've ever read. pic.twitter.com/P67BuvpELJ

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett 10/ @SAPinker shows how the world is getting better. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. This is the most peaceful time in human history.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett @sapinker 11/ That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett @sapinker 12/ It doesn’t mean you ignore the serious problems we face. It just means you believe they can be solved.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett @sapinker 13/ This is the core of my worldview. It sustains me in tough times and is the reason I love my work. I think it can do same for you.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017

.@melindagates @WarrenBuffett @sapinker 14/ This is an amazing time to be alive. I hope you make the most of it.

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 15, 2017