Bill Gates, one of the richest men in America, listed 11 things that high school graduates did not or will not learn in school. Bill Gates always counted himself as a nerd but somehow he managed to get to the forefront of American Business with his company Microsoft. His charitable gifts are legendary and these rules and teachings are realistic and down to earth. My comments are in italics below those of Bill Gates.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Our kids have been told that if they are good, kind and obedient, only wonderful things will await them in their future. This is nonsense!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

The world won't treat you as well as your Mom and Dad.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

You will need worthy accomplishments before good things happen to you.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

No more coddling like home or at high school!

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

I can't improve on Bill Gates on this rule.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Keep doing it until you get it perfect.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

You are not the great hotshot you have convinced yourself you are.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they will give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. That doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to Anything in real life.

Tough love is the answer!

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters! You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you Find Yourself. Do that on your own time.

Your boss might help you a bit, but the bottom line is what counts.

Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Reality on a day-to-day basis is the true path.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Respect and humility are two very important factors.

Bill Gates has spoken and was understanding, but tough. No one would call him a nerd today.