Reed College
When it came to choosing a college , Steve opted for Reed College in Oregon . His parents did not like this choice . The tuition was more than they could afford . But Steve had made up his mind . He insisted that if he could not go to Reed , he would not go to college at all . His parents were helpless against his strength of will . In the end , they emptied out their savings so that Steve could have his way .
The main reason Steve selected Reed was because it was known for its oddball students and liberal counterculture atmosphere . According to fellow Reed student Elizabeth Holmes , “ In the early seventies , Reed was a campus of loners and freaks [ eccentrics ].” 20
Even at Reed , Jobs stood out . Robert Friedland , who became Steve ’ s friend , recalls :
He was always walking around barefoot . He was one of the freaks on the campus . The thing that struck me was his intensity . Whatever he was interested in he would generally carry to an irrational extreme . He wasn ’ t a rapper [ talker ]. One of his numbers was to stare at the person he was talking to . He would stare into their . . . eyeballs , ask some question and would want a response without the other person averting their eyes . 21
In addition to Friedland , Steve became friends with Dan Kottke , an intellectually gifted young man who was also trying to find himself . But it was Friedland who had a huge impact on Jobs . Friedland was older than Steve and was somewhat of a celebrity on campus . Steve first noticed Friedland because the older boy dressed in long flowing robes .
Friedland was an outgoing person who could charm almost anyone . He was always the center of attention and was an excellent salesman . He was especially good at captivating a crowd and was handily elected the president of Reed ’ s student council . He soon became Steve ’ s mentor .
Steve was an introvert who had trouble connecting with large
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