·leopold·
asachild—andanadultaswell—billwasuntidy.ithasbeensaidthatinordertocounteractthis.marydrewupweeklyclothingplansforhim.onmondayshemightgotoschoolinblue，ontuesdaysingreen，onwednesdaysinbrown，onthursdaysinblack，andsoon，weekendmealschedulesmightalsobeplannedindetail.everythingtime，atworkorduringhisleisuretime，billhatedwastingtime.
dinnertablediscussionsinthegate’sfamilyhomewerealwayslivelyandeducational.“itwasarichenvironmentinwhichtolearn，”billremembered.
bill’scontemporaries，evenatthatage，recognizedthathewasexceptional.everyyear，heandhisfriendswouldgotosummercamp.billespeciallylikedswimmingandothersports.oneofhissummercampfriendsrecalled，“hewasneveranerdoragooforthekindofkidyoudidn’twantonyourteam.weallknewbillwassmarterthanus.evenbackthen，whenhewasnineortenyearsold，hetalkedlikeanadultandcouldexpresshimselfinwaysthatnoneofusunderstood.”
billwasalsowellaheadofhisclassmatesinmathematicsandscience.heneededtogotoaschoolthatchallengedhimtolakeside—anallboys’schoolforexceptionalstudents.itwasseattle’smostexclusiveschoolandwasnotedforitsrigorousacademicdemands，aplacewhere“eventhedumbkidsweresmart.”
lakesideallowedstudentstopursuetheirowninterests，towhateverextenttheywished.theschoolprideditselfonmakingconditionsandfacilitiesavailablethatwouldenableallitsstudentstoreachtheirfullpotential.itwastheidealenvironmentforsomeonelikebillgates.
in1968，theschoolmadeadecisionthatwouldchangethirteen-year-oldbillgates’slife—andthatofmanyofothers，too.
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