The paradoxical words of Henry Ford are among the many inspirational mantras from successful people now burning into the brains and retinas of students at Fairfield High School and Westfields Sports via new LCD screens installed in their front offices.

The screens are an initiative of the Future Direction Network, a group of young professionals who grew up in the Fairfield area and aim to inspire current students to go to university.

Among the network's directors are NRL player Corey Payne and financial analyst Ninus Kanna, both alumni of Westfields Sports.

"Many students out here might be the first in their families to even think about going to university, or might not even know anyone who has been to university, so we want to keep the idea front of mind for them," Mr Kanna said.

"Sometimes we even find that students think the costs of going to uni are prohibitive, like the American system, and don't realise the financial options open to them."

While Mr Payne's full-time job is professional sportsman, he said any student who opted out of uni in favour of a career in sports had "rocks in their head".

"I have no idea what I'd be doing if I wasn't playing, but I'm completing a masters in commerce at the moment because even if you last in sports until you're 30, you've still got another 40 or 50 working years ahead of you," he said.

"Even people like (Apple co-founder) Steve Jobs, who dropped out before finishing his uni degree, say their experiences there shaped their success.

"Jobs took courses in calligraphy and typography when he lost interest in his other subjects, which is why the designs of Apple products are so successful."

Fairfield High School principal Bob Mulas said the screens could display school results and congratulate high achievers, too.

"We'll have our year 12 students back here in a few weeks to get their results and we'll be able to put them up on the screens, alongside Beyonce, Oprah and Bill Gates," he said.

The University of Sydney's Business School and the year 12 class of 2011 at the school helped pay for the screens.

¦Future Direction Network: fdn.net.au