What if someone has a good mentor in a field that helps them along to way in selecting what to study? For the most part someone who isn't a graduate should be a

What if someone has a good mentor in a field that helps them along to way in selecting what to study? For the most part someone who isn't a graduate should be able to access the same papers as people doing post grad, given enough motivation and a bit of guidance I don't see why they couldn't get to the top for their field.