Thursday, September 16, 2010

Education is a must, no?


This is a short story to share about the relationship between jobs and education. Consider this as my first time writing an entry since I've been abandoning this blog for quite a whole while already.

Today, by chance I bumped into an old friend of mine. Back then when we were in the upper elementary school, he was like the other half of me. We sat together for the whole year. In standard 6, we were still in the same class, but the teachers (those who did the thinking), decided not to allow us to sit together because we were getting very much close (way close). They didn't want him to bring me (the studious type) any bad influence. Well to me, he wasn't that bad. He was just mischievous to hang out with such gangsterish guys, who weren't even gangsters at all. 

The last I remember of him was that he was belted nicely by his dad when the teachers decided to report to his parents when he skipped a school one fine day. Having no other credible conclusion, these teachers simply assumed he was up to no good outside. In comparison, I almost skipped school once a week, but nothing was ever said to my parents. Oh well, typical studious student. Later, I changed school, and so did he. I got prompt updates about his life from his cousins whom I happened to meet later in my secondary school.

After form 3, having no passion in study, he dropped out of school and became an apprentice in a workshop (being a mechanic of course). I continued studying, aced my exams, got a scholarship (which i rejected simply due to the course offered).

Today, me, the supposedly studious one has already flunked in my study during my pre-university but however is back on track in a local university and I'm happy to be in the course field I like.

He on the other hand, instead of wasting a big chunk of lifetime studying knowing he doesn't like it and is going to fail anyway, worked hard all these years. Today, he drives a Perdana and is going to take over the workshop from his precursor and soon enough he will have his own house. And this is just the very beginning for him. We're both just 19. Leaving those idiotic teachers who decided some dumb education who think grades is such a bloody great deal, could not make him any happier.

I may not be all fit to say this, but having been going through school time until pre-university gives me a whole lot of experiences already. At least I can see the phenomenon circulating our generation today. Every now and then, there will be someone to say he has no passion in studies, he flunked all his exams, not knowing if studies are really worth it or not yada yada. And they even ask, what should I do next? I sincerely feel that this mindset about ‘no education no life’ is way too over-rated. Studies aren’t everything and making money isn't related to studying. They are completely two different things. These people should give up studying. Why must waste the effort when they can go out to work, learn a trade, make big money and be happy? Why must force themselves to study when  10 years are more than enough to prove they are not good and not interested in studies? Going off to work, the certificate isn't anything like a magic scroll that makes them rich any instantly. What they end up with is a low paying job to repay their education loan and that will take a big chunk of time.

It is even more ridiculous when rich people ask is it worth it to pay so much to study in some renowned foreign universities for some particular job prospects. Oh man, you're paying that kind of big money to learn from the best faculty, things you can't find in books, to see things from angles you never thought possible, to go beyond where your imagination can bring you. Now that I am funding myself for my studies, I know very well that same amount I pay for my studies if I just left it in the bank and ration it, it will last a life time. But if I invested it, I would probably make many times more than I'll ever make from whatever job my grand certificate buys me! And here I hear people saying they're going to study engineering abroad because BIOTECHNOLOGY has no job prospects when actually they hate engineering but love biotechnology. They might just as well save the money and do it locally if what they are seeking is job marketability.

Mark my words, if what you are looking for is solely job prospects, think again and again before you suffer 4 years for any engineering courses or even 5-6 years for sought-after medic course overseas. To spend a hell of an amount of money to study something that you are not sure if it’s related to your career years later is simply 'genius'!

And here I'm not implying that education has no importance, nor it is unrelated to career and income. It is! In fact all money making techniques or methodology are built upon academic research and study in some forms. To earn big money out of your grand certificate, lots of things must be done after years of specialization, which includes gaining a whole lot of precious experience to command higher pay. But to reach this level they've got to have the passion and determination. How often do we hear a highly paid engineer say, engineering sucks, I find engineering so hard that I had to retake my exams multiple times but I'm glad I hanged on and now I'm being paid so highly? Do we hear people say, hey I flunked all my tests so I did my degree locally and magically I’ve got into Harvard for my masters, no?

All in all, the formula of getting rich (or getting successful) may not only include education. It boils down to hardwork, determination, opportunities and a bit of luck probably. What education gives is only opportunity. Being educated has better opportunity in landing a good job in a good environment. If someone can use education to his advantage, then that's good. But if studying is something the person already knows he can't do, going to college to fail 1 subject every semester, to retake, to change course or to spend your life's saving of 500k for an overseas education is not the right part to add into the formula. That's when they have to look at an alternative route. I mean if it's the education he wants for the academic value, then he shouldn't put a price tag on it, he whether it's his life's saving or he's borrowing from loan sharks or he wants to sell his organs, only he can decide how worthwhile that university experience is. But that kind of returns is not going to be in job opportunities or some magical road to riches.

That's all perhaps and thanks for your time.