I have heard about a story of two guys who were admitted into the same higher institution at the same time to study the same course. One was academically brilliant, but the other wasn’t. To me, I think there is a bridge between being brilliant and being wise. You can be brilliant and not wise, but once you are wise, you are considered brilliant even when you are not.
This is why it is difficult to tell when a boss is literate or illiterate unless you get closer to them. You might now realize that you even hold a better certification than your boss does. But does that make you boss? No! He remains your boss no matter how certified you can be.
These two guys ran their academics, and the brilliant one came out top of the class grades, while the other was just a grade lower than average. They both graduated, and it was time to put out what they had learned so far.
They sought employment at the same company, and then they were interviewed. The brilliant one got a low grade in the interview, while the other guy passed the interview. He got accepted to a better rank than the brilliant one.
It might be surprising to hear that they got a twist of fate after school. That’s because the brilliant one was just blessed to give his best when it comes to academics alone, and that’s where he put all of his energy. But the other was low academically, but has more experience in the practical aspect of it.
Sadly, most companies out there are no longer interested in training their employees on what to do and what not to do, so they put more preference on those who already have practical knowledge in the field. Working under a company as an employee is totally different from the walls of the classroom.
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I got caught in a conversation with a classmate of mine yesterday. We’ve graduated for about four years now, and we were still reminiscing about the stress and all we went through as students then. We recalled how energetic some of us were that we even thought that after school, they would start their postgraduate program immediately after their service year. But they are totally elsewhere doing something totally different.
We discussed how devalued our academic situation is in the country and how hard it is to even get a job out there. Even if you get a job, the next question is how you survive with the pay you get at the end of the month. It has been a difficult puzzle to fix.
We studied agriculture, and I can say that of over a thousand students we graduated together, only a few practiced the profession. And sometimes you even see those who don't study the course practice the profession like they were born to it.
The medical, law, nursing, and engineering professions are so licensed that not just anyone can practice them. Only if other courses could have such a licence too, then it would have given a better opportunity to graduates to practice their profession after their years of studies in school.
I have seen a lot of agricultural graduates work in banks and many other parastatals that are not licensed, and vice versa. This is where the mix-up is actually coming from, thereby rendering our certificates in a certain field useless after school. Doctors and lawyers can never be in this category because you dare not call yourself a doctor if you are not inducted, and you can never practice law if you are not out of law school.
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The only time I went back to check my books after I graduated was just once, and that’s because I managed to practice my course of study as a profession after school. Despite that, the practical aspect is just totally different from what we were taught in school.
I have heard NPK fertilizer several times in classes; it is so sweet to pronounce for me. Then there was a time I went to a farm and saw them apply something to the crops. I was curious to know what they were applying for, so I asked. Then I was told it was the NPK fertilizer I have heard a billion times in classes, but I can't identify it in real life. I was so happy to have seen it for the first time ever.
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There is a thick line between holding a certificate and getting to practice what you hold as a certified owner.
I advise not to get degrees, even if you can further as much as you want, but just try as much to lower your expectation that your class of degree will come to your aid. The more you aim for a better class of degree, the more you should prepare yourself to face the real and practical aspects of it. Get those degrees, but don't be dependent on them. See them as an opportunity that could lift you to a better spot.
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This is my response to the **HIVE LEARNERS weekly prompt in the hive-learners community** for the ***Week 182 Edition 2***, and the topic to be discussed is **STILL WORTH IT**.
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