There is a popular mantra amongst the youth in my country, which goes, "School na scam." The thing is most young people these days feel going to the university or any tertiary institution to further their education is a waste of time.
Not only that, but a majority of them are of the opinion that it's a wasted effort given the high level of unemployment in the country. Well, who could blame them? Because really no one wants to invest heavily in educational programs/degrees only to go years unemployed, struggling, and even feeding from hand to mouth.
In fact, just recently I saw a video on Facebook of a woman rolling on the floor and weeping. When I read the caption, it stated that she's been unemployed for 18 years since she graduated uni, and she just picked up her letter of appointment from her state's civil service commission. Again, another piece of bad publicity to put education in the negative perspective of people.
Moreover, looking at the woman, one could see that she's old already and won't enjoy a long term in civil service like she would if she were younger. But then again, despite the long years of unemployment, she still got employed with her educational qualifications.
You might want to tag it luck, but then what is luck if opportunity does not meet preparedness? Luck, dear reader, is absolutely nothing.
There was another case of a young man whose posts I used to read on FB, and then I saw that he relocated to the US. What is most interesting about this young man's story is that he read Igbo and linguistics, a course everyone mocked and ridiculed him for. How do you go spend 4 years of your life and your financial resources to read a course that is restricted only to your region? For those of you wondering, Igbo is the language and tribe of the people found in eastern Nigeria.
So now you understand better the mockery and questions being thrown at this young man. But then, like everyone destined for greatness, this young man was not going to start throwing stones at every dog that barks at him.
What the parable means is that he wasn't going to explain himself every time he was questioned over his degree choice because he had big plans for himself. One that didn't make sense till she relocated abroad courtesy of a research institute that found his books and stories written in Igbo. Other benefits attached to his relocation were furthering his education on scholarships, immediate employment to lecture in the school, and a very comfortable apartment.
You see, the thing with education and acquiring a degree is not what the paper certificates can do for you per se but what you are willing to create with the knowledge gained all through the course of your study.
I used to always tell people that one's advancement educationally ought to come with opportunities and a broader network of connections, and if one keeps advancing academically without the mentioned, then it's not education that's the problem but the individual. They simply are at a disadvantage in education such that they cannot harness its benefit to become problem solvers and nation builders.
Coming back to my personal experiences on my educational journey, I can affirm that every thought is a model to prepare us on how best to handle real-life situations. No knowledge is a waste, not even dy/dx, and if one cannot see or manage the implications of these studies in their everyday life, then it simply means they were not knowledgeable enough to grasp all that has been taught during the years of their study.
Generally, education is one of life's major sources of gathering experiences, and the beauty is that it doesn't even have to be formal. One does not have to go to school to be educated. Plus, wherever you are, irrespective of what you are doing and the people that you interact with, they all beautifully sum up a learning curve and all its processes.
@bipolar, what a beautiful essay about the chronic issue of the cost of education and the opportunity costs of education.
It’s a tricky issue to discuss and you have managed it elegantly. 💐
Thank you so much @Alessandrawhite 😊
Even though people have seen it as a waste of time, it still has an impact on one's life. nowadays, people use who you know in the office to get a better job. your knowledge is the best as you can use it to develop yourself.
Sure, it's a great asset that shouldn't be neglected
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Yes...I read that too 18yrs after school,the economy is really disappointing...
Alot of people are tired of school already, some just wants the degree and leave, nothing else is learnt..
In this case I always say all is really well..
Indeed it is
Very lovely write-up @bipolar95, you gave alot of points here that are very true and they all apply to reality.
Especially when you said "You might want to tag it luck, but then what is luck if opportunity does not meet preparedness"
Education is never a scam but would always show in whatever you do no matter the level one could reach and just as you've said, many of our great expectations are not meeting solid preparation so we may still tend to lose some opportunities if care is not taken