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Add to FavoritesJust as clothing is to first impressions, so is that college degree to that first job or a job with a good pay. In this world that we live in, it is inevitable that experience is important to survive in any industry. Unfortunately, the first thing that companies look for is that piece of paper before looking at an individual's experience.
That degree is akin to a passport into the world of any profession, especially professions that require some sort of certification and pay well: doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, programmers, teachers etc Would you go to an uncertified doctor who may prescribe you the wrong medication or give a wrong diagnosis? Would you send your child to school knowing that the teachers most probably have no experience in the subjects they are teaching? Or would you hire an architect to build your house only to have it collapse? That piece of paper, the degree, is also a passport to jobs in top or middle management in any company.
Having a college degree opens up opportunities that one would not have had if that individual did not have any kind of degree. A degree simply proves that an individual has gone through the necessary training and understanding of how to carry out a job.
Although there are many that may say that having a degree may not necessarily equate to success, it definitely would not hurt to have one; having a degree would most definitely help any individual achieve success in shorter and easier steps. Success cannot be a result of simply working hard and depending on one's experience or degree alone; it is working smart that determines one's success.
Even though there have been occurrences of individuals such as Walter Cronkite, Charles Dickens, Walt Disney, and Henry Ford, who were successful people , did not have that piece of paper, and were successful. What is the likelihood that that is applicable to everyone in the world?
In order to be successful, one must not only realize the mistakes that were made, but also make the effort to change and most importantly constantly improve ourselves. And what better way to improve ourselves than to increase our knowledge and broaden our horizons; getting that piece of paper if we have the means and ability.
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No
Walter Cronkite, Charles Dickens, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, and a long list of other "dropouts" give us reason to doubt the dogma that only college graduates have a chance in life. There may be some fields which require higher education, but countless individuals throughout history have bypassed the supposedly essential college hoops and worked their way to success. All successful individuals are educated, but that education doesn't have to come from an institution of higher learning.
Albert Einstein stated, "Try . . . to be a man of value." What does it mean to be a man or woman of value? I submit that being a man or woman of value is exactly what leads to success in life. Anyone can provide something valuable to the world, regardless of whether there is a diploma on their office wall. Walt Disney and Charles Dickens provided valuable offerings to the world. They recognized their strengths and utilized them in a way that others could enjoy. Every person on this earth has talents and abilities unique to them. Every person can obtain success through those talents and abilities.
Successful people choose to believe in "impossible" things. The woman who sits at home composing delightful children's songs at her piano denies herself and the world of value if she works full-time as a janitor or cashier. How many people waste away their lives working jobs they hate or tolerate at best? How many men and women harbor secret talents, passions, ideas, and goals? How many people fail before they've even tried because they believe their dreams are impossible? Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the very thing you think you cannot do." If there's one thing all successful people share, it is that they chose to live their dreams and utilize their gifts instead of putting them in the closet for "later" or "someday."
Successful people do educate themselves, but that education does not have to come from professors in a classroom. Benjamin Franklin offered his services to a printer so he could learn the trade. Thomas Jefferson educated himself in a similar way (finding people who knew about the things he wanted to learn and watching them work). Successful individuals often have mentors to guide them. Others take it upon themselves to obtain knowledge by utilizing public libraries or finding seminars or specialized classes. Some simply learn through trial and error or experimentation. Benjamin Franklin became a successful inventor despite having no formal scientific training. He was simply curious and followed where his curiosity led him. Universities and colleges do not have a monopoly on knowledge or education. Anyone can become educated through finding the right books or people, and they can do it with little or no money in their wallet.
Marva Collins knows something about success. She was a black woman who was dissatisfied with the mediocre educational options available to her children as well as the other children in Chicago's inner-city. Lots of parents complain about schools, but Marva wasn't content to just sit and fester. She has said, "Mr. Meant-to has a friend, his name is Didn't-Do. Have you met them? They live together in a house called Never-Win. And I am told that it is haunted by the Ghost of Might-have-Been." Marva didn't waste her time. She left her position teaching in Chicago's public schools and started a school in her home. The success of her Westside Preparatory School has garnered attention from media outlets across the country through the years, and her story was depicted in a 1982 made-for-tv movie. She has been asked to speak to large businesses and train executives in major companies because of her grasp of what it takes to be successful. Marva has said, "Success doesn't come to you. . . you go to it."
Successful people have a mindset. Successful people choose to believe that their lives are not dependent upon fate or circumstances. They choose to accept responsibility for their own lives and well-being. They believe they have the capacity to overcome any of life's obstacles through their own hard work and unique abilities. A successful person may or may not have a diploma (or two or three), but those pieces of paper are by no means required. I loved college, and I am glad I went and graduated, but I also recognize that my time in college is not what will ultimately make me successful. If I ever become successful, it will be because I choose to be. Success comes to those who "go to it," and college isn't the only place it can be found.
Learn more about this author, Lani Axman.
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