Filipinos see a college education as a prelude to success. Not many people can afford to go to private high schools that offer a comprehensive education program, which can make college the only option for most to learn what they need to learn. There is this idea that a college degree isn’t just the logical step in life but a means to go far in life.
This blanket perception that college is important helps people to aim higher, though it can hinder some to focus on their passion. With more people who can’t afford to go to secondary schools, let alone universities, how helpful is it to hold people to a higher requirement of education? Does a degree have more value than enhancing skills in the workforce or through an apprenticeship?
In short: does having a degree matter or not? Let’s examine the journey of one famous person and see what his life might have to say about this subject.
Being Smart About Opportunities
“Bill Gates the billionaire” is not bad title, but this version of Bill Gates isn’t the best inspiration for young people who want to achieve something. That mantle belongs to “Bill Gates the curious teenager.”
The young Gates saw the value in gaining knowledge wherever he was, whether it involved school work. He wrote an implementation of tic-tac-toe to play against an AI, studied computer language outside school, started a venture that went into creating traffic counters, and impressively enough, modified the scheduling program of his high school so he was in the classes with a lot of girls.
Gates went to Harvard and dropped out, but it’s more realistic to more people to emulate him before the Harvard years. As the awkward teenager, he can be the inspiration to everyone and not just those who have the means to go to a university.
Becoming Bill Gates (Without the High Net Worth)
Gates is one of the smartest personalities around, considering his achievements and that he founded one of the most successful companies in the world. But genius or not, with or without a college degree, you’re entitled to your success if you work hard and enhance your expertise.
It all starts and ends with the intention to learn; Gates’s approach to know more about his field rather than to earn more.
Be the Bill Gates who pursued his interest. Be the Bill Gates who got banned, along with his friends, because they found a way to spend more time to learn a (computer) system. Be the Bill Gates who was resourceful, if not a little willful, to get what he wanted.
The New Working Landscape
An education is valuable, there is no argument about that. A college education does give you opportunities with landing a job and getting the kind of wages you’ll need. Traditional companies do look for potential employees who have completed specific courses to match the jobs that are available.
But a degree doesn’t always guarantee employment or job security. In today’s workplace, employers place a high premium on soft skills like analytical thinking and communication skills. Other businesses don’t limit their hiring options to certain degree holders either. You might have finished a degree in education or medicine, but if your skills meet the requirements for digital animation or project management, you’ll get hired for those positions.
More employers today value specific skills (or experience) to a degree. In fact, a Glassdoor survey shows that even employees see more value in gaining more skills or receiving specialized training than a degree to advance careers and earn better.
Are you likely to get somewhere in life without a college degree? The answer is “yes” if you work hard enough like the success stories you read online and offline.The most important thing is to find a way to improve your skills, whether it’s in a school, in front of a computer, or by joining the workforce.
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