Education: Key to success?

Nowadays, especially among the youths and teenagers, there is the common conviction that success in life is not based on education or passing exams. According to them, it is not the one who studies hard that is intelligent but the one who passes the exams anyway. It doesn’t matter how he passes the exams as long as the records show that he is making progress he is okay.

Unfortunately, many do not quite understand what it means to be educated or, what really education is. Also, many who decide to be educated cannot clearly tell who the benefactor is; them or society.

Knowledge, as they say, is power and we are taught that we perish because we lack it. It can also be defined as the most powerful tool in the world because the more you know the more empowered and equipped you are to face challenges in the world.

Listening to her children argue on the essence and value of education, Mrs. Chioma Nwokolo a teacher for twenty six years had this to say. “Nowadays, the only way one can survive is to have a regular income from a decent job. It may be through private practice or being an employee. With the way things run nowadays, unless you have a decent education, and the right qualifications, jobs are scarce and you will struggle for the rest of your life trying to make ends meet. People do not just invite you for interviews and give you a chance to express and prove yourself before being offered a job. They want to see your qualifications before they see what you have to offer or how much you can do or defend those qualifications.

“You don’t have to be rich to survive, but you sure do need your education to stay ahead of society, so that you don’t end up on the streets.”

Looking around, it is evident that jobs which were once left for the so called under-educated are being swallowed up by the well educated some of whom have second degrees like Mr. Toju Ajuya a trained accountant with an MBA turned auto mechanic. “I needed to go to school to the level I did so that where ever it is I find myself in the world I would be able to fit in my chosen profession. I love cars and have always been curious about the formations and mechanics. This is the reason I went into car racing, writing about cars, repairs and then opened my own repair garage. With a background in accounting and an MBA, I don’t need anybody to manage my accounts or teach me how to grow my business. I do it all myself.”

Also, Christopher Edeki is an internationally trained medical doctor. But what puts food on his table and pays his bills are food catering and event planning. “I am a man in what is otherwise defined as a woman’s world. But I bet I am a lot more successful in the field than most women are. One thing I have going for me is the fact that I have the kind of education that I have which helps me add a twist to what I serve my clients. In this age of people being cautious about what they eat and on weight loss program, it is very attractive to offer my clients menus that are health based and low on fat consumption. You find guests eating to their hearts’ content because they are not scared that party food will make them add extra muscles. The reason I can think of is because of the exposure my education has given to me.”

Education is essential and at every turn in life, there is something interesting to learn. It keeps your mind active. As we advance in age, unless you keep your mind active you will have a poor quality of life.

In today’s world, a good education is essential. Not only will one be able to make better decisions in life, you will also have a voice in the society. A good education, they say, not only teaches one the essential skills of the working world, it also prepares the mind to make sane, healthy, and intelligent decisions about any situation that one may encounter on life’s journey. It helps you determine between right and wrong.

Knowledge keeps you alive and young. There is also the knowledge of life. Some people who have never had the opportunity for a formal education can be wiser than the ones that have had a good education because they have learned much from life the hard way. Education is wisdom. Closing your eyes and heart around you is the first step to ignorance of the mind.

Of the many benefits of a good education, the most remarkable is that it makes one a better person in all aspects of life.