Is academic qualification ensuring success in life?

[Slasher]

Why? Why not? Remember rule 4 of the debate zone : "REPLIES must be a minimum of 3-5 sentences (Revised 12/27/11) Your replies must still be thoughtful and respectful on the pertained subject."

If we talk about lifestyle in developed and rich countries, finishing high school and studying in a more specialized field can bring more advantagess and can greatly help to find a job paying more. More money sometimes means less financial worries, but that does not solve everything. Problems in life can happen anywhere, they can come from money or not.

But if we talk about poorer countries, education is not necessarily bringing more advantages. I went in Honduras in a small village where kids had complete high school studies, but it wasn't giving more jobs. There, most of the people are living from agriculture, livestock, fruits picking, etc. The others are trying to get a lame job in the capital or to cross illegally Mexico/United States borders.

But "success in life" can be different for everyone. I myself don't think I would be happy to stop studies and work for McDonald's for the rest of my life. I could be wrong.

[Foxer]

Not at all. All an academic qualification gives you is the opportunity to be in skilled employment. It gives you a step up in life, for sure, but there are other ways to get that step up. A lot of employers value experience over qualification, and normal university doesn't give you experience. *shrugs* It's well worth getting a degree or some other tertiary training unless you want to go into a specific trade, but it's not the be-all and end-all.

[Sci_Girl]

Depends on the location you are in. In developed nations I believe that higher education will lead to greater success. Success is the key word, not happiness, you said success. Success is more along the lines of income, a nice home, a nice lifestyle, opportunity for more jobs etc. You cannot buy the nice house without a lot of money, and you can only make that money from a good job, in order to have that job you may need a degree or several. One cannot be a successful doctor without attending medical school. One cannot be a successful lawyer without attending law school. One cannot have the opportunity to have a job interview unless they have met the initial requirement of the education level that the company is asking for. In previous years the requirements of jobs were less. Talk to your parents, not all of them have gone to college but they may be making an 80k/yr salary because at the time they did not need much education to get the job. Currently though if you do not go to college you are basically screwed to have that same 80k/yr job, companies look for that diploma or degree in their applicants. Having a higher education greatly increases your odds of having that successful career. However, around here you can be a high school grad (and sometimes drop out) and work on the Ft. McMurray oil sands projects and clear $200k/yr. Some cannot spell well or even add, but they can pull a wrench hard enough to close off a valve to a high pressure oil spout and they make a ton of money for doing so. In those cases they are manual labor with a ton of financial success making more per year than most degree holders. However that type of success is not at all guaranteed if you go to another oil project in another country, and on the opposite side of that you could go to the middle east and make double or triple that amount of money. No degree necessarily required for some things but the money is absolutely insane, and that money can define success. It all depends on location, type of job, and the requirements set by the one employing.

In less developed nations, should they choose to remain there even after going to school, there is significantly less opportunity simply due to less development which is why they will often move away from that location. However the success of a farmer in a rural countryside does not depend on how much academic experience he has, it depends on his developed knowledge over the years of first hand experience. He could very well provide greatly for his family and have great success in that sense but never attend a higher education beyond mandatory k-12.

[Slasher]

I totally agree with you, Sci_Girl. But wouldn't happiness be included in success? I personally wouldn't consider my life as a success if I wasn't happy.

[Sci_Girl]

But wouldn't happiness be included in success? I personally wouldn't consider my life as a success if I wasn't happy.

It can certainly play a role, I know I will be happy to know when I hold a degree and that degree will deliver my future success in life. I mean if you have a nice job, nice house, nice bank account odds are you are happy. Those factors do not automatically mean happiness but based on the success of having those things in the first place the odds are there that you will be happy. But your main question was academics and success, and that alone and strictly that alone I believe goes hand in hand. Being happy is an entirely subjective experience, one can be a very wealthy and successful doctor but maybe they are not happy. Another wealthy and successful doctor may be more than happy. Happiness is derived from other things.

[Solgaleo]

From what I can say (personal experience), it will not guarantee you any success in life. High school will def. get you farther than dropping out/not getting a GED. College is what is really up in the air. Certain majors will get you amazing jobs & certain majors are just rubbish. For example, I have a degree in business, but because of the failing economy in the US right now, I'm stuck at a dead end job. Long story short (the TL;DR answer) is that there is no clear answer because it depends on way too many variables.

[tofusquares]

No I don't believe so. School is often so close-minded and emphasizes memorization and subjects that do not relate to a specific student's interests. So many other forms of intelligence can be found in other fields that school does not cultivate such as music and art.

[Khelddar]

No

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Success in life comes down to the choice we make, a University student who coasts by will find it harder than a self taught pretty much anything who works harder and smarter.

Yes people who have an education are more likely to get a job out of university because they have a piece of paper, however the person who never gives up and doesn't have the academic qualification may just be the person hiring them.

"I failed in some subjects in exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner of Microsoft." - Bill Gates

persistant and the willingness to learn from failure is the key to having a successful life no matter what country you are from.

[Demonic]

I dont believe its a necessity but definitely would help you along the way.
I would love to be a qualified vet but the job im in at the moment is only retail managing but pays better which is quite saddening.

[John]

No

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Peter Jackson
Billy Joel
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Jay-Z
Simon Cowell
Richard Branson
Bill Gates
Steve Jobs
Tony Robbins
Mark Zuckerburg

Success in life comes down to the choice we make, a University student who coasts by will find it harder than a self taught pretty much anything who works harder and smarter.

Yes people who have an education are more likely to get a job out of university because they have a piece of paper, however the person who never gives up and doesn't have the academic qualification may just be the person hiring them.

"I failed in some subjects in exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner of Microsoft." - Bill Gates

persistant and the willingness to learn from failure is the key to having a successful life no matter what country you are from.


just putting it out there, bill gates might be a dropout, but he dropped out of Harvard. He had quite a solid education for what he was planning to do before he dropped out.

---------- Post added at 02:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:36 AM ----------

Also, i think the topic is getting flipped a bit. There are examples of people who have made it very far in life without a good academic foundation, but if a person has a good academic foundation are they guaranteed success?

[Sci_Girl]

Should the question be geared towards today's population? What was then is definitely not now. Today that piece of paper is quite important in receiving many jobs which may have not required that sort of education numerous years ago.

[tchaikovsky]

I myself have a personal schism in my life goals because of this. I believe that, especially in today's world, having an education is paramount to being successful in a professional environment. However, the fulfillment I'd have from surfing the internet all day as a secretary for some oblivious company would still be just as much. People change, as does the world, though; and to presume that you can live off of a lower standard of living into the future, as you can see yourself now, is not an appropriate way to plan for the rest of your life. Getting an education is insurance for changes you might experience or shifts in your life that make you need a surefire backing to fall on when in a time of need, and is therefore vital to one who wishes to live life comfortably, inside the realm of their degree or not, on a long term scale.

[Khelddar]

just putting it out there, bill gates might be a dropout, but he dropped out of Harvard. He had quite a solid education for what he was planning to do before he dropped out.

---------- Post added at 02:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:36 AM ----------

Also, i think the topic is getting flipped a bit. There are examples of people who have made it very far in life without a good academic foundation, but if a person has a good academic foundation are they guaranteed success?

No, while people who have a good academic foundation may have a better chance of success (im not saying they do or don't) it doesn't guarantee them success. Proof of this can be seen on almost every University campus across the world, when was the last time you saw all the professors at a university successful or even 50%. You may have different opinions on what success is but i can tell you that of all the Uni professors ive had maybe 1 out of 20 was successful maybe 3 out of 20 max.

There are many stories out their of people who have been totally illiterate that have had success and their are stories out their of people who have been in the top 1% of intelligence that end up living on the street

[tchaikovsky]

No, while people who have a good academic foundation may have a better chance of success (im not saying they do or don't) it doesn't guarantee them success. Proof of this can be seen on almost every University campus across the world, when was the last time you saw all the professors at a university successful or even 50%. You may have different opinions on what success is but i can tell you that of all the Uni professors ive had maybe 1 out of 20 was successful maybe 3 out of 20 max.

There are many stories out their of people who have been totally illiterate that have had success and their are stories out their of people who have been in the top 1% of intelligence that end up living on the street

That really depends on your measure of success. Going for an education has bigger implications than just enabling you to make money; and changes you into a better person equipped with the tools needed to lead your life. Whether you're making 20k or 150k right out of school, an education is still valuable in that it makes you /smarter/ as a person (if you're trying at least).

[Celestial]

Not really, it's all about what you do with it.

Universities aren't really about education, they're actually more research focused. This is why sometimes you'll find a really bad lecturer who can't teach for .... who still never loses their job. On the other side of the coin there are those lecturers who are excellent at teaching but never really progress in their university career.

As long as their research is good, they're secure.

[tchaikovsky]

Not really, it's all about what you do with it.

Universities aren't really about education, they're actually more research focused. This is why sometimes you'll find a really bad lecturer who can't teach for .... who still never loses their job. On the other side of the coin there are those lecturers who are excellent at teaching but never really progress in their university career.

As long as their research is good, they're secure.

That's right, tenure is a beautiful thing for that. Because the academic institution is fundamentally about cultivating NEW knowledge, or at least I think it should be if not. Students should go just to participate in that and learn from it; graduate school has a lot of involvement. With these skills, hopefully people come out of the experience has more positive contributors to society; and although that may work, it's arguable as to whether that's a benchmark to success. Although you're breaching upon humanitarian values upon bringing that up.

[OFWGKTA]

I don't believe it ensures success. I know a few ladies who have graduated from university and have the same job than I have. There have also been many people I have read about that have graduated university to only suffer within the economy and find themselves in a slump. Now I do believe that academic qualifications does help one progress towards success.

[janikanicolepi]

Is academic qualification ensuring success in life? I don't believe so.

There are plenty of factors that determines to one's success. Example, how smart you are, how quickly you can come up with a solution, how you handle a situation in particular under certain scenario, how well you are able to handle stress, your emotion, communication, etc (all from actual working experience). Being successful in academia only shows that you are able to understand the course material and regurgitate it during an exam. Those who truly are successful are those who are able to apply what they learn through academia and make something out of it. You do not necessary have to be smart to be successful, those who are hard working can also become successful.

I think we are all a piece of a puzzle, some of us simply has yet to find the right "spot" that fits.

I would also like to point out that the discussion of success seems to base solely through a materialistic point of view (I.E money). We are all successful, but we couldn't visualize it because our success are overshadowed by those who are far more successful than us. If you can look back on the thing you have achieved in your life, (graduating from high school, going to college, graduate from college....or even having a job, starting a family, etc) can be consider as a success as well.

[SpecialisAlio]

I personally believe that education only goes so far. I know it may sound hypocritical since I'm in a four-year university, but I honestly feel like I've learned more about my future career through shadowing a doctor and actually volunteering at a hospital. Sure, I learned about glycolysis and cellular components through biology class, but I learned about how to interact with patients and how to assess conditions and I even got a rough idea of medicines and what medicines don't work together.

I think education certainly adds to a profile, but I would rather hire someone who has experience than someone who got straight A's in college.

[torque]

I think it depends on the academic qualification. As more US employers move towards a master's degree for entry level positions (especially in saturated urban areas), the value of academic qualifications will continue to deflate. However, qualifications matched to supply/demand in a given geographic location can ensure success, especially in credential-heavy fields (e.g. healthcare, law, accounting, etc.). Even completion of an academic program requires extensive internship/job experience while a student to be considered for interview in the field. Small business and entrepreneurship is inherently free of the need for academic qualification; you do your own hiring, etc.

In my experience, only a few undergraduate degrees have any intrinsic employment value: engineering, nursing, accounting, and computer science. All other degrees are roughly equivalent and (sadly) require additional education; I think the situation will continue to perpetuate itself.

Part of the issue is the lack of practical job skills that most degrees teach--the above degrees are the exception. I think a shift from theoretical to practical knowledge would benefit most degree programs. Some argue that this would be making "technical schools" out of universities; I think they offer a look into the "real world" for a given field, which does not always match the theory.

[TreesNut]

Absoultely . I live in California . Im 18 and seems everywhere I GO you eventually need a higgh school diploma literaly.

I understand the fact that there was a lot famous people that grew up and never went to school .
But I mean its just always good to have something to back up your name.
Education is good .There is always a need of education .

[Nath]

Absolutely not, at least here in the UK.

The question can be viewed in a couple of ways really, depending on how you determine "success". Some people may argue that becoming well educated itself and developing expertise in a certain field would count as successful, whilst others would say that getting a well-paid job and having a good career makes you successful.

The majority of university graduates struggle to find work here in the UK. That being said it depends on the courses you choose. There's a shortage of teachers, dentists etc. here so the people who study for those professions generally find good paying work straight from graduating. However most degrees in my eyes are not very useful in terms of progressing into a career in that direction.

[Attainable]

Definitely not, however dedication, hard work, and consistency are.

[isa1991]

no, but it helps. I think motivation, hard work and loving what you do are more important for success.

A diploma does not guarantee a job, good pay or being happy. It is, however, a step you can take to achieve more.

[panelle]

It really depends where you live. In my home country (Lithuania, Eastern Europe), the level of education is EXTREMELY high to the point of some janitors needing a college degree (a friend of a friend is a janitor in a law firm). Every year, two to three thousand high school graduates go to colleges and universities and very rarely stay in the country for employment. So for us, education is absolutely everything, though I'm more than well aware that the situation is not the same everywhere.

[Drizzy]

some janitors needing a college degree


o_O

sagujasg

[panelle]

Drizzy - I wish I was kidding :P It's surprising how educated people can be and yet are still bigoted snobs. I suppose that's the dark side of education. The cliche professor-with-an-English-accent has to have come from somewhere, right? :/ It's sad how most of the farmers I meet whenever I go for a trip in the country, who can't read or have any schooling are nicer and more welcoming than graduates...

[oblivion]

i would say its helpful, but not 100% necessary. if you have no motivation or work ethic it doesn't matter how educated you are

[Jauris]

The qualities you need to be successful in education are things that will be bring you (generally) good success in life. Sadly, going to school and getting a degree isn't as sure fire of a way to get a job as it used to be.

[Poe]

Absobloodylutely not chap. �� Everybody knows.
People needs luck and naff stupid followers.

[SugarCoated]

Nope. I think success in life is determined more on the emotional intelligence side. Being streetwise, hard-working, determined, etc. A degree helps of course, it makes your curriculum vitae look pretty.

[jena]

Why? Why not? Remember rule 4 of the debate zone : "REPLIES must be a minimum of 3-5 sentences (Revised 12/27/11) Your replies must still be thoughtful and respectful on the pertained subject."

If we talk about lifestyle in developed and rich countries, finishing high school and studying in a more specialized field can bring more advantagess and can greatly help to find a job paying more. More money sometimes means less financial worries, but that does not solve everything. Problems in life can happen anywhere, they can come from money or not.

But if we talk about poorer countries, education is not necessarily bringing more advantages. I went in Honduras in a small village where kids had complete high school studies, but it wasn't giving more jobs. There, most of the people are living from agriculture, livestock, fruits picking, etc. The others are trying to get a lame job in the capital or to cross illegally Mexico/United States borders.

But "success in life" can be different for everyone. I myself don't think I would be happy to stop studies and work for McDonald's for the rest of my life. I could be wrong.

It also depends on what one views as success..

I definitely don't find that academic qualification ensures success.
Granted, I'm still pursuing further education, but that's just in hopes that it will help me later on.

There are plenty of overqualified grad students that can't find jobs and have to resort to minimum wage jobs, paying the tens of thousands of dollars they used on college.
There are also many successful businessmen and women whom have never had a college education.

While I think further studies are always helpful, I don't think anything can ensure success in life.