IS YOUR UNIVERSITY DEGREE AN ACTUAL MEASURE OF YOUR HUMAN POTENTIAL?

 A certain graduate complained that she had failed to get her dream job yet she had a good degree. So the question i pose is, is the problem with the degree or should we blame the student? For a long time our education system has graded us basing on the marks we get. Those who have passed highly are regarded as successful and those who "fail" are regarded as unsuccessful. This competitive mentality from the education system is also graduated in the real world of work where graduates want to work in isolation. Indeed some youths find it hard to relate with others at the work place because they did not develop interpersonal skills at university.

By asking a question is your university degree a true measure of human potential?, Iam not tying to discount the role played by universities in shaping the lives of future leaders. Actually universities play a critical role in promoting the development of a nation. However Iam trying to challenge the university students to have a different outlook towards university education. University is not meant to be a place where one crams to pass tests and exams . Rather it is supposed to be a place where students develop their analytical and problem solving skills. In today's rapidly changing world where Artificial intelligence is fast taking over a number of tasks done by individuals we need to be more careful . This is because a number of professions might be wiped out. No student should place all their faith in what they have studied. We need to develop all round students who are informed about so many issues of national and global importance. The days of a university student reading to pass tests and exams are fast spent.

  A university student should know that Uganda alone has over 40 universities producing over 400,000 gradates per year. More over statistics show that only about 90,000 jobs are created for the graduates. So this is a big mismatch. For long universities have been blamed for producing students with hard skills but no matching soft skills. One finds a graduate with very good grades but can not write an application letter. So we need graduates who are keen on developing their soft skills such as leadership and communication skills. Many times the youths prefer to work in isolation and this puts them at a disadvantage. It is common to find a university student who does not belong to any association and this means he or she will not develop his or her soft skills.

HOW A UNIVERITY STUDENT CAN DEFEND THEIR DEGREE IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD

1. Have a global vision

2. Do not read to pass. Read to understand

3. Seek mentorship

4.Develop a curious mindset

5.Volunteer your skills

6.Develop leadership skills

7.Mentor others

8.Invest in personal growth

9.Aim high

10.Avoid peer pressure

11. Have a learning mindset

12.Read News Papers


Every one craves for good marks. But is it a true indicator of true success in the real world. Did you know that some of the most successful businessmen have never stepped in university but are employing university graduates. This is what this article has sought to address.


Phillip Kiryowa

Personal Finance Coach

Advanced Empowerment Link

+256752615916

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