Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once stated that “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” This is a notion that acknowledges the fact that human beings continue to crave success without acknowledging the presence of failure in the equation. It is quite apparent that as individuals grow up, they are encouraged to go to school with the idea that education is the key to success. However, despite the affirmation of the need to go to school to succeed for a better future what people are not told s where or what the lock is that one seeks to unlock with the key. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also asserted that success in life required knowledge (Bakar 122). These positions underscore the importance of education, knowledge, and success as peas in a pod. Nevertheless, it is definite that times have changed and there is a definite need to change the key to success. In this regard, the adage seems to have become obsolete especially in the modern world that offers a wide range of opportunities to make a person prosperous. Many people have really made it without college degrees and the definition of success has definitely changed. However, the question still remains as to exactly what counts as success. Many people believe that an educated person will definitely have some sort of success in life and others also hold the opinion that success does not bear wings and is likely to come to those who are hardworking and are devoted to what they do. In this regards, it is obvious that the definition of success varies from one individual to another and education which was the primary key to success now need to create space for other keys. This, however, is not to say that education has become an obsolete factor for success but there are new essentials.
As the subject on the key to success continues to raise debates from different quarters, it is essential to recognize the increasing number of people that have substantial success without university degrees. The correlation between the college degrees and success is a subject that elicit interest from different quarters. However, education and success are definitely two different paradigms in the life of an individual (Wicker 17). The relationship between these two parameters is dependent on the understanding and perception of the diverse opinions that people seem to have acquired through experience. Education is basically for imparting intelligence and knowledge and not to guarantee success. In this light, it is also essential to realize that intelligence does not necessarily mean that one will definitely yield or experience success in their lives. Other determining factors such as perseverance and hard work do. Winston Churchill, for instance, experienced several stints of poor grades in school and it would have been impossible to imagine him being one of the most quoted Prime Ministers in Britain. His failure in school did not seem to play a significant role in his later success in leadership. Perhaps the only success that the former Prime Minister would have ever considered would have been notability for being a member of an aristocratic family – the Spencers. It is also probable that Churchill did not have the idea of education in mind when he made the paradoxical quote that put success and failure in the same sentence. Roger Fritz notably attributes the ability to change apparent failure to success to a positive change in attitude and mindset (Fritz 5). The implication is that one does not really have to attend college for any success in future but internalize essential traits to survive in the modern world.
It is obvious that owning a college degree is something to be proud of. A university degree is a prestigious thing to own for anyone around the world who has gone through the entire education system from pre-school through kindergarten and grade school, then to high school and eventually to college. As a matter of fact, as one goes through the education system, they are taught that a university degree increases their opportunities and prospects in life. However, while it is quite obvious that it increases the chances for potential success, it creates the illusion for the learner that ‘you will not have anything to worry about later if you succeed now.’ This is a fallacy as it creates a false sense of guaranteed success for the students and especially the bright students while leaving out the rest. As a matter of fact, this assertion creates an illusion that there would be no need for creativity and that the knowledge given by the lecturers and teachers in class is all that is needed for one to succeed later. This argument is supported by a survey carried out by the Australian Graduate Survey in 2015 to determine the number of graduates absorbed into the workforce every year. According to the survey, almost 85% of all the graduates in the previous year had been employed on a full-time basis within a span of around four months after graduation. The research further asserts that disciplines such as nursing and engineering had the highest rates of employment for graduates. The implication of these statistics is that there are no records of the other 15% of the graduates and what happens to them after earning a college degree. If the adage implying that education is the key to success is anything to go by, this particular proportion would, therefore be doomed to failure.
A search on Google of the most successful people globally is likely to bring results bearing the names of people such as Bill Gates. He has topped various list of the richest people in the world and this brings about the other aspect of success – measurement in wealth. However, it is prudent to note that despite being the richest man in the world, the most outstanding thing about Bill Gates is the fact that he never attained a college degree. The richest man in the world actually dropped out of one of the most prestigious universities in the world – Harvard University. In this regards, one would definitely question his source of success. Passion, and probably creativity and talent put Bill Gates on the world map and on top of his field. Being on top of one’s field is definitely one of the definitions of success, and Bill Gates can boast of that. It is prudent to note that many people who top in their fields of specialty seem to associate with Frost’s perception of success. Frost believes that passion is a major determinant towards attaining success (Csikszentmihalyi et al 8). For instance, the best athletes in the world may not have necessarily been the best performers in their classes. However, emerging top in races puts them on top of their game and thus makes them successful. In such a case, the success of sportsmen and athletes is not premised on the degree or the course they took while in college but is dependent on the number of medals they can bag in their respective fields. Their college degrees, if they attained any, and even their academic backgrounds become irrelevant. Epstein states that what counts for them is the number of records they can break and the number of medals they can take home based on their talent, passion or hobbies (254). The athletes, in this instance, tend to have found a different key to success that is not education. The general implication is that college education is, therefore, not an essential thing for anyone in life. Besides, passion and talent are free while college education requires one to incur costs both financially and in regards to time. The pressure that one has to keep up with while pursuing a college degree takes a longer time while that on the race tracks is only felt for a short period despite the intensity.
One may argue that passion and talent are bonuses that one may substitute with a college degree. It is obvious that one may go to college while still practicing what they are passionate about. For instance, professional basketballer Shaquil O’Neal put into perspective the importance of a college degree when he graduated with his doctorate after a successful stint as an athlete. Additionally, many entertainers have insisted on the significance of a college degree to supplement talent. The idea of having a college degree in this case is that it would give one something to lean back on when they can no longer depend on their talent. Education in this case acts as a substitute or a ‘plan B’ to talent. By making education a second thought, however, the celebrities imply that education is not really important when one can guarantee a successful life even after retirement without having a college degree. A college degree serves as an afterthought, not really for success, but to safeguard the already acquired success through talent. Nevertheless, O’Neal is just one among very many talented people around the world who have college degrees. However, it is notable that despite the fact that many of them actually own these college degrees, they still make more money from their talent than their college degrees if at all they place any relevance in them. Furthermore, having a college degree for future use begs the question as to who would employ a sixty year old multi-millionaire in their company. The relevance of having a college degree to secure a future after one has become a millionaire implies that one is likely to blow away the money they got in their better days which is not often the case.
The general idea of having a college degree in most instances is for success in life and the question about the worth of a college degree is based on the opportunities it is expected to open for an individual which is most often not guaranteed. The fact that success makes unguaranteed promises implies that it is a gamble with one’s finances and time towards success. One not only needs education but also certain skills to survive in the world. Passion and talent, on the other hand, do not need education. They can actually stand on their own.
A search on any page of an institution of higher learning is likely to bring result with phrases such as ‘we are a pathway to a successful career in future.’ However, what such phrases and institutions do not mention is the fact that success needs more than just the knowledge acquired from education. Besides, the phrases also imply that those who do not get successful in their fields of specialization may not have been adequately prepared. It is quite ostensible that while not everyone may have the chance in getting a college degree, many people have a particular specialty or talent or even hobby in a particular area and they also harbor different avenues for applying the skills to explore their passion. It is also obvious that not everyone who acquired a university degree is likely to be successful and not all who are successful have a university degree. However, a common denominator among the people who are successful is the fact that they share in determination, commitment, passion, and most of all they possess a positive attitude towards what they are doing. Education, after all is not the key to success anymore but remains one of the keys. This position implies that college is, therefore, not worth it especially in the modern world.
Works Cited
Australian Graduate Survey Reports. Accessed 29 April 2018. http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/research/researchreports/
Bakar, Osman. Islamic civilisation and the modern world: Thematic essays. ubd, 2015.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, Kevin Rathunde, and Samuel Whalen. Talented teenagers: The roots of success and failure. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Epstein, David. The sports gene: Inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance. 2008.
Fritz, Roger. The power of a positive attitude: Discovering the key to success. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2008.
Frost, Janet Hart, Jacqueline Coomes, and Kristine Lindeblad. "Partnership paves the way to college success." The Learning Professional 33.5 (2012): 24.
Wicker, Don. Success Is for Everyone: An Interactive Guide to Demonstrate that Success Is for Everyone. AuthorHouse, 2012.
