During my third year in the university few years ago, I had this conversation with my friend Linda. I met her inside the bank during my registration when I first gained admission. She was there for her own registration but she was more conversant with the school system than I which was because her elder sister was in her finals in the school.
She offered to accommodate me for the night since we couldn't finish our business in the bank and it will be such a frustrating journey for me if I have to go back home and come back again the next day. This marked the start of our friendship that is still on. We were inside her room after eating dinner one particular night when I asked her if she will love to further her education. She smiled and answered in all honesty...
No, this one am studying is hard enough for me ,so why will I ever think about furthering it? I have no interest in school. I just want to get my BSC and start my fashion business.
I remembered seeing her drawing different fashion designs in a big thick book. Though i find her drawings funny but i could see that she loved every style she managed to draw. She turned and asked me if I had any plan of going for my masters. It was a question that dosen't require me thinking about.
Ofcourse I will
I was working so hard in school to come out with a good result and that result is not just going to waste away. My plan was to study international relations for masters. Today, I am yet to go for my masters while my friend Linda is currently in an Australian school for her masters after selling off her fashion business in Nigeria.
Things changed
I realised that furthering my education in Nigeria is a colossal waste of time because of the limited opportunities in the country. There are many graduates with masters and PhD degrees outthere roaming the streets without a job. To me , it is better to use that years you want to use for school to learn a good skill that you can monetize immediately. If I must get my masters then I will rather study it online or travel abroad where I can get better opportunities after school.
In my country, not furthering your education has no consequence infact not going to school will never limit you because almost 60% of those that went to school are unemployed. Some of them are being employed by the people that didn't go to school but are running succesful businesses.
Funny right?
I know it isn't because it's not just happening in my country but almost everywhere in the world. The founder of Microsoft quit school to start his company, even Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook did the same thing too. Infact most of the succesful people we have in the world are school dropouts.
We are in an era where skills is valued more than degrees. If I am an expert in marketing, I will be sort after by different brands than the person who has phd in marketing without any results. So I will go for skill anyday. Find a field that interest you and become so good in it that the world cannot dare ignore you.
Surely they will give you your flowers.