Degree, PhD,.........

I was watching Oprah show the other day (rerun). The episode was about those who got laid off from work during the recessions not long ago. There was this girl in her late twenties who got laid off too. She said she studied very hard to get a Degree hopping that it would land her a good job so that she could support her baby girl and her self. She is a single mum. Little did she realize that her title as a Degree Holder can only land her a job but not secure her one for long.

There was this guy who was a manager those days, sitting comfortably in a nice office now had to sell hot dogs. He too, was a graduate. He had a wife and few kids and a mortgage to pay etc. When you hear stuffs like these and after reading Robert Kiyosaki's "If you want to be rich & happy, don't go to school?" Kinda put off getting that degree hah.

Well, education is important but school does not help children over come stuffs like this. No matter where you stay, no schools would teach our kids how to survive in the jungle out there. All they emphasize on was get that good grades and bring glory and fame to that school.

So it is up to us, parents, to teach our kids survival skills so that they are equip with all sorts of knowledge to get them through the jungle life. I find most parents that I knew, do not do that. They too, were busy helping their kids score "A" in their exams and end up, not many could survive long in the work force, even during the boom period.

Once at a gathering, parents and teenagers were around, and I mentioned that working life is not as easy as when you were in school. It is a jungle out there, and to my surprise, some parents not only did not support what I said, instead raise their eyebrow and look at me like as if I just mentioned something bad in front of their kids. Why should we hide the truth from them? Why should we let them find out the hard way?

My two sons are straight "A" students, as at for now. I do encourage them to study hard but at the same time let them know that, that piece of paper / certificate that shows all those "A's" will only land them a job in the future, the rest is up to their attitude. That piece of paper can't be pawn nor exchange for food or shelter.

Thanks for reading. Just something that needs to get out of my chest. So remember, your character and attitude is equally important, don't think too highly on that Degree / PhD certificate that you have in hand.