Why I Believe in Experience More than Textbook Education

        Throughout my time as a student, I was always on my high school’s honour role and I graduated part of the top ten of my program in college. I cared about my grades and my reputation as a student, I stressed about assignments and tests, etc. But if I’m going to be completely honest, I have to say that I value real-life experiences to educate me more than a textbook can. 

        Don’t get me wrong, school is important and I believe in education, but the school system drives me absolutely crazy. The amount of stress and anxiety it caused me to go through is ridiculous. I can honestly say that I’ve learned so much about business in my day-to-day life without having to take more classes and further my education in university. I work for a small, fast growing business; I work alongside young entrepreneurs who see my passion for learning through experiences and hands on work. They teach me a lot about business and I have the most amazing opportunity to be a part of that company’s growth. 

        I agree that certain industries require more schooling such as the medical industry for example, but students in fields like that learn in labs and working in hospitals too. You cannot learn how to properly heal someone or take care of an injury just by learning it from the book, you have to practice it too! There’s no way to escape education without having a hands-on approach. 

        Some people believe that the more degrees you have, the more money you will make. Some of the richest people in the world do not have degrees; Bill Gates, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg and many, many more. Do not let society fool you; building your own company, getting a good job for someone else’s company and working hard is what’s going to bring you the money. Sure, having a degree may help your salary increase a little, but it’s your efforts and hard work that gets you those annual increases, not your ten year old bachelor degree. 

        I cannot express how happy and grateful I am to be done with school and that I get to learn as I go. I enjoy learning from my experiences, good or bad. I think that people shouldn’t stress as much in school; it’s only temporary in the end. Life and work have so much to teach you, focus on that and your future in your career, don’t let school control you when there’s so much more out there to learn. Degrees are great to have and everyone should be proud of their diplomas, but we cannot forget that experience is very important when getting a job too, not just your education background. I think that’s one thing I wish I would have done differently as a student; stress less about my grades and their effect on my future. 

        To all the students out there, please remember that your grades don’t define you, they are just numbers at the end of the day. Focus on what you can bring to the table and what you know you’re capable of. Confidence is key and you need to believe in yourself in order to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve in life!