If you are a graduate or an undergraduate of any school, you will be able to relate to that feeling when someone asks you about your current or graduating class of grade and you reply with anything less than Second Class upper division (2.1) or Upper credit. They give you a look which kinda tells you that you are a failure. It is always so heartrending that some students resolve to either skipping the question intentionally or lying about it just to avoid that look. And when you have that friend who starts advising or consoling you after being told, you'll be likeBut then we all know and are certain about it that coming out as the best student or with good grades does not imply that that you'll be successful in life. It does not even imply that you will get a good job or start and run a successful business. We have all heard stories of people like Steve Jobs who dropped out from college and still went ahead to be great. I am also sure you have one or two friends or family who made straight A's in secondary school and came out with first class or 2.1 from the University and is still loafing around with no job, no business and generally no direction or purpose in life.
So why then do we place so much emphasis on getting good grades?
Robert Kiyosaki in most of books his made us understand that being school smart does not translate to being street smart. He even goes on to advise us to emphasize financial education more than academic education. But still being street smart does not translate to having a good life. Your life is not measured by the amount of money you are able to make nor by the number of sales you make in a year. You can not be measured as great simply based on your financial achievements alone. So again I ask, why do we place so much importance on academic and financial excellence?
I will attempt to explain it in two ways.
The first story.
A king was about to die and he had two sons; twins who both had equal rights to the throne after his demise. He was confused about who to pronounce as the crown prince. Thinking deeply, he finally devised a plan. He sent the two of them on an hunting expedition. Whoever brings home the bigger animal which signifies strength gets the throne.
The two of them set out immediately on their journey and both came back after 3 days. One brought home a live lion and the other brought home an elephant. Obviously killing a lion is requires more hunting skill than killing an elephant but an elephant is bigger and requires more strength to bring home than a lion. Who do you think should be crowned as the next king? According to the rule, the one who brought an elephant was crowned the next king.
Academic excellence may not be a true test of what it was supposed to measure: Intelligence but surely, it does take some level of intelligence and commitment to be able to come out in flying colors. Notice that in the story above, the two princes had equal rights to the throne. They were also both good children, they obeyed their fathers and went on the expedition. They were both good hunters with considerable strength. This is also applicable in academics and other forms of education.
Going to school in the first place signifies that you went on the expedition. You went through school and came out with something even if it is considered inferior, still, you went through. You are not a failure because you failed to graduate with good grades. You are a success first in graduating at all.
The second explanation.
This is not a story but a reality of why people expect you to be successful in school. People generally believe that a person who went through an academic institution and came out successful was so because of one or more of the following reasons.
- Focus
- Intelligence
- Hardwork
- Determination
- Passion
- Commitment
- Willingness to learn
A good student most times translate to a good employee since most of the characteristics of a good student are also needed to be a good employee in any organization.
Also people reason that since going through school was for you to learn more about a specified field of study, coming out tops in that same field implies that you will be able to apply what you have learnt to other areas of life especially when you get a job in the same or related field of study.
Don't tell us, we know you can be successful in other areas of life apart from academics. Prove that to us now by being successful in this one. He who will rule over Humans successfully should be able to train first as a Shepherd. Check out the story of David in the bible to understand that better.
Finally, let us face the truth, focus is important for success. If you were focused enough to give all your resources into winning in academics, you may as well be successful in applying that same mindset to other fields of life.
Stop giving excuses and exotic reasons as to why you failed to be successful in academics. Put all your energy into it. Be successful first in academics if you are in it already. Give it your all, go through the expedition, bring home something tangible.
Academic excellence is important in determining how serious you can be; how focused, committed and determined you can be to achieve set goals and objectives so get on it! Be successful in school!
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