Well, I would not bore you with unnecessary details. I am an undergraduate student and each time I try to convince a friend of mine about the importance of university education, he will with confidence and pride tell me that university education is not important as many people he know have made it in life without the university degree likewise many people with the university degree have not been successful

I try to explain to him that a university degree is atleast the basics that you will live a comfortable life but he strongly disagrees with me and instead insist that self actualization will rather determine how successful you will be, then again I try to explain to him that the university especially one with sound curriculum is the best place for self actualization of one’s potential which he equally disagree that will the nature of university curriculum one can hardly get to the point of self actualization.

My friend is well exposed no doubt and he is a reader and lover of inspiration books and also in the Nigeria film making industry who has great aspiration of becoming rich and impacting the world positively.

Now the question is, all things been equal are mine right to point out that university education is the basis of a good and comfortable life or is my friend right for insisting that university education doesn’t really has a direct correlation with success. (If the later is right that means he is of the view that we should therefore not waste about 4 to 7yrs of our life in the university which we would have use to do some other thing profitable)
Please intelligent answers only

Education only allows you more flexibility and choices in life. It certainly does not determine a successful future. Too many jobless graduates roaming around the streets.

obowunmi:

Education only allows you more flexibility and choices in life. It certainly does not determine a successful future. Too many jobless graduates roaming around the streets.

so ur point sir is, university education is nt necessary?

In Nigeria, maybe --- lol. Degrees does not determine one's success in life.


http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2011/05/25/6717536-the-entrepreneur-whos-paying-kids-not-to-go-to-college


Read that and let me know what you think.

is a strange world we r living for sure i know university education doesn't automatically mean u will be success or be a failure in life. it such give u an edge is an unpredictable world

Not having a degree is a huge disadvantage, you will have to work harder than others to achieve the same goals until the day you die or get a degree.  Still, many of the most successful people in the world don't have degrees.  Their inferiority complex pushes them to work harder to be rich in order to compensate.

Seun:

Not having a degree is a[i] huge disadvantage[/i], you will have to work harder than others to achieve the same goals until the day you die or get a degree.  Still, many of the most successful people in the world don't have degrees.  Their inferiority complex pushes them to work harder to be rich in order to compensate.

hmmm! Well said.

If you dont have a degree.you cant get a professional job.Thats Nigeria.

, because education is the key!

University degree is very good it broaden your mind and widen your scope. But the degree offered in most Nigeria universities this day is not too strong. And the reason is not far fetched we are a corrupt people. Most student can not beat their chest that they passed their WAEC, NECO, UTME, POST JAMB without aid inform of one malpractices or the others. Also most universities examinations are have filtered out before the writing of the exam.

Also most school are not teaching new things, new discovery. The same note they have being writing in the past ten years is the one being reproduced. it is easy to make first class this days, just collect your senior notes and past questions and it is sure you going to score A. You tube is more reach in video teaching than some university faculty.

My advise to you is that while you get your degree, get other skills that can earn you income in future skill such as Photography many are doing it on campus and Video recording. If you can play musical instrument it is okay and if you can sign refine it. if you are into any engineering please get the practical side from the road side. if you into computer dont be far from Otigba in ikeja, if you are into Mechanical dont be far from Ladipo in Mushin

Dont look down on your friend the life of a man does not consist in the degree that he has but in the delivery that can offer gone are the day when a degree qualify you for a job, a car, a house and a driver. it is only God that can help all of us

Getting a degree is still an advantage no matter the headstart gained by successful people without it, unfortunately in 9ja, older generations of Nigerian degree holders that has climbed the ladder, remove the ladder and destroy it, making it difficult to climb up with the degrees nowadays.

I guess we have to be clear about what 'make it in life means' I guess to the average Nigerian that means money,well,if that is the case then a university education is not really necessary.But to make it in the real world,to add value to your society,to take Nigeria to the next level then a university degree  is highly relevant.Every nation that aspires to develop needs well educated people.Unfortunately lately the education system in Nigeria has been rubbished we do not have the schools to produce the kind of brains that china,Japan,india and other countries are producing.

thanks

felix

@ benzion i am nt looking down at my friend on any other person simply becos he or she didn't attend a university bt certain truth must be made known.

i hav dis to tell those who keep propagating the gospel of university education is not important cos bill gate n co. were nt university degree holders, by the way FYI Bill went back to school nt sure if it was for a bachelor degree bt i have it on gud authority that he got some degrees now.


Forbe estimated 3000 people out of the total world population to be billionaires. please check for yourself how many of the billionaires in US dollars are university graduate and compare it to those who are not university graduate.

my point is no matter wht, the relevance of a university degree in this 21st cant neva been be over emphasized.

so u know, bill gate is not a university graduate but i wonder if u can get a good job in Microsoft corporation if you are not a university graduate

if you think education is not important, try ignorance.

tell you friend to try illiteracy if he thinks education is too expensive!

op
Education is d key 2 succuess

Education is very good but the way we take university degrees in black Africa is quite alarming. In Nigeria most people go to university just because others are going. Most parents want to be respected in the society because their children has this and that degrees. How many of our so called university graduates can defend their courses?

I have traveled far and wide and have realized that Nigerians are among the most educated people on earth, yet we have nothing to show for it. We produce doctors and engineers that don't know their left from their right, In developed countries like USA and UK for instance, their citizens do not amass the number of degrees we Nigerians parade. The branch manger of one city bank branch in London has just college degree, but in Nigeria and much of West Africa you must have a masters degree or even Phd to be a branch manager of a bank. In the developed world, its all about what you can do. If you say you are a qualified electrician you have to prove yourself practically. But in Nigeria its all about how many degrees and certificates you have acquired which in reality you can hardly defend,

In my opinion I think we should think outside the box. Much of the world's billionaires do not have university degrees. Bill Gates didn't have a university degree when he invented Microsoft. If you think you cant achieve anything in life without university education then you are wrong. You just need to get at least high school education and think of being your own boss and eventually an employer of labor instead of amassing so many degrees and certificates and start looking for who will employ you. Why not think of employing people? I am a living testimony.

My dream was to be a surgeon and i already had admission into UNIPORT to study medicine but that dream died when i lost my father. The GSM revolution made me what i am today. At first i worked in small companies and saved up some money. I started a call center business and was selling recharge cards as well. Before one year I had 9 call centers in Port Harcourt with 9 girls in my employment. The next year i started selling phones. After two years i ventured into boutique business, bringing designer clothes from Hong Kong. Later on i started importing generators, cars and tiles. Today I have shops, boutiques and other businesses in 5 Nigerian cities and 3 countries in Africa. I plan to be in up to 30 countries before my 40th birthday. All I am trying to say is that there are lots of opportunities in Nigeria. You just need to open your eyes and think outside the box. Its very painful to see our brothers and sisters spending millions of naira to get visas to Europe/America. Why not invest your small money in Nigeria? Must you travel abroad? Europe and America is already saturated. You cant make it there unless you are highly educated or want to carry drugs which will put you in jail for a long time. There is huge opportunity in every sector of Nigerian economy. You don't need to have millions before you can start. You can start from somewhere and the good thing is you are your own boss.

Well, Nigeria will not progress with some kinds of replies I am reading here. Thats the main reason why we can't think outside the box in everything we do. Every young person in Nigeria wants to follow a pattern of life. . .

Go to high school ---> get to unoversity---> job junt

such that if I decide not to attend a Uni for some reasons, I would be looked down upon. Lots of people get into University because of social pressure. "I am not in school" or "I dey lag" syndrome. Thats why most people accept courses they are given, just to not sit at home. Their lives are driven by a failing educational system and society. I have seen people watch their dreams die before their eyes. .  because they just want to get in.

As for me, I knew what I wanted to do with my life even before I left high school and I pursued it to the last. I didn't attend a "university" and I still recall clearly how I used to get ridiculed by my friends. . i mean my very close friends. The gather around me and tell me I wont make it in life blah blah blah. . .but I am an "alagidi eyan" person (opinionated and headstrong) No one would change my belief and sway me away from a path I believe do much in. It was difficult cos my parents didn't make it easy too. They wanted their son to get into a university "like humans do" but at the end of the day, they understood. . .

In 2003, got into NIIT, did a 2 and a half year course. . .wrote my professional exams and I hit an unusual labour market. . .To cap it all, I didnt get a job in Nigeria. . .I work in Addis Ababa with an international agency. . .

All the guys that used to yab me then. . .some of them are graduares. . .one came out with a 2-2. . .others are just there. . .(not saying it to spite them tho),

Thing is I am educated. I am an authority when I speak about my profession and I have the qualifications to back up whatever I say. . .what else do you ask for?

Nigerians must learn that there can't be only one way to do things. . .

Government shoukd revive the TVET (Technical and vocational education centers). . .Its totally dead. . .everybody wants to get into Universities. . .everybody wants to get into polutechnics. . .which means half/full baked graduates are chunned out yearly. . .

Its sad. . .




#Javalove. , unless otherwise stated. . .!

Having a university degree is a good choice and it elevate your status in the society but having a university degree does not give you the boarding pass to success or failure.when it comes to Nigeria educational system, to me it is just like wasting the best time of your life attending any of the Nigeria universities. You can have your elementary and secondary education in Nigeria and if your parent are blessed then they can send you to abroad to study more. If you parents can't afford to send you abroad then after your secondary education the best thing is to start a business or go for some vocational training instead of attending any of Nigeria universities.

Degree give your a edge. If you have opportunity to have it pls cherish it well. My mate have graduated years back but I'm just starting undergraduate study but no Regret. We should not compare Bill Gate and other in USA to us in Nigeria because their Economy give rooms for many things that we are struggling with In Nigeria. I am 30yrs now and I'm just starting up with my Degree with no Regret but its Necessary.

Hmmmmm! university edu is a key to success,actually it may b in oda country but doubt it in 9ja,wer ar d jobs after finishng 4m dis unis.although univer edu is gud but i ve seen many graduate whose der life's not better dan dose of ordinary school cert.To sucess in 9ja,it depend on how expose u are,even wit uni edu if u're not exposed enough to some aspect,it may b difficult 4 one to achieves a goal.For instance,how many of dos pple who are making millions in entertamnt industries&in football ar university graduates,may God show us d way.

Listen, and pay attention to this. Degree is very good but it doesn't guarantee success.

javalove:

Well, Nigeria will not progress with some kinds of replies I am reading here. Thats the main reason why we can't think outside the box in everything we do. Every young person in Nigeria wants to follow a pattern of life. . .

Go to high school ---> get to unoversity---> job junt

such that if I decide not to attend a Uni for some reasons, I would be looked down upon. Lots of people get into University because of social pressure. "I am not in school" or "I dey lag" syndrome. Thats why most people accept courses they are given, just to not sit at home. Their lives are driven by a failing educational system and society. I have seen people watch their dreams die before their eyes. .  because they just want to get in.

As for me, I knew what I wanted to do with my life even before I left high school and I pursued it to the last. I didn't attend a "university" and I still recall clearly how I used to get ridiculed by my friends. . i mean my very close friends. The gather around me and tell me I wont make it in life blah blah blah. . .but I am an "alagidi eyan" person (opinionated and headstrong) No one would change my belief and sway me away from a path I believe do much in. It was difficult cos my parents didn't make it easy too. They wanted their son to get into a university "like humans do" but at the end of the day, they understood. . .

In 2003, got into NIIT, did a 2 and a half year course. . .wrote my professional exams and I hit an unusual labour market. . .To cap it all, I didnt get a job in Nigeria. . .I work in Addis Ababa with an international agency. . .

All the guys that used to yab me then. . .some of them are graduares. . .one came out with a 2-2. . .others are just there. . .(not saying it to spite them tho),

Thing is I am educated. I am an authority when I speak about my profession and I have the qualifications to back up whatever I say. . .what else do you ask for?

Nigerians must learn that there can't be only one way to do things. . .

Government shoukd revive the TVET (Technical and vocational education centers). . .Its totally dead. . .everybody wants to get into Universities. . .everybody wants to get into polutechnics. . .which means half/full baked graduates are chunned out yearly. . .

Its sad. . .




#Javalove. , unless otherwise stated. . .!

THANK YOU, I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE HERE, I AM HERE WASTING MONEY JUST TO EARN A DEGREE FROM LASU, SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE SPENT 7-8 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES IN LASU TRYING TO GET A DEGREE, YET NO RESULT HAS BEEN RELEASED, society and family pressure you into thinking a degree is all that matters ignoring the most important aspect of life which is "VALUE", what value does your USELESS degree bring or contribute to Nigeria as a whole?

I AM EVEN THINKING OF STOPPING THE USELESS PROGRAM SELF, I THINK ITS BEST I GO FOR CARPENTRY/FURNITURE TRAINING THAN WASTE A WHOPPING 6-7YRS CHASING A WORTHLESS PAPER WHICH IS LIKELY NOT GOING TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE GOOD OF THE NATION.

honeric01:

THANK YOU, I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE HERE, I AM HERE WASTING MONEY JUST TO GET A DEGREE FROM LASU (PT), SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE SPENT 7-8 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES IN LASU TRYING TO GET A DEGREE, YET NO RESULT HAS BEEN RELEASED, society and family pressure you into thinking a degree is all that matters ignoring the most important aspect of life which is "VALUE", what value does your USELESS degree bring or contribute to Nigeria as a whole?

I AM EVENING THINKING OF STOPPING THE USELESS PROGRAM SELF, I THINK ITS BEST I GO FOR CARPENTRY/FURNITURE TRAINING THAN WASTE A WHOPPING 6-7YRS CHASING A WORTHLESS PAPER WHICH IS LIKELY NOT GOING TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE GOOD OF THE NATION.

Don't stop, . .see it through. You can still do it alongside your carpentary training. How many years do you have left? Thing is, if you are leaving school. you had better be leaving for something tangible to do. You could start strategizing or thinking of stuffs for yourself, The whole idea is for you to take charge of your life and destiny. If you are succeeding, let it be because of God and your efforts. . .If you are failing too. . .let it be same reason not leaving your life to some crappy educational system and a failing society. That the society is failing does not mean you should agree with it and allow it to determine the direction you follow,



#Javalove. . .unless otherwise stated. . .!

thanks peeps for your divergent contributions/opinions beautifully eloquized here, must say i have learnt alot. iam in my finally year in uni and must tell you , sometimes i just wonder y i have spent these number of yrs trying to acquire a degree. iam saying this not like am regreting my decision though.but like i said to my yf sometime this week, i hope my degree will be worth it at the end of the day.

javalove:

Don't stop, . .see it through. You can still do it alongside your carpentary training. How many years do you have left? Thing is, if you are leaving school. you had better be leaving for something tangible to do. You could start strategizing or thinking of stuffs for yourself, The whole idea is for you to take charge of your life and destiny. If you are succeeding, let it be because of God and your efforts. . .If you are failing too. . .let it be same reason not leaving your life to some crappy educational system and a failing society. That the society is failing does not mean you should agree with it and allow it to determine the direction you follow,



#Javalove. . .unless otherwise stated. . .!

Do you know that i am the one funding my PT bills even though it's very expensive? at least something must be bringing that money right? well the degree is not even to search for jobs, rather its because of the "look down upon" nature of our society that propelled me into going for it. I should be having around 2 more years to go but knowing LASU, i budgeted 5 more years.

The degree is never what i want to use as my career watchdog, rather as a "i go too" evidence, that's all!

javalove:

Well, Nigeria will not progress with some kinds of replies I am reading here. Thats the main reason why we can't think outside the box in everything we do. Every young person in Nigeria wants to follow a pattern of life. . .

Go to high school ---> get to unoversity---> job junt

such that if I decide not to attend a Uni for some reasons, I would be looked down upon. Lots of people get into University because of social pressure. "I am not in school" or "I dey lag" syndrome. Thats why most people accept courses they are given, just to not sit at home. Their lives are driven by a failing educational system and society. I have seen people watch their dreams die before their eyes. .  because they just want to get in.

As for me, I knew what I wanted to do with my life even before I left high school and I pursued it to the last. I didn't attend a "university" and I still recall clearly how I used to get ridiculed by my friends. . i mean my very close friends. The gather around me and tell me I wont make it in life blah blah blah. . .but I am an "alagidi eyan" person (opinionated and headstrong) No one would change my belief and sway me away from a path I believe do much in. It was difficult cos my parents didn't make it easy too. They wanted their son to get into a university "like humans do" but at the end of the day, they understood. . .

In 2003, got into NIIT, did a 2 and a half year course. . .wrote my professional exams and I hit an unusual labour market. . .To cap it all, I didnt get a job in Nigeria. . .I work in Addis Ababa with an international agency. . .

All the guys that used to yab me then. . .some of them are graduares. . .one came out with a 2-2. . .others are just there. . .(not saying it to spite them tho),

Thing is I am educated. I am an authority when I speak about my profession and I have the qualifications to back up whatever I say. . .what else do you ask for?

Nigerians must learn that there can't be only one way to do things. . .

Government shoukd revive the TVET (Technical and vocational education centers). . .Its totally dead. . .everybody wants to get into Universities. . .everybody wants to get into polutechnics. . .which means half/full baked graduates are chunned out yearly. . .

Its sad. . .




#Javalove. , unless otherwise stated. . .!

My brother,God bless you for this wonderful comment.

Same thing with me.When I finished secondary school at the age of 17,instead of going to the University,I opted for business.My mum had exposed me early on in life to know certain things which my mates never knew.I didn't even waste my time taking JAMB.I guess I followed the Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad principle
Now,that I'm 22,just registered my own international commodity marketing company with branches in US,Nigeria,Ghana and Togo.it's still expanding.
While doing this,I am combining it with online degree programs in two universities.IT-Software Engineering (University of Phoenix) and Business Admin in International Business (University of London-Royal Holloway)
Both are online based and it is very convenient for me to combine it with managing my business.In 3 years time,I will have my degree from both universities.
The reason why I am trying to get these degrees is simply because of my mum not because I need them.She was like saying that her friends were like looking down on her that her son is not a graduate like most of his mates are.
Another reason is that people tend to look down on you if you don't have a degree.

Back then when I took this decision,most of my friends were mocking me but I didn't mind because I was convinced I was doing the right thing.Today,although most of them are degree holders and have finished their NYSC,they are still searching for jobs and still depending on their parents.Some even ask if they could join me or I employ them.
Most are regretting why they even went to the university and they were even forced to do courses they never wanted to do in the first place.

By God's grace,by the time I am 25,I will have two B.Sc degrees,a well-established company and so many other things in addition to being my own boss and not having to answer 'sir' to anyone.Coming to even think of it,it is not late to have a degree by 25 although most of my friends would claim they got a degree before me but it doesn't matter.

I am not saying that getting a degree is bad but gone are those days when students are told to go to school,study hard,make good grades,graduate and start job hunting.It is sad that it's still the norm in Nigeria now.People need to wake up and know that times have changed.
I used to think academic intelligence and success was everything that was needed to be successful in life but I soon discovered I was wrong.I used to come top of my class back then in secondary school and everyone was surprised when I opted not to go into a university but I was too focused to even pay attention to what they were saying about me.In WAEC,I was the best student in my secondary school with 4 A1,3 B2 and 2 B3.
Tongues were wagging then but today they are all dumbfounded because they now know I made the right choice then.When I sit back today and reflect,I thank God that I did not take the normal path of going to university after secondary school.

For God's sake,education is just a means to an end.It's not an end in itself.It is the successful real life application of what we learn in school that determines success.But,it is not the case in Nigeria today as many people are misemployed.Imagine a civil engineer or a microbiologist working in a bank.That's the kind of thing you find in Nigeria.

How about we start telling the students to graduate and see ways they can create jobs instead of hunting for jobs.We blame the government for everything and rush to America and Europe for jobs created by people who think outside the box.We forget that most jobs in the West are not government jobs.But,here in Nigeria we criticize the government for not creating enough jobs.
Imagine if a graduate instead of doing the normal job hunting,comes up with an initiative and he/she ends up employing 4 four people.That's about 4 people off the streets and able to cater for their families.
Most of our graduates are not creative enough,period.

A Lebanese once told me that it is only in Nigeria that you will see money on the streets and young graduates are going about carrying portfolios looking for jobs.Check out the Lebanese,they come here in rags and go in riches.
They don't even have the type of opportunity they have in Nigeria in their own country.They are successful because they are creative enough to discover opportunities and they even end up employing our so-called graduates and pay them peanuts.

Enough said,our mentality needs to change.

^^^^
+1




#Javalove. . .unless otherwise stated. . .!

I tell you what poster. i was in my fourth year in the uni. studying electrical engineering, i just needed to do my finals to become a graduate. I woke up one morning, checked out an aviation school online, next am on the plane, off to the academy. i have a neighbor who graduated with 2'1 (electrical) and he is still at home. And another one graduated from accounting with the same 2'1 and she's working for kilimanjero (fastfood). Now dont get me wrong here. A university education is important, but its not the basis for a successful life. if u have an alternative, go for it, dnt go with the crowd. u dont wanna know the number of graduates that come out every year. and FYI most big companies believe Nigerian graduates are UNEMPLOYABLE and the ones who are employed are UNPRODUCTIVE. cheers.

those who are rightly educated generally become good men-plato