In my graduation gown and subfusc, I tensely stood before the vice chancellor of Oxford University. With both my parents proudly looking on, the dean of my college held up my hand as she led my graduating class through the ceremony. A few sentences in Latin later, we all solemnly declared, "Do fidem!"
As those two words echoed through the majestic 17th Century hall, we had all sworn an oath binding us to the university and its interests. We had graduated... I had graduated.
Donning on my fur hood as confirmation and walking back into the hall to a raucous round of applause, I recalled with some strange fondness the difficult parts of my four years at that remarkable institution. From feeling deeply inadequate and undeserving to working and worrying relentlessly; every single bit of it was worth it at that moment. With the first class degree held tightly in my clutch, it was all worth it... Or was it?
You see, I had graduated with first class honours from one of the best universities in the world and was even placed in the fourth percentile in my year, but at what cost?
I often look back, as many people do, on my years at university and realise that there was so much opportunity back then that I failed to grasp; my vision clouded by my unwavering commitment to work.
I wish I had:
- Spent more term breaks travelling, not revising.
- Said 'yes' to more nights out and meals with friends.
- Ditched revision for my college ball despite it being two weeks before my final examination.
- Slept more and spent more.
- Worried less and complained less.
- Made the time to meet new people and widen my circles.
- Taken a step back from the chaos to truly appreciate how fortunate I was.
Put simply, I wish I had worked less and played more. This is a piece of advice I dispense liberally to my undergraduate friends who during the middle of term, lament about their umpteen deadlines and unforgiving schedules.
Life at university is about finding that balance between work and play. Indeed, mastering the art of doing this is a tricky and delicate affair, and very few people ever manage to do it. But quite honestly, very few people even try. Many, like me, get so thoroughly absorbed into the work at university that it is the only thing we see and value. We score brilliantly (or die trying) in the written exams and forget that academic results are not everything. University is a place of learning and learning takes place in all shapes and forms, often beyond the classroom.
The people you meet, the contacts you make, the activities you do and the fun you have - all of them pay higher returns in both the present and the future than your textbooks ever will. So, to limit yourself to just the taught curriculum, as vast as it may be, is to severely short-change yourself of the true university experience. After all, the real final exam is not the one you sit for at the end of your course but the one you take the moment you leave (i.e.; the real world).
Yes, of course a first at university is still undeniably valuable for what it is worth. It almost grants you an automatic pass from round one of job applications to round two. It attracts oohs and ahhs as your proud parents show you off to their friends. And perhaps most importantly, there is a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction that comes with a first class degree.
But also, a first class degree is to a certain extent just a number on a fancy (and expensive) sheet of paper. Self-development and academic success don't always come hand in hand. In fact, in some cases, they are mutually exclusive.
Your worth and talent are not defined by this number. They are instead largely determined by your experiences in life. Entering the real world after the bubble that is university will expose this and you'll soon realise that not much separates a first and a 2:1 in an employer's eyes.
I almost have a second chance to do it all over again with my postgraduate degree. But if you are in the position I was a few years ago, I hope you take a few steps back and put things in perspective. Study hard but play harder and make the most of your university experience.
After all, what's the use of education in the classroom if it only prepares you... for the classroom?
Follow Julian Tan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/julianlipyi
Referring to the harsh comments, Julian was merely suggesting that students should strike a fine balance between work and play from a personal perspective. Of course, first class is always desirable but not at the expense of the balance of work and play. To say that Julian is boasting is not a fair point, the article would not have been at all convincing without it.
I'd say always do your best, but there's certainly more to life than grades!
Of late, I've noticed a lot of articles going on about how one should make the best out of their university lives and that you know getting the best results isn't the main point of contention when one could have made better use of his or her university life.
I feel that while you're entitled to your own opinions (and I am glad you shared) you must understand the context of society in which we are dealing with. At least in most employment sectors, getting a first class honours degree can really give you a great boost in your career. I'm not sure where you are trying to head, because the impression that I get from what you are trying to put across you are trying to tell people 1) you have a first class honours degree and you realised that it is actually not as useful as you thought it would be or 2) basically just undermining the quality of the 'paper' itself.
Ultimately, I understand that the point you are trying to bring across is that grades is not everything. I fully concur. However I feel that for such a brilliant student, it took you quite sometime to figure that out - pretty late actually, at your graduation ceremony. Presumably that is probably why you are getting some not very nice
thats all. enjoy employment! lol!
Of course, I acknowledge that there will always be a small minority who don't feel the same way and ordinarily, I wouldn't warrant presumptuous and rude comments a reply but I'd like to say this. I'm slightly disappointed if what you took away from reading this was that it was written for me to boast about my first. Secondly, there is no point in arguing over the hypothetical. All I hoped for this piece was for it to encourage people to put things in perspective at university and to know that academics aren’t everything - two things we all surely know but sometimes need reminding.
I wish you all the very best! Have a great week! x
If your answer is yes, then 90% of the negative comments calling you an arrogant person would probably stop.
If your answer is no, then it's perfectly understandable, but perhaps you should have made it clear in the article
Get a life apart from being a nerd which you are in self-denial about.
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So, your degree studies taught you that all your teachers throughout your education are a waste of space.
Oxbridge graduates do have a reputation for producing such quality workers. High IQ but low EQ.
But the author is right in that you have to find a balance; too much partying won't get you good grades, but it's also true that not all the most successful people have a great degree. It's what you do after school or college that counts. There are tons of people who go out and do well despite a less than stellar academic record.