Good Grades And Certificates: Worries Of Todays Students

It’s so pathetic and uncomprehend able how students of higher institutions depend solely on their grade points or cumulative grade points to help them out in the race for sustenance outside school.

As a student of a higher institution, a federal institution for that matter, because you may want to think my research setting isn’t broad enough. I have come to the realisation that students don’t think out of the box. They only seem to ruminate and ponder on the present while living the future to work its way out. It’s that bad that they value the grade points even more than the final certificate they will be entitled to at the end of their academic pursuit. All this isn’t to mean that I am not a fan of education, because I wouldn’t want to try ignorance either, all I am emphasising and accentuating on is the fact that students of this dispensary are “hind sighted”.

It’s crystal clear that the society we have found ourselves in today has nothing to offer, why then do we dogmatically follow a line to creating more difficulty to the problematic society? Countless graduates are out there without anything to put food on their tables, and this are the same people who passed through higher institutions like the present hind sighted ones. Yet the latter doesn’t seem concerned about the situation, all he or she fights for is making it out brilliantly and joining in the tussle out there, how myopic this is.

I quite agree that you have to be intelligent, it’s one thing the society requires, also coming out with good grades isn’t a bad idea, but coming out of a universe into another without having anything learned to implement in the next stage of life is what is of paramount importance in this discuss. Higher institution is a universe on its own, so good it has all you can think of. The problem then is why someone would pass through a system for years and have nothing to produce for those years other than a good grade point metamorphose into a good certificate. We have seen graduates who have graduated with good results and yet have carved niches for their selves outside the school universe. Isn’t that interesting to hear?

A young man graduated just recently from the University of Ilorin, he graduated with a first class from the progressive faculty of law. You would think he has made himself a hot cake, of course he is, but the society we are doesn’t recognize that, and so you have to help yourself out. Do you know what this guy did? He helped himself grow in the craft of writing and blogging and today he can drop his law certificate and face what has brought food to his table. And that is basically my point; he doesn’t have to keep throwing his certificates here and there.

There are so many things to learn in higher institutions, some become better writers, a particular set invest their time in entrepreneurship, and some learn political crafts and a host of others help their selves in other aspects. How then do we still have graduates who still depend on government or people for job?

When a deep insight is given to how students of developed nations balance work and schooling together a lot would be understood. Most times it’s not about the money it’s about the experience they gather, and how they can use that in making their selves better people and a less burden to their society. Would you even dare try that in academic settings in Nigeria? That’s not my route on the discuss; my say is about students who don’t get anything done when in school, most of who regret at the end. I know of a young man, who does more than enough for himself to become a better person, and with hard work, dedication and academic seriousness, he has climbed heights today. Many of the great men and women we see out their today, taught of distinguishing their selves while in school. You have first class in English language; do you know how many other first class students each university will produce from that same department? The point is you distinguishing yourself from others.

Wouldn’t it be mind perturbing to see someone who isn’t doing something to make him or herself a better person advising a foresighted student that he or she wastes a lot of time? Everything that brings about success is regulated; it just doesn’t come out of mistake. For a person to be foresighted, they surely would be academically sound, don’t you get? “It takes only a sound mind to think in a sound manner”.

It should be noted that some parents are the cause of the narrowed thinking of their children. They would tell their children to read and careless about the future, as if that was the way their own success flew at them. Seriously parents should begin thinking otherwise, let this children face little tasking situations in school to see how well or bad they may tackle those times. No wonder some higher institution students call their parents at the slightest challenge. Now tell me, how such unrefined students can input changes in the society.

Come to think of it, people complain of not getting employed, they complain of been turned down at any opportunity and they can’t give solutions to applied questions or simple questions during interviews, this are the “GP PEOPLE” or the “FISRT CLASS IS A MUST SET”. What are we then saying? Should you be in the post of a general manager, would you employ those set of people? And as a matter of fact, what then is there impact to the society?

It’s simple, if you leave the system- Universities, Polytechnic, Monotechnics, College of educations etc. without feeling the necessary holes, there is much possibility for regrets. No wonder why some lecturers compulsory presentations in their grading patterns, this is for no other reason than to build students. It is high time students thought about the benefits in thinking outside the box than been myopic and narrow-minded in reasoning.

Tijani Sheriffdeen is a young writer; he nurses scintillating passion for literature, journalism, photography and activism. He is currently an anatomy undergraduate student at the University of Ilorin. He hails from Oyo state.