Friday, October 16, 2009

Is university education the only way to have a successful career?

Is university education the only way
to have a successful career?


University education and future career

Hi everybody!
After discussing for a long time, our group has decided to work on a topic related to education that is: “Is university education the only way to have a successful career?” Since we have a lot of time, we can discuss the answer later. We also hope to receive your comment on our topic. Now let’s start with the benefits that university education brings to us.

It is an undeniable fact that university education is of great importance. Most people nowadays choose university as a gate to their future because it offers them many job opportunities, major knowledge and essential skills for their social life.

Firstly, the most important reason why people attend university is that they can get a good job if they graduate from a university. In reality, when a person applies for a job, he or she will surely be asked for at least a certain certificate. Even in most companies, managers or presidents are often elected on the basis of their experience and educational background. Obviously, the long process of study will contribute to one’s success in his future job and profession.

Secondly, at universities, students have the opportunity to increase their knowledge about a specific era that they have chosen. Also they can take classes in other areas. By studying in such an academic environment, learners can improve their mind and their way of thinking, which is the main function of education like what George Bernard Shaw, a British dramatist, critic and writer, said: “A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.”

Last but not least, university education provides people with certain skills which are very necessary in modern society such as communication skill, group work, language skill…Those skills will serve as effective tools for them to compete with others to get the job they want. And those who can apply these skills in their career will be likely to succeed.

To sum up, people should attend universities so that they can prepare for their future career, gain more knowledge and learn essential skills. As long as university education still plays an important role in one’s career, people who choose to study in university are certainly going on the right way.



Stereotypes of parents about passing entrance exam

Passing an entrance exam of a university has become the biggest desire of both students and their family. Consequently, in these days, a large number of parents have created too much expectation on their children of entering a university. With some stereotypes borne in mind, they don’t realize that university education is not the only way to have a successful career in the future.


There are many reasons that parents do impose their subjective opinions on their children. One of the most important reasons is the tradition of family. Take an example of a youngest boy in a family in An Vien ward, Trang Bom district. Both his parents and his siblings graduated from university, but with his limited capacity, he decided to take a non-university high school of power supply instead of a university. Right after being informed about his decision, his parents expressed a strong disapproval and not pay any attention to him anymore.


The other reason is the reputation of family. According to a survey of Tuoi Tre newspaper from 150 parents who have a child taking university exam this year in two districts of Long Thanh and Trang Bom, Dong Nai, it results that 132 parents want their children passing the University examination, the rest are satisfied with colleges and secondary levels. These parents think if their child passes the entrance exam to university, it will bring fame to the whole family.


Consequently, most of parents now have a high opinion of “university is the only way to success”. To some extent, they intentionally or accidentally put their children into uncomfortable situations as well as create psychological pressure for them.



Right choice - Bright future!

After the worn - out exam days, Tam - the only boy whose father is a boss of the famous furniture store in Nam Dinh, said “Although my parents always give me many chances to study, I have failed the entrance exams 3 times. It’s quite sure that I can’t pass. I know my learning capacity. I take the exam only because of my parents’ expectations, so I never feel happy or relaxed.”

“I know my learning capacity so I don’t want to study higher. I want to become a professional commercial boss about furniture, but my parents do insist on my going to the university. No matter how I have tried to persuade them, they have still kept scolding me; thus, I have to take the exams from year to year,” he added.

Bich Hang is not a very good student. She has taken the entrance exams twice. Last year, although she chose carefully a low – competitive university, she still failed. This year, she went on taking the exams. However, after the final test, she could guess that the chance for her to enter university was very small.
What do you think about two stories above? Is university the only way to have a successful career?

Every year, there are millions of examinees taking entrance exams all over Vietnam; however, just about 1/5 of them can enter the universities. So, what happens to the rest? Failing the entrance exams means a dead – end of their life, doesn’t it?
In fact, university is not the only way to have a successful career.
If you realize that you are not competent enough to pass the entrance exams, you can study at colleges or vocational schools. The most important thing is the way you study, not the place you study.

In real life, there are many people who can have a good job without any university certificate.
Tran Quoc Hoan, an Electronics student of a vocational school, said “To most people nowadays, university is the only way to have a successful career, but I don’t think so. I know my capacity and choose for myself a different way. I’m studying Electronics. After graduation, I will work for an Electronics company, or if I have a chance, I will found and run my own company.”
Le Quoc Van, a boss of a Computer Repair company, shared his opinion “I failed the university for 2 consecutive years. I was very upset. However, on the second thought, I think university is not the only way, so I decided to choose a vocational school to establish for myself a bright future.”

Ngo Thu Thuy, a student of Fashion Tailoring, said “University is the best and shortest way to success, but if we don’t have enough capacity to pass the university, there are still lots of other ways leading to the same destination. Now I’m studying Fashion Tailoring. My intention in the future is to open a fashion shop of my own.”

Every way will lead to success. University is not the only way to have a good job. We should choose the school that goes with our interest and competence. Believing in yourself and your choice is the most important thing in life.


WORKS CITED
- Nhung, Bui Thi Phuong. "University is not the only way."
Tuoi Tre Online 13 Jul. 2008. 13 Jul. 2008

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