Is university education a waste of time and money?

Without a doubt, education is important. You need to be able to read and write to navigate life efficiently, and so many skills learnt in school benefit us every day. So yes education is essential and sending children to an institution dedicated to learning seems like a good idea. 

Unfortunately, we forget most of what we learn in school. Even if we remember everything, not everything taught in school is beneficial. A new survey shows that the average American uses just 37% of what they learn in school. The remaining 63% is essentially useless and that’s a good chunk of what is learnt in school.

Despite this, people will not stop sending their children to school for fear of them being labelled illiterates. Society has placed such a great emphasis on schooling that a child not being in school is considered child abuse. But if you ask the child, he or she would much rather be anywhere else than in school. For a young child who wants nothing more than to play freely, being confined to a school is nothing short of slavery. 

So you have lived most of your childhood and teenage years as a slave to society and attended nursery, primary and secondary school as dictated. You have your O’level and the choice is now in your hands. Should you continue to obey the rules of society and attend university or pave a different path to success? Essentially, do you think a university education is a waste of your time and money or do you think it is worth all the trouble?

The truth is, you do not need a university education to make it in life. There are a lot of successful people in the world who do not have a university degree. Bill Gates was a student at Harvard before he dropped out and started his company. Today, he is one of the richest men in the world. 

Orji Uzor Kalu was expelled from the university for joining a student protest. With nothing to do, he decided to start a palm oil business which has grown into a conglomerate “Slok Group”. Today he is one of the richest men in Nigeria. If he had not been expelled, he might not be the man he is today, or wouldn’t have started his journey to success as early as he did. 

Many other successful billionaires did not have a university degree, including Richard Branson, Li Ka Shing, Steve Jobs, and many more. A lack of university education did not stop these great men from achieving success. But will it stop you? The honest answer is most likely. 

Hearing stories of school dropouts achieving success after forgoing a university education might make you think you don’t need a university degree. However, there are a lot of people who wouldn’t have made it in life without the university degree they have. Employers put a high emphasis on credentials, so those with university degrees have a greater advantage in the job market.

Having a bachelor’s degree means you will land a better job than without and earn more money. In Nigeria where the unemployment rate is high, only university graduates can get well-paying jobs. So unless you have great talent and luck on your side, it is more likely you will spend your days earning minimum wage or less than becoming a billionaire if you do not have a university degree. 

However, degree holders in Nigeria and Africa in general are not faring much better than their counterparts without degrees. There is a very high unemployment rate in Africa, so a lot of African graduates are not gainfully employed. Many African graduates have to settle for minimum wage or end up deciding to learn a trade or start a business. The degree they strived so hard to earn end up becoming useless and left to collect dust. 

If you are more likely to get a better-paying job with a university degree than without, then maybe it is better to obtain the degree even if you will not use it. But remember, that is at least four wasted years, not to mention the money you invested in obtaining the degree. With that money and time, you could start a business, learn a trade and start making money much sooner. Nevertheless, if your business fails and you don’t have a degree, you will have nothing to fall back on.

At this point, the verdict is still not clear. There are several arguments for and against obtaining a university degree. Perhaps there is no and there never will be a clear-cut answer. The answer depends on you the individual. 

Getting a university degree may be a waste of time and money for you, but it might not be for someone else. It all depends on your goals in life and your plans for the future. If you have no interest in school and are more inclined towards honing the skills you already have, then the best choice might be to forgo university. On the other hand, if you are a scholarly individual and do not mind the stifling environment of formal education, then deciding not to attend university is a foolish decision.

To some, attending university is like a cage that prevents them from exploring their passions and the only way to success is to break free. To others, it is an opportunity to expand their knowledge, hone their skills and attain their true potential, paving the path to success. 

If you just graduated from secondary school, then you need to think long and hard about attending a university or not. Recognize where your talent and passion lie, then pursue it with all your might. If it requires you to attend university then go for it, if not, then make sure you have a clear plan for your life so you don’t end up with regrets down the line.