Student Union
- By Cristiana
An 'A' Won't Get You a Career, But a Good Education Might
Although it’s been a few years since they gave their commencement addresses, you can still see their speeches on YouTube, which is where I had the pleasure to listen to them.
Steve Jobs – 2005, Stanford University
Bill Gates – 2007, Harvard University
Oprah Winfrey – 2008, Stanford University
(Oprah did eventually complete her college degree, earning her final credit over 10 years after her expected graduation date, after she was already a successful talk show host)
What I think sticks with me about each of these people and their paths is that, while each found education useful, school was not enough for them. They had the courage to go entrepreneurial and to break free of their "prescribed" career paths.
I did not drop out of school - though my educational path has not been "traditional" - but I decided early in college that doing just the requirements wasn’t enough for me either. The Romanian educational system, as in many countries, has limitations, and these limitations have forced students interested in their own development to find ways to work together, organize events and collaborate with companies and the government - activities that in other parts of the world are the responsibility of school officials.
I grew up in an environment where students learned to take the lead in their own education. Some of them are now even working on creating an alternative university, based on modern learning principles.
The importance of practical experiences for students became the subject of my school thesis, and later materialized into LEAP (Link Education and Practice), an organization I co-founded in collaboration with students with a similar vision. Our goal was to promote practical activities as a way to reduce the gap between the academic world and the workforce, making youth more employable.
The two years when I was in charge of LEAP were perhaps the most intense and creative of my professional life. Every day of my work was a validation that students are capable of initiating powerful and innovative projects. During this period, I also "made peace" with formal education. Unlike Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Oprah Winfrey, I graduated and, soon after, found myself on my way to becoming a student again, this time in the U.S.
After being in an entrepreneurial environment for a few years, it felt disorienting to find myself again listening to professors and striving after high grades. Fortunately, I found lots of opportunities at Vanderbilt University for out-of-classroom and practical activities. As it turned out, I could enjoy the sweetness of being a student again, while remaining in contact with professionals in the field.
Meeting professionals in the fields I have been studying, and hearing about their work and their industries, has shown me something exciting and scary about the future my generation will face in the workforce. I have come to understand that "linear" careers, and the stability that comes with them, are disappearing. Entire industries based on old models are collapsing.
A new workforce model is emerging from the collapse of the old one. But what it will look like, and how it will function, is far from clear. However, being informed and engaged will make students more responsible for their own growth, without waiting for some authority to give them the right answers. This awareness will help prevent them from preparing for jobs that will not be relevant by the time they finish school. Modern students should see the value in getting an A, but not see it as an end in itself. As Bill Gates very well said, "improving your odds doesn't guarantee success in life."
Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey may have dropped out of school, but they did not fail to get an education that prepared them to succeed. Their visions and passions led them, each in their own way, to break out of the walls of schools and revolutionize society.
As students we don’t have to drop out school to become successful. However, we should have an understanding of school larger than getting a diploma, and of work broader than fitting into a job description. The better we prepare for the uncertainty that comes with societal and workforce transformation, the sooner we can benefit from the opportunities change brings.
See all News Updates of the Day
Greek Parliament Approves Branches of Foreign Universities
The Greek parliament voted to allow foreign universities to establish and operate branch campuses in the country.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the move was made to encourage Greek students to stay in the country for advanced studies, instead of going abroad for an education. (March 2024)
Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions
The state of Virginia has banned legacy admissions to public colleges and universities.
The New York Times reports the state has outlawed the practice of giving preferential admissions status to students based on connections to alumni and donors. (March 2024)
New Texas Law Prohibits Public Colleges, Universities From Having DEI Offices
A new Texas law prohibits public universities from having special programs supporting minority and LGBTQ students. Critics say these diversity, equity and inclusion programs are discriminatory and divisive. But many students say they are needed. Deana Mitchell has the story from the Texas capital.
Here’s What It Feels Like to Find Home Between Two Cultures
Cynthia Jia, a student at the University of Virginia, writes about how Chinese literature helped reconcile her to being part of two cultures. Read her story in The Cavalier Daily. (February 2024)
FAFSA Delays Prompt California to Extend Deadline for Financial Aid Applications
The California Legislature on Thursday voted to give prospective college students more time to apply for two of the state's largest financial aid programs after a glitch in the federal government's application system threatened to block up to 100,000 people from getting help.
California had already extended the deadline for its financial aid programs from March 2 to April 2. On Thursday, the state Senate gave final approval to a bill that would extend it again until May 2. The bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom.
"Clearly, our students need our help," Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, a Democrat from Riverside who authored the bill, told lawmakers during a public hearing earlier this week.
California has multiple programs to help people pay for college. The biggest is the Cal Grant program, which gives money to people who meet certain income requirements. The state also has a Middle Class Scholarship for people with slightly higher incomes.
Students can apply for these state aid programs only if they first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA.
This year, a computer glitch prevented parents from filling out the form if they did not have a Social Security number. That meant many students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents but whose parents are not were blocked from completing the form and thus could not apply for California's aid programs.
California has a large population of adults who are living in the country without legal permission. The California Student Aid Commission, the state agency in charge of California's financial aid programs, estimates as many as 100,000 students could be affected by this glitch.
The U.S. Department of Education says it fixed the problem last week, but those families are now a step behind. Democrats in Congress raised alarms last month, noting that the delay could particularly hurt students in states where financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, including Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon and Texas.
Advocates fear that the chaos of this year's process could deter students from going to college at all, especially those for whom finances are a key part of the decision.
The computer glitch is just one part of larger problems affecting FAFSA.
The notoriously time-consuming form was overhauled in 2020 through a bipartisan bill in Congress. It promised to simplify the form, going from 100 questions to fewer than 40, and it also changed the underlying formula for student aid, promising to expand it to more low-income students.
But the update has been marred by delays, leaving families across the country in limbo as they figure out how much college will cost.
The form is typically available to fill out in October, but the Education Department didn't have it ready until late December. Even then, the agency wasn't ready to begin processing the forms and sending them to states and colleges, which only started to happen this month.
The problems appear to have already reduced California's application numbers. Through March 8, the number of California students who had completed FAFSA was 43% lower than it was at the same time last year.
"The data most concerning me seems to suggest that these drops are more acute at the schools that serve low-income students or large populations of students of color," Jake Brymner, deputy chief of policy and public affairs for the California Student Aid Commission, told lawmakers in a public hearing earlier this week.
The issue has caused problems for colleges and universities, too. The University of California and California State University systems both delayed their admissions deadlines because so many prospective students were having trouble with FAFSA.