The gift of higher education

When I finished my final year of high school back in 2009, I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to further my education and study a degree of my choice. My parents had never questioned this notion either, and urged me to continue studying after school.


It is a known fact in society that with a degree you are more likely to get a better job and a higher salary. What I didn't really acknowledge until now is the fact that I am part of a minority of people in the world that have this opportunity. Let me put it this way, I am one of the 6.7% of the entire population of over 7 billion people that have a degree. Isn't that shocking? And at the same time it really makes me consider how unbelievably lucky I am that I have the precious gift of receiving higher education that was fully paid for by my parents.

With all the controversy surrounding South African politician Pallo Jordan lying about having an honorary doctorate, I thought about why an individual would do something so scandalous. One can easily point out that there is a certain level of prestige and respect rewarded to you along with your degree. During Apartheid, there were many people that did not have the opportunity to study extensively, but the pressure to impress and come across as well-educated brought with it a handful of known politicians with fake or exaggerated qualifications. This obviously doesn't excuse such behavior, but it illustrates the raw power of education in society.

There are so many young people desperate to study further, but simply don't have the means to do so. They don't have the financial track record to get a student loan approved in many cases, and even then it becomes a burden for them to pay off. Education is so very important, and it saddens me to think that the lucky few (myself included) take it for granted, and don't value what is handed to us on a silver platter to say the least.

Even though I have completed my studies, I still look back on the many times that I didn't appreciate the degree that I was privileged enough to study. Whether it was complaining about exams, missing lectures or handing in assignments late, I felt on many occasions that studying was a laborious stage of life that I had to get through. I so wish I could have approached the opportunity I was given with more passion and gumption, instead of the laissez faire attitude I developed as a student. Sleeping in late and going out with my friends seemed far more appealing!

To all of the young people that have been given the gift of a higher education, don't be a stereotypical student who wastes this opportunity away with excessive partying and neglect. Study hard, hand assignments in on time, appreciate your lecturers and squeeze every drop out of your epic opportunity to become part of the elite 6.7% of the population. x