Academic studies - is it really important?

In every generation we are taught to invest in school studies so that we can later on be accepted for academic studies and obtain an academic degree. In the 80's and 90's of the 20th century, the issue of academic studies was so important in society and I even remember that they used to say that if you don't have an academic degree, it will be very difficult for you to find a job and make a living afterwards.

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Therefore, in these years, the entire investment in the education we received from our parents and teachers was to focus on studies, so that we could be accepted into an academic institution, get an academic degree, and then get a good job. In fact, everyone repeated this claim blindly without understanding the true meaning of academic studies. Are these studies only important for the certificate that will get us a good job later? And is the claim true that without an academic degree it will be difficult for us to find a good job? It is clear that these claims are not necessarily true and in this article I will explain my perception of the academic world.

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Today, in the 21st century, we are living in an unprecedented technological era that allows us to freely consume information from various sources, so everyone can focus on a wide variety of different learning areas and actually learn several topics on their own.?

This is a major reason why an academic degree as we remember from the 20th century has significantly lost its value. After all, if we are really interested in learning and enriching ourselves, we have a huge database of information due to the growth of the Internet.

Now let's go back to the argument that was repeatedly thrust upon us when we were younger. "We have to invest in studies so that we can be accepted into an academic institution, get an academic degree and then get a good job." This claim actually reinforces the fact that the academic studies are intended solely so that we can find a good job, and therefore we must study not because of the depth that we are really interested in studying but because of the fact that we need to get the certificate which is the academic degree.

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In fact, for years we would study automatically without understanding what the true meaning of academic studies is. We would directly link academic studies to finding a job and receiving a salary.?

Today in the 21st century in the age of technology where a lot of information can be consumed freely, the value of the academic degree has decreased significantly and it is not a sure factor for success in our adult lives. Another reason for this is that 85% of university graduates have absolutely nothing to do with what they studied at university and when they do find a job, they must learn once again how to work efficiently and contribute to their company in which they work.?

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In fact, most academic graduates upon completing their academic studies and receiving their academic degree will have to start over again due to the fact that they do not have many years of experience in a specific field and in addition, the theories they learned during their academic studies have no real basis in real life.?

Today, workplaces focus more on the job candidates' personal connections, experience in a specific field, the ability to express themselves and convey a message clearly, the ability to produce output for that company and less on an academic degree based on theoretical studies that in most cases have no connection to the current reality of the world of employers and employees.

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Of course, there are specific professions in which employment requires academic studies, such as law, medicine, biotechnology, teaching, science and research (for which you must continue your academic studies and complete a doctoral degree or PhD), etc.

But the truth is that most of those young individuals who start academic studies do not really know what they want to do in their lives and therefore they are in the 85% category which states that they will probably not deal with their subjects of academic studies later on in their lives .

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Do I recommend you study academic studies? It depends a lot on your future goals. At the same time, there is a distinct advantage between a candidate applying for a job who holds an academic degree and a candidate who does not hold an academic degree.?

In this example, let's assume that both candidates lack experience in a specific field they applied for (perhaps they even applied for an?apprenticeship in a specific field). For the employer reading the resumes of the two candidates, it would be worthwhile for him to take the candidate with the academic degree, due to the fact that this candidate simply proved that he has the ability to sit down and study.?

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Due to this ability, the employer knows that the same candidate with an academic degree (even if he has no experience in the field) has the willingness to persist in learning and therefore it will be easier for him to learn and become professional in the new workplace. Of course, this does not reflect general intelligence, IQ level or potential for future success in the workplace.?

Apparently the candidate holding the academic degree memorized and studied theoretical material just to get the certificate of the academic degree, but at the same time it shows that he has the ability to sit down and invest time even if it is memorizing material without any deep understanding of it.

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Think for a moment if you were an employer right now, who would you prefer to hire as a salaried employee? A person who has proven that he has the stubborn ability?and the tenacity to sit down and study or a person who has not?proven that he has the same ability?

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I mentioned at the beginning of the article that the value of the academic degree has decreased significantly in recent years, but at the same time in Germany it is still very important to many youngsters who receive encouragement to study academic studies from the German society. The words "Bildung" (education) and "Abschluss"(diploma, degree) are familiar and very important words among youngsters in Germany who believe in the power of higher education.

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At the same time, many immigrants who come to Germany do so with the aim of studying in order to receive an academic degree at an academic institution. Does everyone do it willingly? Of course not, because for many immigrants who wish to settle in Germany, one of the options available to them is to enroll in academic studies, obtain an academic degree, and then integrate into the German labor market and continue their immigration process.?

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From Germany's point of view, it is indeed worth it to set a criterion of academic studies for those immigrants due to the fact that these studies will make those immigrants more educated (not everyone has the ability to study and acquire knowledge alone from the Internet) and therefore, increase their chances of finding a job in Germany and integrating into German society.

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In conclusion, I would like to make it clear again that today in the 21st century, each of us has the ability to acquire knowledge independently, and not necessarily register to an academic institution. In fact, I encourage you to do this because not all the subjects that interest you can be studied at an academic institution.

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Being able to learn on your own will allow you to be more independent and acquire a lot of knowledge in a relatively short time. Beyond that, I emphasize once again that an academic degree is not an indication of success in a specific field or an IQ level, but is an indication that the holder of the degree can sit down for hours and study, therefore, most likely?he can be trusted more and be hired as a salary employee in a specific company also because of his patience.

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Also, today's world is much more complex than before, so an academic degree will not be a sure measure of success for you, but at the same time it could still be your entry ticket to the job market to a certain extent.?

Over time, as you are exposed to more information and you'll gain more work experience, you will be able to know what really interests you and then specialize in that?specific field.?

Always remember that you must choose to learn what interests you and not what society dictates to you because once you focus on the field of interest, you will be able to learn it in a fun way according to your natural inclinations and also succeed in your professional career in the future.