When did I start believing in the farce that there are some subjects of study that were worse than being illiterate? Yes! It was when I wanted to choose subjects for my WAEC class in SS1. That was in 1996. My love has always been for management courses but because I was equally good at sciences, my class teacher did everything in his powers to cajole me into opting for science class with subjects like Chemistry, Physics, Biology and the likes. That would have qualified me for the glorified ‘best’ courses like medicine, pharmacy, engineering, etc.
I have since forgotten the childish dichotomy since I got to the university until recently when I was leafing through a popular online social forum. One of the hot topics for discussion on a particular date was titled ‘The Worst and the Best Courses’. As may be expected, the topic generated heated comments among the forum members. Lists of courses were branded the ‘best’ or the ‘worst’, depending on the inclination of whoever was commenting.
Interesting! At least to kill a boring evening. But… The truth is, there is no best course and neither is there any worst course to study in higher institution. I have been greatly opportune to participate in HR matters which include recruitment and selection exercises. I won’t downplay the fact that some courses may fetch you bulky salaries if and only if you are lucky to find yourself at some cozy corners but many holders of derided courses are doing very well as well.
The Corporate Symbiosis
In real life, no one course superintends over others. The best Financial Accounting textbook I used in the university was written by a holder of first degree in Petrochemical Engineering. That’s just an opener. The corporate world out there actually thrives on what can be called corporate symbiosis. One course dovetails into the others. That’s why you’ll find graduates of various disciplines in banks, insurance, telecommunications companies and the oil and gas industry.
Where I work recently, a truly world class international school, graduates of ‘looked down upon’ courses like History, Music, African languages, French and PE are in high demand. They are well paid, more than what many bankers get. Yes, I said it and I meant it! Teachers now live large. Some principals can conveniently compete with high-ranking managers in the banking or the telecommunications industry. Yet, we would have referred to their disciplines as the ‘worst’ courses.
Apple Inc. recently hired many graduates of Sports, who know nothing about tech, and they are paid heavily. Their job is to help work on the Apple iWatch that is anticipated to predict the onset of heart attacks and other cardio-vascular symptoms
Are we trying to say that there are not many graduates of Medicine, Law or Engineering who languish on jobs that barely pay their house rents? The issue is not about the course. It is about opportunities and the unceasing capability to grow on the go. The current unemployment war on the land has even made it clearer that many undergraduates stand a better chance of surviving well if they develop skills in vocational fields.
The kennel of this article is to encourage those that may think they are in the wrong fields because of their courses of study. I repeat, there is nothing like the best course or the worst course. The only thing you can have is your worst self – if you allow yourself to be downgraded. Everything all comes down to who you think you are, what you think you can do, and how far you believe you can go. Your present course of study may not even decide your future career yet. I did Business Administration but I am more at ease with writing. Till we talk next time, love yourself, love your course, and believe in your future.
Do you have any course you would you have loved to study in school
