A University Degree Alone Won’t Make You Successful! More Is Required!

Varsities churning out “half-baked” graduates are a bona fide concern in Kenya today. Good grades in our papers but out there we have no job. Many universities pump too much theories into students forgetting that the job market demand both theory and skills.

This is a real issue which has been haunting our graduates for years now and unless dramatic change is done, the chain of unemployment’s will raise high amongst graduates. The mindset to have papers first, has even forced female students to exchange sexual favors with lecturers for scores. Not leaving behind others buying degree certificates!

The admission of unqualified students for lucrative courses is a big peril also. Take for example; a form four candidate who cheated for an ‘A’ and got a University admission to pursue medicine or engeneering. Fake doctors? For they cannot perform? Fake engineers for they can’t deliver.

In Kenya, an ‘A’ has been so highly regarded, as if it is a key to a lifetime of success and prosperity. As a result the pressure to perform is so high, that most students would do anything just to get there.

However; most of these graduates are the ones who ignored their passions to sacrifice on academic papers. As much as university degree is important, create time and follow your passion too.

What if we also do what our hearts melts doing? Won’t we have much than enough?

“It was exactly sometime now when I was supposed to do group presentation in class. As a university student, my work was to read, sometimes cram if I could just to make sure I scored that ‘A’ in a particular unit. I was shy than you could imagine! Saying my name was even the biggest problem I could ever facade in my lifetime. It did not bother me as much, little did I forget that a university degree alone wasn’t enough to qualify me to the job market?

With a passion to pursue photography, I had decided to capture photos of my course mates just within the University and make money from it. I remember asking my friend of any good college I could study a part time course in photography. I felt it comfortable in being a photographer, nothing needed expression. In that, this could match with my shy character.

This issue kept hitting my head before it was too enough. What about the day I will go out for an interview? Yes, I will have good papers! But who will talk on my behalf on this day? Before I could answer myself all this questions, I landed myself to a new idea.

The idea of starting a mentorship program where I could build my public speaking skills and confidence as well; The then fuzusmart.com. Conducting talks to youths, children’s homes and high school students, which has really opened bunch of new opportunities for me. I could waste all this opportunities in the name of “reading for exams!” One confirmed, is being confident enough and as an ambassador of Writers Guild of Kenya which sharpened my writing skills and eventually made me have confidence in writing.” Faith says.

Many university students are too blind to take-in the job market in our country today need more than what is on papers.

“University degree does not equal to success. The same way lack of one doesn’t qualify for failure. It’s what you do with the knowledge and life skills you have that will make you successful.” ~ Dr. Chris Kirubi.

You are taking education at the university, how many students have you taught so far during your free time?

Pursuing a business course, how many banks and organisations have you approached to give you a chance to apply concepts taught in class?

We all need to think beyond library walls, the day when you won’t have time anymore to bask around university compound. Start that business you got in mind!

Girl, buy that dress, sell it to those your ‘lazy friends’ around campus, double the original price. Make money and next take it to the bank. Will we not be having enough but well prepared graduates in the job market? Will we not be managers on our own? Will we not solve the issue of million unemployed youths?

Think about it and open eyes before it’s too late!

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Faith Mutheu is a student at The University of Nairobi.  With a passion in leadership and mentorship; she is the founder of fuzusmart.com – a platform that seeks to help young people live their full life. She is also an author of the upcoming book “BEYOND OBSTACLES.”