Every May, thousands of families, friends and professors come together to celebrate the university graduation ceremony. It is one of the most memorable days in some people's lives and one of their greatest achievements. Eagerness and enthusiasm are written on the students’ faces as they shake hands with teachers and mentors. Each handshake is closer to what they've been working toward for the past four years: a piece of paper that serves as a ticket to a career. Higher education only provides students with rudimentary skills on which to excel. Obtaining a degree is not enough for success, as success itself depends on the individual's innate abilities, motivation level, time invested and mentality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIn recent years, higher education has become the norm and is considered the backbone of success. When we think of successful careers, the terms engineer, doctor, lawyer, and CEO come to mind. These are all well-paying jobs and require a college degree. This is because people believe that success, money and college go hand in hand. This is partly correct, because when a person becomes the best at their job, they normally move up the promotion ladder until they can advance no further. Once a person reaches the zenith of their career, that's probably when they make the most money. The journey a person takes to reach the pinnacle of their career is what makes them successful, not the amount of money they make. For example, a person who never pushes himself and has an “I don’t care” mentality wins the lottery one day. They may have a lot of money, but that doesn't make them successful; it would only make them lucky. This means that success is not just about living a lavish lifestyle; it’s about wisdom and living to your full potential. A common misconception about success is that grades play a major role. In my opinion, grades do not have the ability to measure or predict an individual's future achievements and innate abilities. According to Afzaal's Grading and Its Discontents, "given the nature of the grading process and the limited purposes for which it is designed, the grades they receive in no way reflect who they are as people or even what they are capable of accomplishing. in the long term” (Afzaal par. 26). Afzaal and I both agree with the idea that people can achieve great things regardless of their grade point average. For example, a student may barely pass all of his classes. This does not mean that the student will have a poor future and struggle to make ends meet. They may have an innate talent that makes them exceptionally gifted when it comes to acting. The individual has the potential to become the next Grammy or Oscar winner, but this will depend on their motivation and interest in honing their talent, not on whether or not they receive good grades and a diploma. A determining factor in a person's success. perhaps it is their wisdom. This is acquired through experience and countless hours invested. According to the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, “the idea that excellence in performing a complex task requires a certain minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researchers have chosen what they believe to be the magic numberfor true expertise: ten thousand hours” (Gladwell 63). This ten thousand hour rule that Gladwell refers to is the amount of time one must dedicate to become a phenom or an expert in a specific field. If someone wants to master a subject, they must dedicate time to it. Higher education cannot provide students with all the time and experience needed to be the best in a career. It can, however, impart a foundation of knowledge, but it is the responsibility of the student to take what they have learned and devote more time to deepening their knowledge. Higher education does not offer students a guaranteed career. Many students go to college and choose a major that appeals to them. However, there is a common misconception regarding the relationship between passion and career choice. People always say, “Follow your heart” and “Find your niche.” This may seem like good advice, but when it comes to statistics, getting a degree can seem like a disappointment. According to Brad Plumer of the Washington Post, "Second, the authors estimated that only 27 percent of college graduates had jobs that were closely related to their major" (Plumer para. 3). This statistic was taken only a few years ago and it is incredibly low. Once students earn a degree in their specific field of interest, there is no certainty that they will find a job related to their major. This can feel like a pothole on a person's path to success, as they are sometimes forced to pursue a career in a field that doesn't interest them as much. But if someone truly aspires to succeed, that pothole can easily be filled and overlooked because that person will adapt and persevere. Knowledge and brainstorming are essential elements for success. As bell hooks states in Teaching Critical Thinking: “By the time most students enter college classrooms, they have come to dread thinking. Students who do not fear reflection often come to class assuming that reflection will not be necessary, that they will simply consume the information and regurgitate it at appropriate times” (Hooks 8). Hooks implies that students are more concerned with memorizing information for tests than understanding and learning a concept. I completely agree with hooks' statement because it seems like students no longer want to think critically or below the surface. Students just want to get good grades on all their exams, then leave that class with nothing more than a few facts they memorized and a good grade on their transcript. With such a mentality, people and students do the bare minimum to get by. This is not the mindset of a successful person. If someone wants to realize their full potential and specialize in something, then they need to learn the ins and outs of it because memorization is simply not enough. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayHigher education does not lead to success because success depends on the individual's aptitude, aspirations, time commitment and mindset. Innate talents and skills are an important factor in success. As long as someone has enough passion and ambition to hone their talent, any obstacle they encounter can be overcome. Every hour someone spends practicing and learning is closer to ten thousand. Devoting so much time to a career or.