The Felicity Of Cgpa And The False Assurance Of Success

Written By Egbeolowo Olaitan

Some would say education is the best legacy, some would say education is a success guarantee in the real world, some would say education is the only legitimate way to be successful  in life.... Well, Whether education is the only way or not, we shall see as the world keep changing.
I could remember the common Apothegm that is very usual among the Nigerian parents which goes thus:
 "my son, Go to school,   Get good grades in order to get a safe secure job. This Apothegm has been trending in our society  for a very long time especially in the Occidental world. But this Fuddy- duddy mentality seem to be going on as the world keep changing... Little wonder, the idea of go to school, get good grades in order to get a safe secure job" was a good idea for people born before 1930. Today, we are are not in that age anymore (Dark Ages). 

In school we learn that mistakes are bad, and we are punished for making them. Yet, if you look at the way humans are designed to learn, we learn by making mistakes. We learn to walk by falling down. If we never fell down, we would never walk" 
I still don't know the reason why people keep engaging in a fierce competition of CGPA among themselves(first class). In the course of this competition of CGPA among these people, some would be happy while some would be sad and see their life(s) as a diminutive one all because of low CGPA. But  those who make it to first class would be joyful and see the world as if it is theirs alone.. But what baffles me most is that most of them do end up being a prominent member of the 'RAT RACE' (relying on paycheck all the day of their lives prone Hard working generation). One would ask what a rat race is....... A rat race is an endless, self- defeating, or pointless pursuit. A way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power. Most of them don't get rich on time because they've put their minds where they are not suppose to. The Yoruba's would say "IBI TI WON FI OJU SI ONA OGBA BE"

The felicity of CGPA and the False assurance of success inspired me to review my four semesters in TASUED; With a view to analysing the values inculcated into my life, and if a University Degree here in Nigeria is even worth the strive. Hmmmm!!! How on earth is it possible for  a decimal point to be a significant determinant of success? People commit suicide for not making a targeted gradient point. The society has catapulted us into a believe system that "not making a good CGPA means not making it in life"--- just like a simple analogy I asseverated AB-Initio. 

I have said this for the umpteenth time that not everybody is made for the system of Education in Nigeria. A place where some lecturers see as an avenue to extort the students through their unnecessary handouts and PDF Books. of course, their dubious ways of mounting pressure on the students especially  the females must not be left out(Sexual Harassment of the Highest order that is irresistible LOL). 
some are naturally gifted in fashion models, musicians, technicians, photographs, craftsmen Et cetera. These people are meant to be in their area of specialisation not in a place their talents doesn't belong to. Generally, the basic knowledge and usage of English is a Sine Qua Non to make headway in a British colonized country like ours. However, this can be achieve outside the four walls of the university (informal education/Non formal education). It is fallacious for one to believe that quality education can only be acquired through Formal education. It is an indubitable fact that most of the things taught outside the four walls of the school are not been taught in the university. I know of people who have come back to their right senses by discovering a way of Navigating in this century of ours. Aside from taken a good observation/experimentation, There are three categories of students in Nigerian Universities.

These are:

1. The EFIWES= These people can recite from Genesis to Revelation without skedaddling. They assimilate in a fast pace and learn within the shortest period of time.

2. The Averagees as I use to call them= these people always read and read in order to understand properly either by criming, regurgitation or any other means. these people normally dwells on B's/C's most of the time, unlike the 'EFIWES' who always kiss A's most of the time as if it is their birthright.....LOL

I once met an old friend of mine from Olabisi Onabanjo University. In the course of our conversations, he was just flowing as if something has been programmed in his memory. In fact, this guy can recite all the theories of notable philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, David Hume, John Dewey, Karl Max and others. I was flabbergasted and Gobsmacked to the extent that I had my teeth gnashed by such gigantic knowledge. Nevertheless, when I challenged this great grandiloquent Friend of mine to put all of these things into pragmatism by proffering a practical solution to something I posed before him, he fumbled and started stammering. Analytically, he is good on paper, he is a genius. But in pragmatism (the most important aspect), he is impotent and unforthcoming. Things like this catapulted me into a state of asking the Following questions...

What is the purpose of belabouring oneself on something that cannot be practically applied to one's life particularly the society in which one resides? What is the purpose of wasting so much time on a Fuddy-duddy education that is more of a theory than practical? I am a discussant of History and it has made me realise that from time immemorial, whenever there is problem in the society, tertiary institutions are places of solace. They are citadels of solutions. Government would go to schools to consult undergraduates, lecturers, professors as they posed to be the backbone of the society. Now, the so called education sector is in a state of oblivion due to the inability of our leaders to do the need be as expected of them. Education is now a form of Business Enterprise where they think they can just be rolling admission seekers in, and with the hope of  rolling them out when due... This is nothing but a pure madness coming from our leaders. But what pains me most is the proletariat. The proletariats are majorly the victims of this monstrous phenomenon. Who will now salvage us from this PENKELEMES? Could he be that we are heading for better days with this "PAPER WORK SYNDROME"? hmmmm!! Sometimes I look at some lecturers here in Nigeria that do encourages "Criming"   or "La Crime La Pour" by instructing their  students to give back verbatim on what they've learnt so far in that particular course. Are there no "common sense" persons at the corridors of Education anymore? Sometimes I wonder who is teaching whom?  Hmmmmm!!

Well, Strong CGPA like four point upward is good and something to have. It is a thing of pride to its followers (First class by force by fire).

I'm not saying good CGPA is of no use or worthless, but it is not a success guarantee in the real world. 
For instance, We know people like Wole Soyinka who by the grace of God graduated with a third class honour degree at the time of his studies in Ibadan where some people think he can't achieve much (Academically). But some of his course mates who graduated with first class were so much happy as at the time, and look at the future as if it is theirs alone... Now, let us take a good look at Wole Soyinka today. He is now a prayer point for some parents who wants their children to be intelligent at all costs. one would hear a nomenclature like 'OJOGBON SOYINKA'  attributed to someone who is intelligent. This style is very common in this part of the world especially among the Yoruba's. A third class degree Holder bagged Nobel Prize. What a life!  Hmmmmm!!! Should i call this a miracle or what? 

I am very much sure that some of his course mates who graduated with first class are no where to be found today. Graduating with a third class degree  Doesn't make you a total failure in life (our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising up every time we fall). It is a fact here in Nigeria to say some third class graduates are better of Some Folks  who claims to be Theoretical First Class as I use to call them . Graduating with a first class is great, but I believe so much in one's intelligent and what he or she has to offer me. I don't believe in what a Friend of mine(Adeyeye) describe as "PAPER WORK SYNDROME" as to whether you are a First Class or not. 

CGPA is not a correct measure of intelligence.
It keeps the students out of touch with reality.
GOOD LUCK!!!

Egbeolowo Olaitan (Popularly known as Wayne ) is an undergraduate student at TAI SOLARIN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION(TASUED) where he studies Educational Foundation/Political Science. 
He is a political philosopher, Versatile Researcher,writer and a SAPIOSEXUAL.