Knowledge vs. Degree

Today, I followed my daily routine; sit on the roof where cold air gently touches my hair and gives me room to think. I think that my troubles fly away with that air and refreshes my mind for incoming new ideas. Today, I have a different aspect of life to think about. I just had a discussion with my parents. They wanted me to get a degree in everything that I do whereas I wanted a real-time learning. I think learning is more necessary than to acquire an academic degree. The concept of knowledge only after degree builds an immense criticism in me.

In the context of Nepalese society, a degree-holder is in a demand. I would quote them the “Pandits” as people assume they are the knowledge house with every possible learning in their field. Well, “pandits”, meaning the holy spirit directly related to god, are only the people with normal degrees.

Can you guess what it would be for the people with MBBS or Engineering degree?

“People with immense learning intellectual”

Or in other words, “GOD”

Well, I agree that the rigor of the curriculum might make them knowledgeable. However, it has nothing to do with learning and degree. I would say that they have different identities. Simply gaining theoretical and some practical knowledge of the designated course would not make them “god”.

People have been performing most of the engineering skills from the ancient times. Remember the Egyptians who made pyramids with their skills who had no degrees. Also, Mayans had a good knowledge in astronomy though they were not even sure whether earth rotated the sun or the other way around.

All th eskills that we are used-to have been passed upon us by our ancestors. All the high-tech devices and scientific success are nothing but the refurnished form of simple tricks applied by the ancestors. So, these degrees have not brought any innovation to the world which could “wow” the people.

Lets take a recent example,

You must have heard about Kelvin Doe. Who was he?

The obvious answer would be He is the boy who became a youngest visiting practitioner at MIT who invented his own battery and also made a radio station.

From the fact, did he have any degree for doing so? He wasn't graduate of MIT or Harvard. In fact, he had not even completed his high school. Though, he had that knowledge and trenchant towards technology in him that paved his path to innovation.

Thing of Bill Gates or Mark Zugerberg or any other university dropout who has reached to the top position in the world. They are leading the economy but still, they have not acquired any degree. With this, I don't intend you to drop out. The gist is that learning does not need to be from getting a degree.

My interviewer of Princeton said that Bill Gates did not drop out because he could not study. Rather, he dropped out due to the disability of the degree-based curriculum which did not lead to the innovation he wanted. He clarified that ideas comes from brain and not degree.

I believe that my uncle who had only practical knowledge of working as a mechanic is a better mechanical engineer that a student with excellent GPA in mechanical engineering.

Degree never relates with learning. Knowledge can be gained at any moment with any methodology. Degree and learning are the different partitions. Learning grows with practice whereas degree only shows the way to that practice. People can learn from failures, innovations and accidental success. Kelvin did not “wow” MIT with his academic degree. Rather, he did it with much effort, failures, knowledge and innovation respectively. Microsoft and facebook did not evolve from degree. They arouse from innovation or knowledge.

The cold air is still playing with my hair. Though, the feeling of this playfulness of air has grown much deeper in my heart as I have reached to my conclusion. I don't know about the community but I am satisfied and clarified with my answers. I now feel that I must climb down the roof and go to sleep. Not a single book taught me to do so. But I will...