Something to rely on

Academic qualifications should be viewed as personal triumphs as much as career milestones, writes Peter Lam

Learning has always been an important part of my life. In fact, I have never stopped studying since graduating over 15 years ago. Paradoxically, the more knowledge I have acquired, the more I have found myself lacking in knowledge. It seems that, once the quest for learning has been triggered, it is hard to stop.

After obtaining my first qualification in mechanical engineering, I studied building services and environmental technology. I obtained an honours degree in physics and mathematics, a postgraduate diploma in construction project management, an MBA and a Master's in English for the Professions and took some other courses without academic awards. Today, I am embarking on a part-time PhD in English Studies.

Some friends wonder how I have kept studying for so many years. They usually ask: "Is it worth studying that much?", "What are the incentives?" and "How can you cope with the pressure of working full-time and studying part-time?"

I always find it hard to give definite answers. I have never actually weighed the cost of studying a programme against the expected returns and have not had any concrete incentives in mind when I enrolled. All I thought was that the programme was interesting and could provide me with the knowledge I wanted. Probably, my studiousness and insatiable appetite for knowledge gave me the incentive to go on.

Taking a formal programme helps one acquire in-depth knowledge in a structured way. I see academic awards as milestones of self-actualisation and personal achievement.

Like many other part-time adult learners, I do sometimes feel the pressure of working full-time and studying part-time. Relaxing and even indulging myself for short periods whenever I accomplish a specific task provides relief. But the major trick is to ensure that I have chosen something I really enjoy. If we yearn to study something and really want to study it well, we have the internalised motives that turn pressure into adrenalin, plus the passion to keep ourselves going.

Nevertheless, I did crack up once! One year, when I was taking nine subjects for my BSc and six subjects for my part-time MBA, I burst into tears during exam revision, caused by a sudden, strong feeling of loneliness and compounded by exam pressure.

It may sound pessimistic, but I do not think of rewards in terms of pay rises or promotions, since my studies are not closely related to my working life. But I do believe that my academic qualifications help me compete for new jobs.

Academic qualifications can sometimes create embarrassment and make an unfavourable impression, should our jobs lag far behind our academic achievements. People may think that we are simply "nerds". If you are one of these unlucky people, don't blame yourself too much, because moving up the corporate ladder and getting academic achievements are very different games. The success of the former depends much more on luck and human skills than on intelligence.

Looking on the bright side, I see studying and achieving academic awards as a road to actualising my personal dreams and aspirations - a road on which no one will hinder me. Compared with the returns we get in our jobs and emotional lives, academic achievements are more controllable and predictable. Perseverance and diligence take one half the way to success. So, some day, I hope to present papers in international conferences, see my articles published in journals and even write a book!

Taken from Career Times 2004/01/30
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