Formal qualifications - help or hindrance?

[MarkB]

I've tried to view life as a series of learning experiences.

You can't change the past, but the real tragedy would be that if you didn't learn from it.

I think someone on this board even defines insanity as "doing what you have always done, but expecting different results".

Even very negative events can have positive outcomes.

Perhaps my most profound experience was when I was 16.

Before this particular event I was somewhat shy, and easily walked over.

What happened was that I suffered quite a beating at the hands of about 4 or 5 young fellows (the fight had actually started when a mate of theirs attacked me - only I was considerably larger and more skilled at fist fighting than he was - they stepped in to help him).

Two broken teeth, a shiner and a badly bloodied nose later it ended.

At the time it was awful.

But it did wonders for my confidence.

Nobody looked sideways at me after that.

MB

 

[jahn]

MB
Unfortumately, I can't claim credit for the quote (but I like it), but from the same area of learning was another attitude to lessons, along the lines that there are no such things as negative events, only different events to learn from. The attitude to the event is either positive or negative. And so the learning goes on.
Agree with your post;
"I've tried to view life as a series of learning experiences.

You can't change the past, but the real tragedy would be that if you didn't learn from it."

And Acey
They tell me the oportunity to learn the lesson you were talking about doesn't come along too often. I'm not in a hurry to learn that one.

"I have always considered the day I die to be one in which I will learn something very important "

jahn

 

[Nimee]

While being the first to admit that a piece of paper has nothing to do with you wealth creation abilities, it has been very necessary in my case.

With out the degree I could have never been granted a visa. It counted 80 towards a passmark of 110 at the time [skilled migration]. Immigration assesors in overseas embassies don't give you resident visas just because you say you can make it happen

However since I got here it counted nothing except to get my first job. After that nobody even asked to see it!!! ,And certainly not when buying properties

 

[Aceyducey]

On topic,

My formal quals (Business Maj: Marketing) have helped in several ways:

Generated the cash required to enter the property market.

Provided me with the discipline & skills to assess investments, formulate plans, negotiate, read financial figures & more.

All of this I could have achieved outside of formal education - probably faster - but only if I had first known what my goal was (which I didn't at 18yrs).

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[Jimmyjamjars]

Originally posted by Aceyducey
All of this I could have achieved outside of formal education - probably faster - but only if I had first known what my goal was (which I didn't at 18yrs).

Acey,
Sorry mate but there's only one thing I was chasin' at 18 & it had nothing to do with money or wealth. Then again, it used to cost me a bundle chasin' it.
JIM

 

[Chantal]

Hi MB,

Sometimes the more your knowledge (particularly in legal areas) the more you suffer from the type of analysis paralysis that the average person doesn't feel. It's very good in that case to have a partner who isn't like that and can balance you!

 

[MarkB]

Chantal

As it turns out my partner is an admitted soliticitor.

MB