Overlooked Rewards

Anyone who observes high school juniors and seniors recognizes a widely held view about education: we educate ourselves to prepare for our careers.

With some exceptions, this strengthens a common belief that our academic classes must be “relevant”, and that if we are preparing for a career in business or accountancy, we should therefore major in it. Failing that, we should take “practical” courses.

But we see education too narrowly and cheat ourselves of one of its rewards.

To illustrate this myopia, consider the high school senior who decides to major in business. “Why learn about UK history, civil engineering or agronomy?” he might reasonably ask.

He chooses not to learn anything about these subjects. Then he ventures into the Real World. During just his first twelve-month period, he meets a history buff, a civil engineer, and the greenskeeper for a local golf course.

How does the young man engage these three people? Usually, by finding common ground. If he had even a glimpse of knowledge- a recollection of Winston Churchill strategy during war and etcetera – he can strike a conversation and, then a chord.

If all he can talk about is the narrow sphere in which he operates, he will continue to be confined in that sphere.

Education does more than prepare us for careers. It helps expand our minds and enlarges our world – the number of people with whom we can connect. Because education covers so much ground, it helps us find more of the ground that is common to others whom we meet.

The wider breadth of information you absorb, the more people you can engage. All education is relevant, all education is practical, and all education helps us grow. So for all ACCA students my best advice is to not narrow your field of thought, keep learning other topics to broaden your horizon… you never know how it will help, or with whom you could strike up a conversation with… a new boss perhaps!

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