Key, Door and Ladder

Decided to share this analogy which I started using for my speech for the elections of DE Club Management Committee. It is perhaps something which I'd like to share with all students.

The key which is often known as the passport to all the companies out there is what I refer to as the degree that every student is chasing. I was talking to Prof Tan Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost and we were talking about this paper chase which is pretty obvious in our current society. What are we exactly chasing for? What is this paper all about? What is it for? Why are we so engrossed in this chase that we are so sucked into this game? What is beyond this key or is it the end of it all?

Next is the door which the key is able to open. Definitely, what degree you hold can open some door and leaves some others permanently shut. For example, someone who is a Major in Chemistry and try asking him to be a valuer. I bet he can do so but only after some training. But at the start, the door of Real Estate Valuer is closed and perhaps only chemistry related industries are open for him.

And yes.. The level of your degree may matter too! Perhaps a first clas honours can open the door of some big MNCs and a Pass degree may not be able to do so. However, there have been cases where the employer filtered out the 1st class students as they are deemed to be too academically inclined and perhaps they will expect much more from the company than the amount that they can give back to the company.

Lastly, it is the ladder. Behind every single door is a ladder and that is the ladder of Power, Influence, Fame and Name. **money too** And it is actually this ladder that matters the most which is failed to be recognised by many others in life when studying hence, they focus more on studies than on developing skills which can benefit them to climb the ladder. What is the destination of this ladder? The destination is the second storey of the whole building where every single door is closed but not locked. This is the storey where you will be able to gain access to every room only if you try to and the good thing is that you have enough reputation to do so.

In fact if you were to think about it, everyone will reach here, be it you are 1st class or pass degree, as long as you have the capabilities to climb the ladder. And the entry to every other door in the second storey is another ladder that will lead you higher and higher.

So.. Which is actually more important? The ladder or the key? Perhaps we have been taught to go for the key and everything else can wait till you get the key. But my take is that, if you can, why not get both together? By the time you are ready to learn how to climb the ladder, you would have been socially constructed to undermine your own abilities to climb the ladder. Hence, the message is.. Start early and start learning.. Maintain a balance with chasing the key and at the same time, start to learn about climbing the ladder. And one point to note is the, the key is just the destination. It is the journey that matters. The knowledge gained in the process that matters.

Was quite heart-warming to see Jianming teaching and going through with Ryan on her soci MTT and what went wrong with her concepts. That is really nice to help each other to get the 'key' and also to build friendship. =D

For those who have heard me talk about this, sorry to be lo-so. For those who have yet to, I hope that this have made you think a bit. **i bet u will at least use a bit more of your god-given brain to think about what I've mentioned here than that class quiz of mine..**