Study hard to go to a good school. That is a common Asian parent advice and hope for their children, as going to a good school seems to imply a doorway to a better life and future for their children.
Along the way, people forget Why and How going to a good school may lead to a better future. Just getting good grades and going to a good school on its own does not guarantee you will make lots of money, have close friends or be a good person when you grow up.
So why is it still a worthwhile effort to strike for good understanding of your discipline, get into a good study programme and school ecosystem?
Ms. Julie Zhuo, Co-Founder @ Sundial has a very insightful LinkedIn post sharing on this subject. Her actual post and reflection is found here. Ref: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7056280644502372353-IbWG
Below is her synthesis and reflection of one of the true value of getting into a “good” school.
“The number one reason you will benefit from a top company or school is because you will be surrounded by great peers.
And the reason great peers will help your career is that they will normalize doing hard things.
For example, when I was in my early twenties, the following list of activities would have seemed absolutely batshit crazy: Starting a company. Climbing Mt. kilamanjaro. Running a marathon. Collaborating on fundamental research. Making a documentary. Skiing double-black diamonds. Opening a restaurant. Starting a non-profit.
Today, these things don’t seem crazy. They seem normal because I know people who do them, and they’re real people, not superhuman gods — people I’ve had lunch with, partied with, taken trips with, argued with, collaborated with.
And yes I admire them, and yes I think these things are hard, but I also think to myself, if they can do these things, if I actually saw them doing these things… why can’t I do things like that too?
Seeing people around you regularly dream big makes you dream bigger. Seeing them regularly try for their dreams makes you more likely to try for yours. In fact, you’ll probably feel worse not dreaming big and trying because you’ll feel left out…
If you buy this reason, it’s also clear to see that even if you don’t have a prestigious school on your resume, you can still apply this principle.
Spend time with people who make you more like the person you want to be. Follow inspiring people on Twitter. Join groups or companies based on people.
The most priceless gift you can give your career is the feeling that going after hard things is normal.”