It might seem that my response to mikestop asking “Are there smart, talented young people out there who are not served by the current tertiary education system?” is “Hell, yes!” but it’s not – at least for me. University prepared me to think and adapt within the IT world where most of us (graduates) can pick up any new technology very quickly without being trained on it. I wish I could have skipped maths (and a heap of other things) – but that’s with hindsight. I would have dropped Maths, Business Management and Mathematical Statistics (Wiskunde Statistiek – the most boring subject I’ve EVER done). I still don’t need them.

I think this is where the blog will make a huge impact.

Frankly though, this is where TomorrowToday.biz and organisations like it add value to my generation. The knowledge and learning you share alters outlooks. It de-polarises vision. My failures don’t look like failures anymore, but more like stepping stones. I don’t feel that I’m incurably non-committal anymore.

What demographic would you say the predominance of your presentations are aimed at? Are you speaking to the Boomers in need of a change in mindset, or the BYT’s that need a fire lit under their bums? Or both?

Who do you think will be the most money of these two positions in the next few years?

You see, your post reminded me of so many “pearls of wisdom” that have been passed on to me since leaving school. “A degree is the only key to a succesful career”, or “you must have something to fall back on”, or even, “you’re white – there is just no way you’ll ever get a job without a degree.”

I was sharing with Barrie at the HRDA conference how I’ve never been able to finish anything. Ok, I got through Matric ok, but in the six years since have started two degrees and quit both after six months. I’ve changed jobs five times, bought and sold three homes and am about to take delivery of my fourth car. The only constant, other than change, is my marriage (which is now in it’s third year – applause please…).

I carry huge baggage over my unfinished tertiary studies. I’ve always wondered whether I quit because I was lazy, or whether it was always foregone conclusion. I do not study well – I only understand short-term rewards, instant gratification and prefer action. I hated the fact that I was financially dependent on my parents while studying – I wanted to earn my own money.

So, is it ok to just resign my “failure” to my quintessentially Gen Xer personality, or have I just been slack? Where is the balance between constant change and consistent discipline? I seem to be doing ok without any formal tertiary education, but deep down inside, I would love to have a string of impressive letters hanging off my name.

You’ll forgive this largely personal reply, but I guess I’m asking larger questions as well. Are there smart, talented young people (not that I’d ever presume to be one) out there who are not served by the current tertiary education system? What does this say to the new generation of OBE learners graduating from secondary education?