As I begin my journey in the search for a co-op job, I begin to realize that a lot of things taught in school have nothing to do with what the employers are looking for. Sure, GPA matters, however, the difference between a B+ average and an A average does not affect whether or not you will succeed in securing a job. I realize that what you need to succeed, in this society, is far more than the skills you obtained by aceing the exams in school.
Again, I felt I was lucky. As I sift through the job requirements, terms like "leadership", "teamwork", "interpersonal skills" quickly popped into my eyes. These are the skills that I have always valued and tried to build myself around with.
I recall when I first started at SFU, the theme of the Orientation for that year is "Start a Journey, and Leave a Legacy". I thought to myself, "Wow, what a tag line... I will never come close to leaving a legacy."
Looking back, I was an insecure young man. Coming out from high school, with transcript full of C's and B's, doesn't help to boost my confidence either. I paid little attention to school. It got to a point that my math teacher actually referred to me in class as the "trash that will eventually go down the drain." The fact is, I didn't care much about "education". To me, learning physics and math, are, if to state bluntly, useless. However, I didn't go out to party either. Instead, I spent time in the library, reading through biographies on famous figures such as Winston Churchill, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, John Kennedy, Michael Jordan and, to many who didn't know until later and found quite surprised by my knowledge of, Chinese history.
I spent my high school life studying all sorts of things that were not valued by the traditional education system. I became really good at basketball, at skipping classes, at barely passing exam without studying and at organizing social outings. I also had my first relationship. To me, however, it was just like being a kid in a candy store, choosing what he wants and rejecting the treats that didn't appeal to him.
It was not until later, when I am in university, that I found I learned far more through experiencing all these things than my peers who hit the books like its their bible. Till this day, I think I mastered the art of essay writing through reading speeches made by Winston Churchill. I learned not to make mistake like the emperors in Chinese history who made decisions solely on gut instincts without making a full evaluation of the situation. I learned to appreciate life and love, and most importantly, the need to be persistant and determined in pursuing the things I want. After all, it took Michael Jordan seven years to get his first championship ring and it took Bill Gates the courage to drop out of Harvard to start Microsoft.
After 12 years of structured education, I was excited to embark on my journey in university. I can finally choose the courses I am interested in. However, my high school grades didn't allow me to have much options. I was enrolled into the TechOne Program at SFU Surrey, simply because the admission office had no where else to place me. So, as my fellow friends, whom by all accounts, are well educated and gifted, eagerly awaits for their first year to start, I found myself nervously anticipating a program that I had no idea about until the day I received my admission letter.
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