It's been awhile since I turned 20. By spending the first two decades learning and living, the first year out of teenage-hood is thought to come with a set of social expectations. At this age, you are expected to be confident with your character and spit out lines of sophisticated speech that immediately shows your values and your goals in life. The more I thought into this, the more bothered I became by the fact that I am nothing like that. Here I am, 20 years old, still haven't got too much clue what I want to do when I graduate and constantly lost in finding my own character. Is it wrong that I haven't found my passion yet? Is it wrong that my values and ethics are changing?
I mean I am not the president of student council but I participate and take on important roles in extra-curricular activities. I am not a genius but I do well in school by my own standards. I am not crazy popular but I have friends that I consider caring and important to me. Are all these really enough? Couple years ago I thought if there are people who can be so influential, why can't I? What happened to my love and passion to make the world a better place? To be very honest, I am not sure. More often I find myself settling for less. Often I find myself thinking all I need is a big house, two cars, and a loving family. And often I find myself losing grasp of some ethical values and believes that I held extremely close as a core of my character.
I am not too worried though. Not knowing what I want to do means I can do anything I wanted to do. Redefining my values and character means I can be the person I have always envisioned myself to be. Sometimes we lose ourselves in the reality of this world that can be sometimes unhealthy. Sometimes I just need to shake myself up and tell myself to wake up and be the person I always pictured myself to be.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
The Most Expensive Piece of Paper
Asking a 17-year-old, who's not old enough to purchase alcohol, to decide on what he/she wants to do for the rest of his/her life must be the most ridiculous expectation the society has put on a teenager. In one of my favourite episodes from Freakonomics Radio - a radio podcast that takes an economist view on the world - talked about the value of a university degree. Halfway through my own university degree, I already find myself becoming interested in a career that has nothing to do with what I am learning in the classroom. Especially when I already forgot 90% of the material I have learned just few months ago. So then why am I spending tens of thousands of dollars and years of my time doing something that I might never do again? What is the real value behind that piece of diploma that everyone is sacrificing so much to obtain? This topic intrigues me.
Let's ignore the anomalies for a second here (Bill Gates and Ph.Ds driving a taxi). The truth is, a university degree will pay off economically. According to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, "A university graduate will earn $1.3 million more over his or her lifetime than someone who has not gone beyond highschool." And by pulling numbers for Statistics Canada, the CBC reported that "during the past five years, 20 per cent more jobs were created requiring a university education." Evidently by the stats, an average university grad will enter society with a higher wage and a higher chance of employment than those without a diploma.
So we know that a university diploma will pay off, but have you ever thought of getting a fake degree?
A corporation called University Degree Program which operated from 98-03 grosses $453 million in selling diplomats. What is worse is that they sold degrees in anesthesiology, radiology, cardiology, and other medical degrees. Now, where do you think they are employed? With the establishment of the internet, the industry exploded. The F.B.I estimated that 1% of all university diplomas are fake, and one of them could very well be your doctor. Another thing you have to consider is the opportunity cost of university. While you are spending your time studying, you could have spent that time working at a full-paying job. University is an investment of $100,000 and 5 years of time that presents no clear evidence of any real results. When deciding this against a full-time job and a greater chance to advance, the dilemma is really more difficult than everyone seems to think. So this really begs the question, what is the real value in a legitimate university degree and is my investment really paying off? Everyone knows that going to university is good, but exactly how?
This is a question that no one seems to be able to answer. In my opinion, university is so much more than just inside the classroom. It made me become a more mature, responsible, and aware human being. It is troubling to think that people are so desperately trying to justify their investment that they are studying subjects that will guarantee a job rather than a field in which they are interested in. I am in no way suggesting that anyone should go all out and chase their passion, but I am saying it is important to find a well balanced path. Return of investment isn't something that can be quantified and it definitely isn't measured on the final result. It is something we should look for on the journey and the process that will teach us the invaluable.
"It is impossible to learn a new way of thinking without unlearning what one's already learned. Education is transformative rather than the acquisition of new things. That means changing a set of assumptions, how to see things, and what's real"
If you are interested in this topic, I highly recommend you to listen to their podcast, I have no doubt it will change the way you look at the world - "Freakonomics Goes to College"
Let's ignore the anomalies for a second here (Bill Gates and Ph.Ds driving a taxi). The truth is, a university degree will pay off economically. According to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, "A university graduate will earn $1.3 million more over his or her lifetime than someone who has not gone beyond highschool." And by pulling numbers for Statistics Canada, the CBC reported that "during the past five years, 20 per cent more jobs were created requiring a university education." Evidently by the stats, an average university grad will enter society with a higher wage and a higher chance of employment than those without a diploma.
A corporation called University Degree Program which operated from 98-03 grosses $453 million in selling diplomats. What is worse is that they sold degrees in anesthesiology, radiology, cardiology, and other medical degrees. Now, where do you think they are employed? With the establishment of the internet, the industry exploded. The F.B.I estimated that 1% of all university diplomas are fake, and one of them could very well be your doctor. Another thing you have to consider is the opportunity cost of university. While you are spending your time studying, you could have spent that time working at a full-paying job. University is an investment of $100,000 and 5 years of time that presents no clear evidence of any real results. When deciding this against a full-time job and a greater chance to advance, the dilemma is really more difficult than everyone seems to think. So this really begs the question, what is the real value in a legitimate university degree and is my investment really paying off? Everyone knows that going to university is good, but exactly how?
This is a question that no one seems to be able to answer. In my opinion, university is so much more than just inside the classroom. It made me become a more mature, responsible, and aware human being. It is troubling to think that people are so desperately trying to justify their investment that they are studying subjects that will guarantee a job rather than a field in which they are interested in. I am in no way suggesting that anyone should go all out and chase their passion, but I am saying it is important to find a well balanced path. Return of investment isn't something that can be quantified and it definitely isn't measured on the final result. It is something we should look for on the journey and the process that will teach us the invaluable.
"It is impossible to learn a new way of thinking without unlearning what one's already learned. Education is transformative rather than the acquisition of new things. That means changing a set of assumptions, how to see things, and what's real"
If you are interested in this topic, I highly recommend you to listen to their podcast, I have no doubt it will change the way you look at the world - "Freakonomics Goes to College"
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
ISIS - What Role Do We Play?
If you had access to the internet in the past couple of weeks, then you are familiar with the name ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). They are currently the biggest threat to the national security of many western nations and the new face of "the war on terror". The expansion of ISIS has entirely reformed the politics of the middle-east as well as neighboring European nations. It has certainly affected the supposedly "safe" North American continent, and if you think ISIS has nothing to do with you, you are wrong. The Parliament Hill shooting late last year by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau and his possible connection to ISIS, the seemingly unending news reports of Canadians being radicalized by ISIS, Canada's increased military involvement in the middle-east as well as the new proposed C-51 "anti-terrorism" bill are undeniable evidences that ISIS is having an impact in North America.
In 2003, the U.S. under the Bush administration invaded Iraq. Killing Saddam Hussein and installing democracy in the country. At the same time, the U.S. military destroyed the infrastructure of the country. This left a "power vacuum" that gave rise to a small insurgent group in Iraq in 2006. In 2009, ISIS shifted its focus to the Syrian Civil War where countries such as the U.S., Isreal, and Saudi Arabia were providing money, training, and weapons to the rebels Syrian Free Army in the name of democracy. In 2013 the CNN reported that "CIA-funded weapons have begun flowing to Syrian rebels". Part of that group later formed the Islamic State group, beginning the ISIS group.
Currently, the U.S. and Canada are bombing ISIS controlled oil fields in Syria and Iraq to crumble their funding source. Again, destroying the infrastructure. Why are there no sanctions established for banks and oil companies that are trading with ISIS? So it must be logical that the U.S. has alternative motives in the region. Maybe they are trying to destroy the Syrian infrastructure and collapse al-Assad's government. History again and again, the U.S. is creating its own enemies. In fact, Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are both funded and started by the CIA.
I am in no shape or form suggesting that the we are the ones to blame for the radical movements of ISIS. What they are doing is undoubtedly wrong, cruel, and inhumane. However, it is important to realize the implications of our foreign policies, and the actions our political leaders are taking in the name of democracy.
In 2003, the U.S. under the Bush administration invaded Iraq. Killing Saddam Hussein and installing democracy in the country. At the same time, the U.S. military destroyed the infrastructure of the country. This left a "power vacuum" that gave rise to a small insurgent group in Iraq in 2006. In 2009, ISIS shifted its focus to the Syrian Civil War where countries such as the U.S., Isreal, and Saudi Arabia were providing money, training, and weapons to the rebels Syrian Free Army in the name of democracy. In 2013 the CNN reported that "CIA-funded weapons have begun flowing to Syrian rebels". Part of that group later formed the Islamic State group, beginning the ISIS group.
Currently, the U.S. and Canada are bombing ISIS controlled oil fields in Syria and Iraq to crumble their funding source. Again, destroying the infrastructure. Why are there no sanctions established for banks and oil companies that are trading with ISIS? So it must be logical that the U.S. has alternative motives in the region. Maybe they are trying to destroy the Syrian infrastructure and collapse al-Assad's government. History again and again, the U.S. is creating its own enemies. In fact, Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are both funded and started by the CIA.
I am in no shape or form suggesting that the we are the ones to blame for the radical movements of ISIS. What they are doing is undoubtedly wrong, cruel, and inhumane. However, it is important to realize the implications of our foreign policies, and the actions our political leaders are taking in the name of democracy.
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