I believe most people step into the working world with a chip on the shoulder. Whether it's proving one's education history doesn't define future successes or showing one can translate academic excellence into successes in adult/professional life, there will never be short of doubters in life.
For myself, the word I constantly hear from others is "读死书", a derogatory phrase that is meant to belittle people who excel academically but unable to adapt to the dynamic working world. I would never claim I'm a creme-of-the-top student, but at least I excel well enough academically to be able to graduate from a prestigious university, and hence I do not appreciate when I hear the phrase "读死书".
Whenever I hear "读死书" in social gatherings, I try to maintain silence and listen to how others describe education excellence means very little in the working world. I guess it's a combination of being more mature as I aged as well as how university life has taught me humility. My university life has humbled me beyond anything I can imagine before I entered university. The pre-university Tiong Chin would never keep quiet when others say "读死书".
I do not deny that the working world or adult life is an entirely different ball game. Everyone takes varied paths towards achieving success in the post-education life, unlike education where excellence is evaluated mainly by grades and we are educated in a more-or-less standard system. I am fully aware that academic excellence means very little and everyone starts from zero as we step into the working world. I understand it's the reality of life.
But I find it amusing that those people who brought up "读死书" to undermine academic excellence, often cite Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg as example of successful people who excel in life but never graduate from university. Little do these people know both Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg excel academically before dropping out of university, Harvard University nonetheless tqvm.
Even more amusing is that many of these people, who did not excel academically, seems to think/feel that they are special just because they surround themselves with successful people outside of their office life, and often talk about success by quoting from successful people's stories. As arrogant as this may sound and regardless of what these people think of me, it means little to me to be quoting and talking about success in life when they have as much to show about their success in life as those who excel academically. It is other people's success stories, not yours.
All in all, we all strive to be the best that we could be, no matter at which stage of our life, be it as a student or working adult. The past is not a guarantee of success in future, but never doubt what you strive to achieve in the past because what you did in the past paves the way for your future. I wish the best to every one of my friends out there, whether you agree with my post or not.
