Wisdom from Canadian Graduate's Mother

Here is what a wise mom says about her daughter's graduation in 2011:


"My daughter may have completed the 12th grade but that knowledge is not the same as the knowledge she will encounter in the outside world. I remember oftentimes telling her about what my husband’s professor told his entire classroom upon graduating from the 5th year of university. He asked the whole class what the diploma means. Before anyone could give their opinion he proclaimed: “This piece of paper gives you the right to forget absolutely everything you’ve learned here.” In some ways he was right. I remember that once I started work after graduating from college, the academic knowledge that I received wasn’t the same as what was expected of me on the job. I’m not saying that the academics were not necessary in order to perform the tasks, but the manner in which they were executed were not at all the same as what was taught. I changed four companies during my employment and all of them had a different method according to what worked best for that company, and part of my job was to be able to adapt to that. In the end, theoretical knowledge is mainly there in order for the individual to figure out what it is they are interested in and which career path they want to pursue in life. The real test of knowledge comes once that person steps out into the world and is faced with the choices , responsibilities, and tasks that come with life."