If results had you in the 91 club and you feel depressed by it, this for you.
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We have heard the news, shocked as everyone is by the staggering 91% who failed the Ethiopian university entrance exam. What really is going on here is another topic. These crazy numbers have hit us for the last few years and become students’ nightmarish reality. Where does life go from here, from being in the 91%? Hang on as we dust off a couple of things that make the situation gloomier than it should be.
No insincere condolences, and no, don’t make a big deal out of it. The sting is very personal. Some missed out on so much high school fun, devouring their books, exhausting themselves through worksheets, making piles of flash cards, and planning universities and departments they will join. There are others who, for the love of the fun they assume uni would be, wish they had made it. Obviously, the sting is different, but there is no downplaying it.
If results had you in the 91 club and you feel depressed by it, first of all, know this is expected.
Lower academic results make students almost 5 times more susceptible to mental distress. You are not exaggerating; take your time to feel it. Your dad is going to be upset? Athlete Haile Gebresilassie once told how disappointed his dad was with him pursuing athletics instead of becoming a teacher. You think his dad was still upset after the first few Gold medals? Your family will get over it, too, so try not to internalise any harsh words that might be thrown your way. Too cliche, but this is literally not the end of the world. It’s probably the beginning of a fun one.
Stats on how this isn’t the end of the world.
Here is a quick reminder of the big names who didn’t make it to uni or dropped out, but were not failures in life. Henry Ford, Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg- we can be here listing for hours, but you get the point, it’s not uni or die. It’s actually uni or countless opportunities to explore. Buckle up for all the possibilities your life could turn out to be.
If you have somehow been misled into thinking your degree is the only ticket to financial freedom, know that about 30% of billionaires are not uni graduates. Even if a degree has enduring significance, there is a trend towards skills-first preference amongst employers. Join that bootcamp, take that in-demand course, get to work, and you will have some real skills to sell. Your path may not be as linear, and you may have to put in the extra work to prove yourself, but the value you offer is what companies need and are gradually learning to give a chance. That is, if you are pivoting on career development.
There is also the entrepreneurial track to pursue. Many successful startups have been founded by non-degree holders in Ethiopia. Semegn Tadesse, Bethlehem Dessie, Ezedin Kamil and many more young tech talents challenged and debunked the Ethiopian myth- a university degree is synonymous with success. You understand this isn’t to downplay the route of those who went on to do their degrees, it’s to open you up to the vast prospects the time has rewarded us.
So, if you felt like you hit rock bottom, finding out you were one of the 91%, you have fair reasons, but know times have changed, really. Take the chance to reconsider that passion you scraped, artists are no longer fated to be broke and struggling. You can be a self-taught expert at whatever you set your will to do. Technology has brought forth channels to capitalise on your talent. It’s more about how you do it than what you do. Take being in the 91% as a blessing in disguise.
