Though yesterday’s forum dealt with globalisation, a question from the floor raised the attention about university education.

An architecture student raised the question on how the demands of a university’s course like hers impedes creativity.

“It really compromises in how we become creative because there’s so little time to explore,” she said.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan replied at great lengths, and in anecdotal fashion, about the trade-off between an education and activities outside the classroom, where the real learning is found.

As a medical student, he hit the books fervently in the first three months only to realise that he was missing out on other areas of his university education.

He then decided in a trade-off from his grades to spending more time in activities outside the classroom.

“All I need to do now was to aim for a C,” said the minister, eye surgeon and once President’s Scholar, which had the audience bursting into laughter.

Dr Balakrishnan’s tale of his younger days, juxtaposed with the lack of an adventurous spirit in some students during the question and answer session, resulted in this underlying impression: students do want to explore things outside the classroom but only if there is a solution to protect their grades.

Even worse was the assumption: the government or university should provide the solution for students to pursue their other interests.

And true enough, after what the minister had told the student, she followed up with a complaint that requires systemic change and not change from the within. “We voiced out our opinions but actually nothing gets done,” she said.

The idea of a trade-off entails giving something up over another. This trade-off is often uncertain and unpredictable. How many are willing to sacrifice good grades for valuable experiences elsewhere?

Not many.

How many students are willing to hand up an assignment late, or miss tutorials and put their grades on the line in pursuing their passions outside the classroom?

Not many.

When it comes to the crunch, students flock in numbers to protect their GPAs and academic certificates to safeguard their future careers.

Herein lies the crux of the matter. Pursuing an interest with passion will sometimes mean having to resign to the fact that your results will not be as good if you were to give it full attention. Often, the difference between an A and a B is only marginal when one reflects upon a test grade from a few years ago.

And this marginal difference is something only a few are willing to sacrifice to pursue the greater passion that fulfills and completes their university education.

As Dr Balakrishnan aptly put, Singaporeans are in danger of measuring success in terms of money and grades. This is indeed the root of the problem that is holding Singaporeans back from pursuing other interests.

Surely there are greater and better ways of measuring success.

The minister also added that a truly successful entrepreneur, a true leader, or a true pioneer is not motivated by grades or money – but the excitement of being at the cutting edge, a ringside seat to life, making a difference and leaving a legacy.

Ultimately, students should decide if they are willing to trade in that marginal for something bigger that potentially awaits them.

Once that trade-off is made, the decision understood fully, only then can you realise the full potential of your educational experience in the university.

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