Topic 1: Does increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to

Topic 84: Some people who have been successful in the society do not attribute their 
success to the theoretical knowledge they learned at university. What is your opinion on 
the factors contributing to one's achievement?
 
(lay a solid foundation), (career development) ;
(Acquire new skills). (critical thinking skills), (analytical skills ) (problem-solving skills) (practical 
skills), ( on-the-job experience), (competence and personality ) (circumstances and opportunities)
People harbor different perceptions of tertiary education. Although higher education is 
recognized by many as the most important predictor of one's success, its efficacy has been 
subject to long discussion. It is always interesting to note that some people do not owe their 
success to the knowledge they acquired at university, despite the great effort they ever made 
in obtaining a qualification. In my opinion, tertiary education itself cannot guarantee one's 
success, and there are many other elements combined to mould a successful role model.
Knowledge, an essential element of one's success, is normally acquired through formal 
education, but it is not the only approach. A university is home to those teaching professionals 
who have a firm grasp of a given knowledge area and can impart it to students by various 
techniques. However, not the knowledge, experience and skills can be passed on to students 
by teaching. Experiences and rules of thumb are non-transferable at a traditional classroom. 
The only way to gain a mastery of them is the full participation in a job.
In addition to hands-on skills and practical experience, characters can foretell one's 
prospects. Society has been polarized as economic and social changes make it more 
competitive. Those with outstanding academic qualifications are not sought-after as much as 
before. Employers show interest in other qualities of an applicant, for example, resilience, 
Willpower and adaptability. It is increasingly believed that the most successful are normally 
those who are most likely to adapt to changes in their world. Some other qualities, such as the 
ability to work in a hard-working, stressful and ever-changing environment, are viewed as the 
shared traits of successful people. Running toward success is more of a marathon than of a 
sprint. Only those persistent, self-motivated and self-directed can eventually attain their 
objectives. 
Simplicity's sake, one does not need to cite all these factors to uphold the assertion that a 
college degree is not the precondition to personal success. Practical experience, a mastery of 
different skills and personality suffice to illustrate the complex nature of personal 
achievement. 
1. 
efficacy=effectiveness=usefulness
2. 
grasp=understanding=comprehension
3. 
rule of thumb=a rule based on experience
4. 
hands-on=practical
5. 
foretel1=predict=forecast=harbinger
6. 
polarize=separate
7. 
resilience=flexibility=elasticity
8. 
self-motivated=energetic
9. 
self-directed=autonomous=independent
10. 
for simplicity's sake
11.
assertion=declaration=contention=claim=statement 
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