Life
Chase The Knowledge, Not The Degree
By Christopher Duff
Forward by Ryan Elcock
If you were to ask someone what my greatest gift is, I am sure they would tell you that I have an iron will. I am not known for giving up or giving in and I always strive to overcome obstacles no matter how long it takes. However, I can say with utmost certainty that many would say that my second gift is that I strive to learn even from my failures. As I always believed that failure can sometimes be a better teacher than success, it is no surprise that I found this article written by my friend and colleague, Christopher Duff, so inspiring. For it was not too long ago when I was struggling in my Managerial Accounting class, while pursuing my MBA at Texas Christian University, back in 2007. Like Chris, this class proved to be an exercise in iron will and determination as I tried to get that C+ needed to get through the class. Yet, I gave it my all and discovered that a desire to learn, combined with mental fortitude, could lead to greater and future understanding in not only Managerial Accounting but also that other dreaded class, Operations Management.
So without further ado, I present a brilliant piece written by Christopher Duff titled:
“Chase The Knowledge, Not The Degree”
A few years ago I attended York University. I majored in Business Administration. I loved it! Rarely missed classes and was doing fairly well. But in my 2nd year at York I encountered a dilemma in which the outcome would have changed my perspective on why I was in school completely. As a part of my program, I was required to take a course called “Managerial Accounting”.
* Side note: I’m not the strongest in math, but I really like the subject. So a few weeks into the course I began to really struggle. I began failing quizzes and failing tests. But what was so weird was that though I was failing, I really loved the course. I loved the challenge. I loved what I was learning. At the time I was working at the Sears Liquidation Center in the receiving area, and I’d have my textbook inside the trailers with me and I’d be studying as I was unloading the trailers. Or I would be writing equations on the walls of the trailers and trying to work them out. (I know, it was vandalism.
Here was the dilemma: all my other subjects I was taking at the time, I was doing well in. I was getting A’s, but they were easy. There was no challenge. I didn’t feel I had to go to class because I was doing well even when I didn’t attend as much as I should have but there was just no stimulation. But when it came to Managerial Accounting, I couldn’t miss a class. I clung to every word that came out of the professor’s mouth, even though his English was horrible, I loved what I was learning.
