According to a recent YouGov SixthSense report, the debt of UK university students adds up to nearly £20bn. Students starting university this year could end up paying a whopping £60k for their education. Having graduated myself just a few years ago, the prospect of paying three times the amount my Mum paid for her first home may have been enough to … Read More
Why You Should Be Leading From The Bottom
From the moment we leave the womb we enter a world in which our survival relies on our ability to comply with those in authority. First it’s our parents, then it’s our school teachers and finally it’s the boss. It then comes as no surprise that questioning authority is a trait that most of us feel ill equipped and so … Read More
Flat packs and the New Economy
This weekend I spent a lot of my time building IKEA furniture whilst helping my girlfriend redecorate her bedroom and it got me thinking… A lot of what we’ve been doing for the last century has been boiled down into an easy to follow, step-by-step guide to a life of mediocrity just like flat pack furniture. Fortunately/unfortunately for young people, … Read More
Why schools aren’t producing superstars.
In Russia, the Spartak Tennis club has produced more top-20 women players than the entire United States. Its key philosophy is that technique is everything and so students spend 3 years learning how to hit the ball correctly before ever competing. Spartek Tennis Club has three key learning principles; 1) Slow it down – Training in slow motion. 2) Imitate … Read More
First World Digital Divide
The web can be an amazing tool for learning but only for those who know where to look. “16 million people in the UK lack basic digital skills.” – Martha Lane Fox People presume that a young person who knows how to switch on a computer and log in into Facebook is competent online but there is a huge difference … Read More
The education guarantee
I don’t understand why so many graduates leave university and then blame their education for not equipping them with the skills to find employment. Education is not a guarantee and never was (it was just very efficient at working for the old system). Education was created to help the industrial economy recruit ‘made to order’ workers who could take on … Read More
Why authority no longer works.
Most people who claim to have authority only do so because someone else has granted it to them, usually of higher authority. Fortunately, this ego-powered process is in quick demise as the new economy demands leaders who create more leaders rather than cracking the whip. Authority flourished in the industrial economy because most work was piece rate and required fairly … Read More
Why painkillers are better than vitamins
No, I’m not talking about tablets, I’m talking about human beings. Vitamins are the kind of people who are excellent at maintaining the status quo. They’re efficient, obedient and never veer too far from the iron tracks. The painkiller on the other hand goes out in search of pain. The new economy demands painkillers, innovators, people who spot problems the rest … Read More
12 Books Every Graduate Student Must Read To Thrive In The Digital Economy
When I left education, the post uni blues set in, I felt lost and vulnerable. In the same month after sending out countless résumés to no avail, I was forced to sign on. I felt as if I had wasted three years of my life but the truth of the matter was, I had no clear vision and hadn’t prepared myself … Read More