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Why are we studying?

Updated: Nov 22, 2020




Why are we studying? Why should we study hard? Math Lobby believes that most students have been told to study hard since their education journey started, only through working hard and get a diploma or a degree will you have a successful future. However, is that really all to it? Can we really gain the success we have been searching for through just conventional education and working a 9-to-5 job?

If that is what you are wondering, we can confidently tell you that that’s the absolute wrong mindset. After getting a degree and starting a 9-to-5 job, it will only ensure a temporary STABLE source of income, which is different from excelling and gaining the reputation you want in this world. Want to know why it is only temporary? Then read on!

In life, there is more than meets the eye. Working a 9-to-5 job and slaving ourselves away to the big shots in a company and drawing only a barely sustaining salary will not allow you to live the life that you want comfortably. Many of us do not account for the future expenses that will eventually dawn on us as we approach adulthood.

Yes, education is necessary for us to be well-equipped with knowledge, but it is never enough in our lives as the amount of knowledge in existence on Earth has essentially no boundaries! We are also, however, bound to meet setbacks in life and what many employees fear in the modern world is retrenchment.

Retrenchment, in the work life context, is the unemployment of employees because of economic difficulties. The most recent example we can have a perspective on is the outbreak of the virus, COVID-19. This pandemic has led to many working adults facing unemployment all around the world. One of the worst countries to face such an issue is the United States of America. As of May 14th, 2020, around 36.5 million employees have been laid off due to the economic recession caused by this pandemic. 36.5 million. How crazy is that! This is the exact reason why a 9-to-5 job is insufficient and should never be your only reliance in the modern society.

Hence, Math Lobby is here to offer some advice to the students of the current generation, how you are able to prepare yourselves for the future and lead a better life. Let’s begin!

What distinguishes between the low to middle income class compared to the higher income class is actually a very simple one-word answer: Knowledge. Now, all of you might think that, “Knowledge? Aren’t all the students being equipped with the necessary knowledge through our education system?” Like what we have mentioned earlier, knowledge on Earth is so vast to the extent which spending centuries on this place we call home will still never be enough to finish exploring it. This is what the top-notch businessmen around the world are doing every day. They equip themselves with BEYOND what our education system provides us with, and never stop learning even when they get old.


1. Read more often to gain more valuable life lessons


Reading is the most conventional method, and the fastest way to gain more knowledge and valuable life lessons. As students, most of us are unable to do financial investments in commodities, stocks, futures or any other trading instruments due to the financial limitations we have. However, what we have in abundance that is as valuable, if not more, is time.

Time is such a valuable asset to possess because once lost, it can never be gained back again. So, instead of spending time on video games or television series, read some self-improvement books or any other books of your interest that you think might be beneficial for you in life in the future.



Through reading, we are not only gaining the past experience of the author, but also learning from the costly mistakes that were made by them. This ensures that we do not repeat those mistakes when we step into the working society in the future.

2. Learn to invest through books or online discussions


Investments are usually frowned upon by some in the past, which might be because of the bankruptcy that financial firms like the Lehman Brothers faced or headlines on the newspaper portraying stocks and companies in the bad light. They think that it is not a very practical way to grow your money, and rather have it placed in banks for safekeeping. However, there are many positive cases as well.

Successful billionaires like Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba Group, and Warren Buffet, a world-renowned investor, took up investment since young and learnt to grow their wealth with knowledge they possessed from books. This led to the younger generation nowadays growing keener to learn more about growing their financial wealth as well.

Through platforms like YouTube or Investopedia, there are reliable sources that allow you to learn more about the technical terms and analysis of different trading methods. Although it might not be applicable right now due to financial restrictions, but starting to learn from a young age can ensure that you have a better foundation in growing a passive income in the future when you have the capabilities to do so.


A good book to get the ball rolling would be “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It advocates the importance of financial literacy (financial education), financial independence and building wealth through investing in assets, real estate investing, starting and owning businesses, as well as increasing one's financial intelligence (financial IQ) to improve one's business and financial aptitude.

3. Pick up new skills


Picking up new skills is also very important as a form of self-improvement. Regardless of whether it is a soft skill (like communication, being a team player or leadership) or a hard skill (like writing, reading and abilities to use computer programs), they are all good to possess because you will never know when you might need it. This will allow you to strengthen your portfolio and résumé, which will be important for the first impression when met by bosses or business partners. Good skills to pick up can be:


· Languages – Learning different types of languages can equip you with the necessary skills to converse with multinational business partners and company owners. Learning to speak in their tongue can make them feel warmer and more comfortable to deal business with.


· Technical – With the advancement of technology nowadays, technical computer skills like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word or computer programming applications like Python and C++ are widely sought after by big corporations as well.

· Interpersonal – Apart from technical skills, interpersonal skills play a big part at a workplace. It is inevitable to have some workplace politics, but through having better interpersonal skills, it portrays you as a better person to work with and be more well-liked by your bosses and peers. Some examples of good interpersonal skills to have are: active listening, teamwork, responsibility, dependability, leadership, motivation, flexibility and patience.

4. Cultivate the habit of saving up daily (BONUS TIPS)


Students that have not begun on the journey of working for your own money will tend to not understand the importance of savings. Although saving a dollar or two in a single day might not seem to be much, but in the long run, it really adds up and can amount to a huge sum of money.

For example, if you get a daily allowance of $5 to have something during your recess or lunch break and you decide to save $2 every day. $2 multiplied by 20 days (weekends excluded) will result in a $40 worth of savings, which is equivalent to one and a half’s week of your daily allowance!

Having some savings in your safe keep possession will ensure that you have some form of security in case of “rainy days”, or unexpected financial difficulties you might face in the future. A good guide to how much you should save is around 3-6 months’ worth of your monthly expenses.



For example, you spend around $100 on food and $50 on transport with an additional $50 on miscellaneous activities. This will amount to a total of $200 of expenses monthly. To prepare for “rainy days”, 3-6 months’ worth of the expenses will mean that you will need to have at least $600 to $1,200 kept in savings, which are completely untouched. This applies to both students and working adults, and such preparation can really help you in any form of financial setbacks you might encounter in your journey.

That is all we have for today’s article, and Math Lobby hopes that you managed to learn a great deal out of the advices we have for you. If you ever need any help, feel free to contact Math Lobby via our Facebook or Instagram pages.



Remember to stay safe and stay grinding for the better future of yours! As always: Work hard, stay motivated and we wish all students a successful and enjoyable journey with Math Lobby!

If you want more Study Tips and Study Motivation,

Visit our Website at: www.mathlobby.com

Contact us via SMS/WhatsApp/Telegram/Call +65 96322202

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