Ahmed Abdelwahab writes: Do we learn for the exam… or for life?

What if hundreds—perhaps thousands—of pages you studied throughout your education had little real impact on your professional life or on the progress of your society?
Around twenty years ago، I took a course on the history of the German language with a strict German lecturer. The book was massive، the material heavy، and the language beyond the level of many students. At the time، memorization seemed like the only path to success.
Then came the exam. A question. Simple in wording، deep in meaning. Its answer stretched across three chapters—nearly a hundred pages. Before we started، the lecturer walked through the room and said a sentence no one expected:
“Anyone who writes more than one page is going in the wrong direction.”
That moment changed everything. Memorization alone was not enough. What mattered was understanding، analysis، connecting ideas، and critical thinking. A small minority excelled; most barely passed، and some failed. The message was clear: understanding comes before memorization، and real learning lies in extracting meaning and applying knowledge beyond the classroom.

Even in a religious context، the Qur’an does not call for mere rote memorization of texts—despite the benefits memorization may have at certain levels—but emphasizes understanding، reflecting on its verses، and putting them into practice، as stated:
"Ablessed Book We have sent down to you، so that they may reflect upon itsversess" )Quran-Surah Sād، 38:29).

The Job Market: Between Exams and Skills:

In a rapidly changing world، education is no longer solely linked to an academic degree or a fixed stage in life. It is about the ongoing ability to acquire skills، learn continuously، and adapt. With this transformation، lifelong learning has become indispensable.
While academic degrees remain important in the job market، they are no longer the decisive factor. What matters most is the value a person can provide and the skills they possess: critical thinking، analysis، problem-solving، decision-making، adaptability، as well as human and soft skills، which have become essential in any workplace.

This approach did not emerge by chance; countries such as Finland، Japan، and Germany re-examined their educational philosophies early on، focusing on understanding، practical application، and skill development. Over time، this vision has gradually spread، to varying degrees، to Arabic countries like the UAE and Qatar، creating an expanding circle 
of influence.
In these systems، the student is at the center of the educational process، supported by a culture of assessment and policies that make exams a tool for fostering thinking and analysis rather than merely producing model answers.

In any society، the gap between education and the labor market is not a complex mystery; rather، it is a natural outcome of an educational system that prioritizes academic credentials over the quality of skills. At the same time، it is influenced by entrenched social expectations that view certain paths—such as medicine or engineering—as the safest routes to success، sometimes at the expense of students’ personal interests or fields dictated by local and global realities.

At its core، education should not merely be a race to pass exams or a means of achieving social prestige. It should be a space for cultivating individuals who understand، learn، develop themselves، and recognize their responsibilities toward their society.
This raises two questions as a sincere invitation to reflect:
Do we have the courage to rethink what success in education truly means?
And does what we learn today truly build skills that benefit our lives… or is it limited only to the next exam?