'Pursuing Master’s Degree Wasn't Common..': Suniel Shetty On Importance Of Education

Bollywood star Sunil Shetty on Wednesday shared a post on LinkedIn sharing the importance of education. The 'Heri Pheri' actor did his graduation in Hotel Management from H.R. College in Mumbai.

He writes, "I never studied beyond my bachelor's degree." Pointing out the common norm during his graduation years he said, "Back in my time, pursuing a master’s degree wasn't common, especially in homes like mine where stepping into the family business was the norm."

The Dilwale star also discussed his parents role in his educational career. He posted, "It wasn't as though my parents didn’t value higher education. Both my sisters were in fact sent abroad for higher studies despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly affordable for my parents. It’s just that my parents never pushed me to pursue a higher education since I’d taken to working full time by the time I was in college."

However the actor said that he consider himself fortune to have worked closely with several highly educated people in his career. "Especially in the last 20 odd years through my entrepreneurial journey and my involvement with startups", added Shetty.

The 'Mohra' actor wrote that he might not have a formal higher education, but he gained real life skills which became the backbone of his journey, and ventures."

"Everything I learned was effectively on the job, and truth be told, I never felt like I was missing out on anything", added Shetty.

Importance of formal education:

However the 'Phir Hera Pheri' actor gave some insights on the importance of formal education. He said, "My interactions and involvement with startups and investing unfolded in recent years, I've begun to see what I may have lacked all these years, or how I could have layered my experience with the help of a formal higher education."

Giving a brief on what he learnt in his life he said, "What is clear to me now is that with a formal higher education, there’s a good chance I would’ve been better at certain aspects at work.

He shared 3 points that could have shaped him into a better person:

Strategic Planning: "I am an ideas person. With too many of them flying around in my mind, creating a roadmap with a structured approach could have enhanced my early ventures."

Financial Acumen: "I’m largely good with money. However, having a deeper understanding of financial intricacies, could’ve potentially helped me make some wiser decisions."

Executing at scale: "I’ve seen some professionals who’re equipped with a formal business education that tend to have a broad outlook, and it has a great impact on how they’re able to think and plan for scale. Changes the game."

Invaluable real-life skills the actor picked from learning at work

Adaptability: "In my world where I dabbled in various businesses with diverse environments, I had to learn how to adapt on the go, a skill no textbook can fully prepare you for."

Resilience: "I wasn’t trained to be an actor. I knew nothing about retail. Yet, I learned very quickly that to succeed, I had to face challenges head-on and build a resilience that went beyond anything I knew and understood."

Instincts: "The ability to spot opportunities and take calculated risks is mostly a skill that comes with experience, in the real world."

He concluded his long post and write, "All in all, there’s nothing I really regret. Life is what we make of it. I did the best I could, but at this stage of life along with all the experiences I’ve had, I’d say take whatever learning opportunities come your way."