Why Practical Experience is Just as Important as Coursework?

Practical experience does not compete with coursework. It complements it. It grounds it. It teaches you how to apply knowledge in unpredictable, human-centered contexts where solutions are rarely straightforward. 

In lectures, we often study ideal scenarios, models with clear assumptions, technologies that work as intended, and frameworks that suggest linear progress. However, during my professional experience, especially in my current role at the World Bank, I have learned that real-life problems come with complex histories, social tensions, and institutional limitations. 

For example, I once thought designing a sustainable water system was mostly about technical planning, but through field interviews and project work, I learned that community trust, land rights, cultural knowledge, and political timing matter just as much, if not more. 

You do not always see these layers in coursework, but when you engage with practitioners, communities, or policy spaces, those dimensions come alive. 

Practical experience builds the skills you do not get from exams 

1. Communication: How do you explain your research to a non-technical audience? Or translate stakeholder concerns into engineering decisions?
2. Adaptability: When project conditions change at the last minute (and they always do), how do you change without losing your direction?
3. Collaboration: In class, group work is often short-term. In real projects, you must build trust over time, across disciplines and cultures.
4. Decision-making: Theory often gives you the "what." Practice teaches you the "how" and "when", and sometimes, the courage to say, "not yet." 

Working while studying was not always easy. It meant long nights, tight schedules, and a lot of coffee. I would not trade it for anything. Through my roles, both at the grassroots and institutional levels, I began to see the links between my studies and the systems I want to change. 

From environmental impact assessments in Indigenous territories to climate adaptation projects at the global scale, each experience helped me understand how my academic path fits into the bigger picture, and sometimes, it also challenged what I thought I knew. THAT IS GROWTH!  

You do not need to choose between books and the field, theory and action, academia and application. YOU NEED BOTH! If you have the chance, apply for internships, even short ones, join a research group with real-world clients or community partners, attend conferences or public consultations, and volunteer on projects aligned with your field.  

And when you are in class, do not just study to pass, study to understand how you might use it. Ask your professors how your coursework connects to current challenges in your sector. Use your thesis as an opportunity to engage with external actors, not just for data, but for perspective. 

In the end, it is not just about being a student; it is about becoming a professional and a more grounded human being. Practical experience humbles you. It deepens your understanding, and it reminds you that knowledge, on its own, is not enough; we need wisdom, empathy, and practice.