1. A story that breaks the heart
‘The topper lost, the average won’
Once upon a time there were two students – Rohit and Tanima.
Rohit used to top every exam in school. He never scored less than 90% in his mark sheet. Parents used to scold other children using him as an example, teachers used to give his notes to everyone. Everyone thought that Rohit would be the most successful in the future. Rohit was confident about his future.
But after completing college education everything changed…
When Rohit started giving job interviews, he was rejected every time. Reason? He was not able to express his thoughts clearly. Many times it seemed as if he was repeating things like rote lines. He was not good in working with the team. And when he faced a small failure, he got anxious. His marks were strong, but how do you prepare yourself for the real-world exam?

Now let’s talk about Tanima. Tanima was never the topper of her class. Her marks were average – sometimes 65%, sometimes 70%. But she learnt to speak boldly in every seminar, attended several skill development workshops, learned from some online courses and realized that there is a world beyond books from where a lot can be learned. She was able to adapt herself to every new situation. She gained real-world experience during her internship. Her communication skills were strong and she formed a good connection with everyone.
Today Tanima is working in a leadership role in an MNC. And Rohit… is still waiting for his turn; he feels that it is the world’s responsibility to give him a job. But the truth is that the real world is not like this..there are two categories here either you are useful or you are not.
Moral of the Story: “Marks opens the door, but how far inside you go – it depends on your skills.”
2. Why This Blog Matters
“Marks do not make a career, Skills make a life better”
Even today many students, parents, and teachers believe that:
✅ If the marks are good, the future is secure.
✅ If someone is a topper, he will automatically become successful.
✅ And if someone has low marks, he will not be able to do anything special in life.
But this is the truth… this thinking has become outdated.
🚫 In real life, it matters more than a report card:
How do you think (Critical Thinking)
How do you talk to people (Communication)
How do you work under pressure (Emotional Intelligence)
How do you handle new situations (Adaptability)

In interviews, jobs, business – no one asks you about your semester marks. They see:
“Can you solve real world problems?”
And this is the reason why this blog is important for you.
👉This blog will tell you about those 10 skills which are much more powerful than marks, and how you can develop them in college life itself.
3. Reality Check – When Employers Open Their Eyes
Title: ‘Companies look at Skills, not Marks’
Today, every student has a question in his mind: ‘Will marks help him get a job?’
The answer is simple: No!
Marks show that you have studied and memorized the subject.. but whether you are able to successfully implement this knowledge is a different matter.
Look at some real-world data:
– LinkedIn Report: ‘Top 5 qualities that employers look for in freshers are: Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Leadership, and Adaptability.’
– NASSCOM & WEF Report: ‘75% employers believe that soft skills are more important than academic scores.’
– Harvard Research: ‘Success in life is only 15% due to technical knowledge and 85% due to soft skills and personality.’
Real quote from an HR Manager: ‘A topper who can’t speak in front of 5 people is a liability. But an average scorer who can solve a customer’s problem and lead a team – that’s an asset.’
Skills = Long-term Growth | Marks = Short-term Entry
4. Top 10 Skills that are more important than marks in real life
These are the 10 skills that can be life-changing for your career, relationships, decision-making and growth:
i. Communication Skills – The way of speaking is noticed first. And it does not mean just speaking in English, it means how well you are able to communicate your point to the person in front of you.
ii. Emotional Intelligence – Learn to understand and manage emotions.
iii. Critical Thinking – The solution to every problem is not in the book.
iv. Adaptability – It is important to change with new tools and trends every day.
v. Teamwork – You should know how to work with “We”.

vi. Time Management – The one who works on time, moves ahead.
vii. Decision-Making – Learn to take action by getting out of confusion.
viii. Digital & Tech Skills – It is important to use tools like Excel, Canva, Docs.
ix. Financial Literacy – You should not only know how to earn money, but also how to manage it.
x. Networking & Branding – First people should know you, then your work. And then both work for each other.
5. Marks also matter – but they are not everything
Now don’t think that we are ignoring the importance of marks.
No — marks also have a definite role, especially:
✅ Competitive exams like NEET, GPAT, NIPER, DI, for Govt. Jobs
✅ In the initial screening of college admissions
✅ In any structured academic system

But once you cross that gate, In the real world people-
– Your confidence
– Your communication style
– Your behaviour
– Your commitment towards your work
All these make up your identity.
Think of a simple example:
You scored 95%, but if you are unable to talk to the client in the internship,
You are unable to submit the lab work on time,
You show ego with the team…
Then how long will the employer keep you?
Smart Approach: Make a combination of marks and skills.
6. How to Develop These Skills : Be Smart, Not Busy
Often students think that
“Skills are important, but how will we get time for studies?”
Good news – You don’t need to take out 5 hours separately.
Just add small things in your daily life, and your skills will start developing. These are the Easy Ways to Build Real-World Skills:
✅ 1. Participate in Group Discussions
– Start discussions on current affairs, topics related with your subjects or general topics with your friends.
– Both Communication + Confidence will improve.
✅ 2. Don’t miss the chance of seminars and presentations
– Every presentation is a rehearsal for the interview.
– Stage fear will be reduced and public speaking will come.

✅ 3. Organize student clubs or events
– Teamwork, leadership and time management are the real pleasures there.
✅ 4. Do internships or volunteering
– It is important to get out of the classroom to understand real-world work.
✅ 5. Write daily journaling or self-reflection
– Emotional intelligence and decision-making automatically become stronger.
✅ 6. Add 20 minutes of skill learning in your time-table
– Watch a communication skill video or financial literacy reel on YouTube daily.
✅ 7. Learn to use tech tools
– Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, Google Docs – these tools are weapons of your productivity.

And yes – on edumentorashish.com you will also find:
📘 Study hacks, 🎯 Skill development blogs, 🎤 Interview tips,
🎓 Competitive exam prep guides and 💡 Motivation dose!
Golden Rule:
“Don’t just attend college… Grow through college.”
7. A message to teachers and parents
Today’s student is not just a marks-producing machine. He has ideas, emotions, creativity and struggles inside him.
Message for teachers:
- Not every student is a topper, but every student has something unique.
- It is more important than the syllabus that we develop confidence, clarity and character in them.
- Sometimes a line of motivation in the class can change your life.
Message for parents:
- Stop comparing by looking at the mark sheet every time.
- Don’t judge the children, listen to them, make them understand.
- If you trust them, they will learn to trust themselves.

🌱 A real line that every student wants to hear:
“Son, you may be average in marks… but you can become an amazing person.”
🎯 Change will come when we all think together:
“Marks are important, but becoming a human being is most important.”
8. Final Takeaways – Last thing to remember
Just numbers are not enough in life. Real growth happens when you are strong in communication, confidence, and clarity.
Golden Line: “From today, along with marks, I will also build life skills – so that I can become not just a degree holder, but a successful person.”
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👉 Edumentor Ashish – for student motivation, skill-building & study hacks
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🧠 Let’s learn not just to score marks, but to score in life!
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