On Choosing a Course in College

      I had a talk with a friend about college life. This friend, (let's give him a pseudonym) Charlie, is having trouble with keeping up or maintaining the course he has chosen, saying that he had been defocused. It's not a new thing, nowadays. We'd come across more or less the same story/issue especially in college. 

    This post is not about what course to choose but rather on what choice to choose in choosing your course. Do I make sense? 

    I'm not that much of a counselor so I just mentioned to him stories mentioned to us regarding the same (or in some way same) issue. So this is the story I told to Charlie (though not exactly how I told him ) which is loosely based on a story told to us.  

    There are two graduating students, both of whom are somehow bound or coerced to choose a said course early on in their lives, despite having a choice of a course they truly wanted. On their last year in college, they are still feeling reluctant if what they're doing is right, they still feel that their course is a burden to them, that whatever they do, they just wouldn't excel even a bit. 

     The first one stopped at the verge of his last year in college, took up another course that he is really passionate about, graduated with that course a few years later and became successful. The second one continued his last year in the same course, with the idea in mind to just finish it to formally say that he had obeyed his parents requests. He graduated, took a job and eventually, after being somewhat stable, study in the field he is truly passionate about and became successful.

     The two took different paths, but still, both became successful in the end. Their choice might just be a matter of making their parents understand them, how much they can take more of their present course, money, time, etc. I personally would do what the second student did, if I were in their position. I think it's in the mindset. If you would just always think that you are being tortured with the course they let you take, then you'll just suffer, so do yourself a favor and make your own choice, if not, then why not think of it as an investment - on knowledge and wisdom. The thing is that, when you particularly like or love something, you'd really do anything for it, same as the course you are passionate about, no matter what problems and difficulties you face, you'll endure them for the sake of achieving your dreams. 

      Why the title? Basically, the root of all these hides from the moment you decide on what course you took/take up. Did you or would you: choose a course mainly because it's the one you really like or is it because it's the one your parents like you to take, is it because you don't have any idea on what course to choose, or is it because of the trend and promising opportunity?

       Choosing a course is really one of the biggest decisions we have to make in the course of our lives, lucky are those who really know what they want and no deterrent whatsoever for them to take that choice, but for some, other people than their selves makes the choice for them, most of the time their parents. One of our professors mentioned that when we are about to start college, we are mostly still minors (below 18), so basically we aren't in the right age to decide for ourselves, comes in the role of our parents to somehow nag us on different decisions that we make. With that said, we should not blame them for not handing-off, in this case, in choosing our course in college. But don't make it just about them, have your say on everything about your life, it's your life you're dealing with.

      I personally did a lot of thinking on what course to choose, you see, I was thinking of taking up IT (Information Technology), a field far from Nursing (though now, not that really far because of Nursing Informatics), a course other people like and somehow influence me to take. In the end of my thinking, I was the one who choose, despite having been influenced, still, it's my decision. I could and would not blame them for anything. So, how did I exactly choose my course? Read here.

       To end, let me say, please do choose your course wisely. It's your future in the line and for the record, it's you who is going to study. I hope you wouldn't reach the point of choosing like the two graduating students. Other people can't control you, unless you allow them to. It's your choice, it's your life. By the time you realize you've made a wrong decision, you can't blame others, it's you who deserve the blame because you did not stand up for yourself. So as early as possible, listen to yourself and man up for what you want/believe. 

Be my reader! :)

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