No U-Turn Road: A Big Decision for College

Do all people desire a second chance? Last night, I thought a lot about this question. To have a concrete answer, I try to imagine a few scenarios. It is an easy answer if we put ourselves in the shoes of someone who has problems. But my imagination was directly going toward the perspective of someone who just won a lottery. If he is offered a second chance by a magical creature, will he take it? Or maybe someone who understands the gratitude and "enough" concepts literally.

These thoughts came from a phenomenon among my colleagues: few of them had put themselves into a field that didn't suit their passion. When I know I don't have the same condition, it is an interesting topic to explore the factors.

On TV, I watched many clips showing people interviewing children about what they want to be in the future. I see a major framing of career information directed toward doctors, pilots, teachers, soldiers, police, and entrepreneurs. Am I saying that these professions are not good? That is not my point. There are many unpopular careers that have not been socialized for high school students. There are numerous paths for students to pursue in order to obtain a decent job. But the available mentoring and consulting facilities (the free ones) are not fully used by them. I just know that my colleagues' high school mentoring and consulting teachers are the free facilities that students can use to discuss their careers (back then, I only saw that these teachers only acted on disciplinary problems).

During high school, I never imagined what I would do in the future (even while I am writing this blog, the picture has never been solid). But after high school graduation, an answer had to be made. I am lucky enough to have joined the preparation course, having a mentor guide me and provide information about majors and campuses. But can the unsatisfied people be framed as poor people because they didn't have access to the information? I don't see it as a corresponding factor. Even I can say that my poor friends (at least they have a lower expense standard than me) don't have this kind of problem. Furthermore, I see that the problems are experienced by friends who have and are capable of accessing options.

So, how do the students who have options but are unsatisfied with their decision live their campus life? I would imagine the case is similar to when you are playing battle games and knowing that you have so many opportunities to restart, you don't have any fear of losing. Though, in the end, you are losing, I don't assume that you will think about it a lot. Of course, I don't want to believe that every person will think that way and that people who have options will be framed as "lazy." At least, they don't have as much urgency to make a solid decision as "one bullet" students.

However, I think that how to get rid of the "No U-Turn" fear for "one bullet students" to choose their major is the more important thing to discuss. I have many juniors and a friend's little brother who have this condition. Though I hear that a major doesn't determine your career, yes, I couldn't agree more. But to achieve those careers, we are not doing a u-turn but more likely changing paths parallelly. Every path involves expenses in money and time.

I had a couple experiences arguing about the idea of whether high school students are qualified enough to think about what they will major in the next four years and even their future careers. Well, no one is actually ready enough. Age doesn't guarantee that we can make good decisions easily. Even a few of my colleagues were having a hard time choosing what path they would take after studying. So, what should students do to choose their major if they just have a bullet to shoot? 

The best suggestion I can give is that they have to use every facility that they can. Currently, if I have to choose my major once again, I believe that the available free platforms providing information are enough, though preparation courses provide better informations visually and substantially. Though we can explore free, valuable informations by ourselves, sometimes meditating is not everyone's favorite. Having someone to talk to and consult with is the next crucial step to take before going through "No U-Turn" campus life. If I am assuming that every high school has mentoring and consulting teachers, I would suggest that every student fully use them.

Of course, it doesn't guarantee that you will have a solid answer after communicating your idea. I remembered back then that I was choosing psychology majors, and my parents were against it. But at least I can have their perspective on me in the future based on what they see about my potential and current career trend. Having a strong and independent opinion is a good thing, but our imagination sometimes biases our ability to make objective decisions. Even after consulting, if we find out that our opinion is better, then we can believe that our option has better argumentation and increase its objectivity.

I believe that each person has uniquity. And that uniquity suits so many majors and careers. There are absolutely no unusable or untalented people, at least for high school students. But if we compare ourselves in a narrow-minded frame and lack knowledge about the opportunities and roles, we will find ourselves unmatched and trapped to choose a path that cannot extract our full potential as students.

If you find yourself already trapped on an undesired path, I would suggest you to keep studying (especially for one bullet people) and parallel your effort to pursue your passions. Studying on campus is not just about getting specific major academic benefits. Being a student is a big privilege. There are so many opportunities that you can access if you are a student, such as scholarships, free or discounted-priced training programs, internships, relationships, projects, and exclusive references. For example, if you are studying biology and starting to be interested in web development, you can go to the faculty of IT and just talk to students, administrators, and even lecturers that are working there about your interest. There is a higher chance (I believe almost 100%) that they will welcome you than an unverified person doing the same thing.

Anyway, congratulations to students who have been accepted to their dream campus. Good luck to those who are studying for the entrance exam. Last but not least, don't give up for those who haven't succeeded. You will find out that sinking into despair will not change anything, jealousy is a temporary negative emotion that brings you nowhere except if you turn it into motivation. There will always be room for those who keep trying. Keep your chin up. Each person has their own story, and no one can see it as more valuable than yourself. Appreciate yourself!