Hi guys, its been a while now since I have posted an entry. Been busy in May working towards my final few weeks of my last semester. Right now I'm having my study week with approximately a week's worth of holiday. We're suppose to study (that's where the name study week literally means) but most of us or is it just me tend to postpone the study into the later days of the week. Anyhow, that's not the purpose here.
Growing up, especially in a controlled environment, gives us too much comfort than we need. Don't get it? Think about when you are in primary and secondary school. You are in a controlled environment whereby you have no other goals other than scoring for the exams. You have a fixed number of things to achieve (or what the society/parents/teachers wants you to achieve); like scoring an A for your Mathematics . That is what we do when we are in the earlier days of school. We chase the useless grades because we are told to. True?
Once we managed to grow out of the controlled environment, we start to get a bit lost. Where should I continue my studies? What should I study? What should I do with the rest of my life?
We are like birds flying with no destination all of a sudden. We need to make a firm decision on where and what to study, all in a few months period. It is not easy at all, considering our future, our parent's money and our families' future is in our hands. Most of our parents don't have few hundred thousand stashed for our tertiary education. I am certain that most of the students pay college/university bills by borrowing Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) - and I'm pretty sure you didn't know what the abbreviation means if I didn't write it down, right?
Then, in this lost period we can almost immediately, without any request, obtained advice from our parents/relative/friends' parents of what we should do. Not what we want to do. They will tell you that study business is good, bright future, too much money until can use RM50 bill to wipe the ass, be a CEO of a corporation or become a multimillionaire. Cool story bro, if so why don't you go and study yourself? I would like to see how you make the million come true. But - out of respect we would just smile it off.
Another course that they often tell you to study is engineering and boy oh boy you have no idea how the word "engineer" is "overpriced" (forgot what word to use). I was in an engineering course for almost two years now - if you hadn't already knew. All I can say was, not many of the engineering students graduate as a real engineer. An engineer is, according to Wikipedia;
"...is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal and commercial problems."
To DEVELOP SOLUTIONS. That one hits the spot right there. How many of the engineers we have actually develop solutions? "Sebenarnya engineer = kuli kasar"
If you are thinking "how about doctors, lawyers or even pilots?", don't think. It's a saturated field, unless you have the scholarship + dedication + determination + perseverance + love/dream on any of those three then by all means go ahead. You should not let anyone stop you doing what you want. In contrary, if you let someone influence you to do what you want, you will hate yourself waking up in the morning.
So enough of the rant - what parents can do?
1. Listen to your kids
We tend to forget that listening is the most crucial and powerful part that anyone can do without doing anything. (anyone can do without doing anything... that's right). Don't jump into conclusion right away. Listen to what your kids have to say, after all, it is their future you are deciding and I am sure you want the best for them. We often mistaken "best" with "money". Most parents, in this superficial society, tends to think that the best career for the kids is the one that makes the most money. Throw that mindset away. If your kid wants to dance, let her be a dance instructor. I won't be surprise if a dance instructor can make as much money as a doctor, and less risk too, if he/she got "call li" (it simply means capability).
2. Advising is not ordering
When people ask for your advice, do you order them to do something? No right. It is merely an opinion that people required from you, usually out of respect or that you have more experience than them. So when your kid ask for your advice, they are not seeking for an order. They are just genuinely seeking for your opinion, since you will be the one sponsoring them after all. HAHA.
3. Remember that there is no "right path"
Life is a journey. You will never know what is ahead of you. We can only plan, and if things don't work out the way we plan, it is ok. Not the end of the world yet. You are still breathing, which means you are still living. There is still chance for you to rectify your life. Ask yourself, and your parents; what is the worst outcome if you fail to set your tertiary education properly? Do you really think that your future is destroyed? No, it doesn't. However, there will be some money lost in the process and usually money is all that we think.
Failure is inevitable. We can never avoid falling down into the fail pit. But what we can do is to confront failure and make the best out of it. Do not let fear of failing affect your decision making process.
"It’s impossible to have success without having some failure.
Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from going for what you want. You are doomed to fail… but you are also fated to succeed."
- JJ (The Native Champion)
Some moutes (movie quotes) - from Batman Begins.
Hope that you and I are able to do what we want and if we are lucky - we might just earn few bucks from it.
This post only reflects my own opinion, and in a way to remind myself to do what I wrote in the posts. Shall you have opinion, be it concur to mine or not, do leave a comment. Let's have a healthy discussion.
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