What I would have loved to know before joining University

It is a hard decision to make at age 18, on whether you would like to pursue Science, Engineering or Medicine. For many others, the options even extend into Arts, Law, Humanities, Commerce and Entertainment. Fortunately for me, my childhood experiences had revealed to me my fascination with Science and Mathematics. And hence, this article is going to be restricted to adressing the choice between the fields that I felt I would like to choose from. You might not find this article helpful, if you feel your options extend beyond the sciences, and hence I encourage you to search out for other sources.

Some of the "words-of-wisdom" I heard from the elders at that time could be enumerated as follows:
1. If you pursue Engineering, you will graduate in just 4 years, and you can get a good job immediately after that.
2. If you choose Medicine, it amounts to continuing an education upto age 30 or more, before you can actually start your practice and settle down.
3. What about the Pure Sciences? Well, you might be interested in the subject, but if you are searching for a job, you might as well be sure to have learned a little bit of Mathematics and Computer Programming.

But, before we go into dissecting all these suggestions made by the adults, ( a group that I presently identify myself with ...), I would like to address certain points that are common to all fields of study. This might help layout a particular context, to guide your thoughts about what choices to make.

In the grand scheme of things, our education is meant to ensure the "building up of character". And most-often, the 18 years of schooling is sufficient to build character and personality. Childhood is the best time to focus on building up of skills in the sciences, arts, music and sports. And through the innumerable demands of school life, and our personal indulgences during our leisure hours, we build up our sense of personality, our fantasies and our dreams.

Undergraduate Education is a different ball game altogether. It falls under the umbrella of Professional Education. What this means - is that it's an educational experience, that helps create a Professional - a person who shall be engaged in Professional roles in the Economy, of any country of her choosing . The Professions that people aspire to join are - Medicine, Engineering, Science, Management, Law, Civil Services. These professions demand a certain level of competence in your subject of specialization, so that you may execute your responsibilities and deliver results, in the jobs that you shall be handling after graduation. Many fields of work or employment, do not really fall under the umbrella of a 'Professional Role'.

So, why does one aspire to enter into one of these Professions? To earn a livelihood - one has to make a choice between a Career and a Job. Jobs are contracts of employment, that are short-term, and that help to meet an immediate demand, within your workplace. A career, however, is a long-term plan, where one person enters a particular Industry, and can envision a sequence of advancements(promotions), up the hierarchical ladder of authority and power, in organizations within society. You might start at the bottom, of the ladder, but in 3-5 years, you become a team leader, then move up into Managerial roles, and so on.

However, consider the other sort of jobs you come across in daily life - a carpenter, a barber, a cook, a plumber/technician, an airport assistant, etc. They are all skilled workers, and experts in the work they do. However, there really isn't a particular trajectory that they can follow, to rise up the corporate ladder, even if the ladder exists. They might have to really struggle and fight their way, to make their presence felt, to make the value of their contributions evident. And its, only over a long period of time - say 15-20 years, can they really reach a level of social recognition and a sense of achievement. Most often than not, they have to build up their own enterprise and as their organization grows, their competence and their responsibilities grow with it. Its a respectable thing - to be an entrepreneur, to be an employer, rather than an employee. And often, that brings more professional satisfaction too. However, sometimes, its much less troublesome, to identify where a particular trajectory/path has already been established, and then get onto theat path and become the best among those running that race/marathon. That's where the pursuit of professional success, in professions of Engineering, Medicine, etc come in. ( I have not addressed the role of Entrepreneurship and Leadership. To keep this missive simple, I have chosen to overlook certain points regarding Professionalism and Entrepreneurial engagement.)

Each of these professions, requires that you continuously update your knowledge and skills, with the tools and techniques to be used, along with the advances in science/math that help unravel new truths, and new methods of problem solving in these fields. The faster you grow up in an organization, the better your social reputation, the higher your pay, and the greater the amount of leisure time - you can demand for yourself and your family. This enables you to support all those people whom you consider belong to you - your family, friends, colleagues, etc.

It is important to note that after age 18 years, you are slowly moving into the realm of the adults. The ball-game of the adult life is quite different from the life of a child. And though, we can assume that the University education, shall help transition all the children into purposeful and productive agents, I believe that is still an fantasy. The processes in our society, haven't really developed much to ensure this transition in a healthy way. And often-times, most children are left to the circumstances they find themselves in, to handle the psychological and phsyiological demands that are placed on them during this transition. The adults we become, as a result, is an adult shaped by - the circumstances that the children find themselves in, the chioces they make at every step, the lessons they learn from their exposure to different aspects of society, and the social interactions they have with the people they meet in their daily lives.

And as your sense of identity, changes and evolves during this period of transition to adulthood - comprising the ages from 18yrs to 25yrs (sometimes extending to 30yrs and beyond) - your priorities, your goals, your hopes and your ambitions shall change too. And at each stage, you are responsible for the choices you make. Your successes and your failures become the burdens that you need to carry - you are solely responsible for them. And hence realize that, everything you do from the moment you enter University, is an act of responsibility. You need to choose what you would like to consider responsible towards, while you observe the changes you shall be going through at a personal level.

And its true, life isn't all that rosy. You will face challenges and stumbling blocks in every path you take. Your parents will try to take responsibility for your mishaps, for your misfortunes and your failures. Sometimes, you might even tend to take the easy route of putting the blame on them for everything that you feel is going wrong in your life. That's all a part of the process of growing up, until the day arrives, when you realize that you are responsible for who you have become ever since you left the safe nest that your parents had built up for you.

Remember, a large fraction of your adult life will be spent in the profession you choose for yourself. And its true, while financial rewards, does help satisfy certain needs, and also helps soothe out your social sphere of existence, you will also realize that there's a 'part-of-you' that is accessible to you alone. No one else, including your siblings, your parents and your dear ones can access that part of your self. And then you have to answer, that person inside you, whether you are doing what you like, what fascinates you, or are you being forced by circumstances and your environment to keep behaving in certain ways?

As you mature into an adult, your sense of self, your independent will, shall get nurtured. And you will realize that its important to stay true to yourself, because, you are the only person who truly understands yourself.

One of the best ways to do this, is to not to undermine yourself. Respect yourself, believe in your strengths and your gifts. And then work towards improving them, becoming a better human being. The only person you really have to compete with, is yourself. Do not rely on anyone, even your Professors, etc.

Life is not going to be an extended School. The people you meet, have their own problems to deal with. That doesn't mean they will not be there to help you, when you ask for help or guidance. It only means that no one will be there to plan your life, for you - like your parents seem to be doing. Most people will be too engrossed in their own life problems, to really think and advice you on the steps you can take to better yourself. Hence, you need to be the captain of your own ship, seek out personal growth and then take help from friends, family, acquaintance when in need for a discussion, clarification, etc. The world isn't filled with rotten people. No, there's a lot of Good out there. The only problem is that we are generally too weak, or immature to realize all this, when we are caught up in our challenges.

Its an exciting phase of life you are entering now. And a lot of things about yourself - the future trajectory of your life, shall be shaped by the decisions you take from this time onwards. Do not be afraid. Be brave, trust the person you are now, to help you make your informed decisions. And stand strong in the path you choose. There's no right or wrong decisions. Your responses to your circumstances, and your personal efforts shall help you give meaning and value to everything you do. The past cannot be changed, but you can always be hopeful and ambitious, and try to achieve your aspirations, while you grow up into a better human being.

I really hope this helps you think about the phase of life you are entering into. And then, it might also help settle down some of the nervousness that's involved while making these decisions. Do write to me if you have any concerns or if you would just like to brainstorm on something.

Keep an open mind and an open heart. That's the best one can do to live in this brutal world.