Advice to a college student
A student wrote to me: “I have difficulty in selecting the field of study in college. The problem is I have a strong passion for a particular field, but my parents prefer that I select another. My question is: “Should I follow my heart and my passion or follow my parents' wishes? Please help.”
Answer: It is your future and your life, so only you, should make the decision. Many people are giving advice: “Follow your passion and everything will be fine.” My question is how many 18 years old know what their passion is? Passion changes with time. What you are passionate today may not be the same ten years from now. My advice is simple: “Select the field of study that you like, but make sure that you can make a living with that.”
As a college student, you should think further into the future and ask yourself “What will I be doing ten years from now?” Today many students do not know how to create a career plan, so they have difficulty in selecting the field of study when going to college. If you are passionate about something, you must make sure that it matches the reality. You have to make your decision with both your HEART and your HEAD. If you are passionate about a subject and want to work in that field, you should look carefully to see how people in that field are doing. If needed, talk to them to learn more. Sometimes, the reality will force you to change your mind or even your passion.
Many graduates told me that they wish that they had known better when going to college because there are important things about life and jobs that they have not even know. Only after graduate, they realized that they did not have enough information to decide what to do with their career. A college education is NOT about getting a degree. A college education is NOT about getting a job. A college education is about being an educated person who is responsible for their life and for others.
I often remind my students that a field of study in college only help them to learn basic knowledge to prepares them for a career. Most of what they need, they will learn when they are working. Selecting a field of study in college does not mean they will work in that field for the rest of their lives. Today, changes are happening fast, they will have to learn to adjust quickly to keep pace with changes to maintain a stable living. Everybody has to learn and change accordingly, and as long as people can continue to learn, they will do well.
The fact is many first-year students do not know what they want. Some may have ideas but often confuse an idea with a passion, or what they like with a field of study. They need to discuss with their parents or school advisors about their future career because parents have more experiences and can give them some advice. However, advice from parents does not mean they should do whatever parents suggest. I always recommend that parents and children should discuss and plan the education with facts and data, NOT with emotions or bias. For example, some parents suggest that their children should study medicine because they think in term of “prestige and salary.” Does that mean their children could be doctors? Maybe and maybe not. However, how many parents have monitored the job market and know about changes that are happening all over the world? A few years ago, I had a discussion with a friend. He wanted his son to study Medicine, but he was worried about the time (10 years) and the cost. I suggested that his son to study Computer Science, which was shorter (4 years) and did not cost much as compared to Medical School. He never thought of that and did not know that the salary of a software engineer is very close to a Medical Doctor. In my practical view, a college education is an investment in time and efforts, and like any investment, people must think about the benefits when making the decision.
I always advise students that what they learn in school is the ability to develop the knowledge and skills to help them making the decision for their lives. They have to adjust many things to fit their interest and their value so they can enjoy their lives and be productive to their society. I told them: “No matter how you look at it, college is an investment in time and money. The benefit of this investment is much more than the obvious monetary ones. You learn to be an ethical and responsible person who can have productive lives.”
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
