Open House

Looking at the students who came by during our Open House last week, I can’t help but think about how society has changed.

During my time (yes yes I know it’s eons ago), information on further studies was not readily available – that is to say the least. My hometown was a good 10 hours bus ride from Kuala Lumpur (no North-South highway yet), where you could get information, and get things done – I had to go to KL to apply for a student visa to the USA. I had to write (on paper, using envelop and stamp, via snail mail) to a particular further studies agency in KL to request for information.

When I told my secondary school teacher I wanted to study psychology, he looked at me in disbelief, and said: “That’s medical, you know?” (Like I was not going to make it there.) Turned out that he was wrong – as we all know now, psychology is not the same as psychiatry.

So I went on without knowing exactly what I wanted to study. Luckily, in the US system, students were allowed to declare their major after their first year because you were supposed to do a one-year “general education” – where you take subjects from across the board, so that you would know where your interest lies.

That’s when I could really find out about a subject that I really interested in – psychology. It was a path less traveled – at that time. I had a difficult time convincing The Mom that my choice was the right one. I did my research, found out about the job prospect (well, mainly social services, which I think very few parents would be supportive), and wrote to her to assure her that I would get a job after I graduate.

What I am trying to say is that, sometimes we conform to the norm (like doing a what seems to be “cool” and “popular” course) could be due to the fact that we don’t know ourselves well. Today, students are overwhelmed by the information presented to them. Schools are going all out to attract students to join their courses. But that doesn’t mean that students would be making the right choice just because they are informed.

To be fair, The Mom never insisted that I had to do a certain course. All she wanted was for me to be a teacher – which, eventually I become a lecturer so she was quite pleased when I decided to teach after 10 years of working in the PR industry (something she never heard of and thought of).

My point is, we all need to find our passion. It doesn’t really matter whether you conform to what’s the hottest choice. And when you search your soul and decide the path for you, go all out to do the best for that choice. Again, it all boils down to being self-aware. And then you will never regret.

I never.