The real world at your doorstep

If this setting doesn't excite you, you may want to reconsider your choices.

Erin Chesney

Silhouette Staff

That time of the year is coming up when students are forced to come out of their safe McMaster bubbles and face that scary, unknown future. Some will have to make tough choices about what they will attempt to pursue. Whether you are debating graduate schools or considering undergrad courses, it is important to make sure that whatever you decide, you are truly and sincerely happy.

I went to a high school where the social hierarchy was a little unconventional; as opposed to ‘jocks’ and ‘cheerleaders’ ruling the school, it was the students that were smart, hardworking and committed to an abundance of the extra-curricular that were deemed ‘cool.’

Due to this set-up, I was put in a very tough position. I always pride myself off my work ethic and wanted to choose a path that reflected that. So when it came time to choose courses and decide my fate at the all-knowing age of 14, I came to what seemed to be the most logical conclusion. I was going to be a doctor.

Why a doctor? Well, in my school, all the smart kids wanted to be a doctor. Now, I am not saying that I am a follower, for I have always been very committed to being a leader in everything that I do. There were two main reasons why I chose this profession. The first being that I have much respect for doctors and have always dreamed of pursuing a profession that makes a profound, positive impact on the world. The second and perhaps more relevant reason was that I also believed that I had the ability and determination to be in the same ranks of my intellectual peers, and if that meant being a doctor, then I was prepared to commit myself to being an outstanding one.

To summarize: I believed I was smart. Smart people become doctors. Aspiring doctors take science courses all through high school and university. Therefore, logic dictated, I was to immerse myself into the wonderful world of science.

Have you caught the flaw to my thought process yet? It took me five years of struggle and frustration to figure out why I hated my academic career so much. My first misconception, partially due to the context of my high school, is that there is no shame being in a non-science program. The world would not be able to function efficiently if there were only doctors. There are so many other respectable jobs that can highlight one’s intelligence, and no one should ever feel that they have to pursue a certain occupation in order to prove their self-worth.

My second and more significant problem was that I was not trying to do what I loved. I was a horrible science student, and it was not because I did not put in the effort. In high school, I had a regular lunch date with my chemistry teacher, and in university my go-to hangout spot on campus was the biology office in BSB. I did hours of reading, and I did every practice question. I even attended academic counseling at the Health and Wellness Centre (an amazing resource if you are ever in need of academic or personal assistance).

Everyone’s mind functions differently, and it become more clear to me that my brain could not handle science. Consequently, becoming a doctor seemed to become more and more unrealistic (not to mention the fact that I faint at the sight of blood, but that’s an entirely different topic).

The breaking point for me was in the summer, when I was trying to take a physics course. Being a prerequisite for my program at that time, I thought that having all my focus on one subject would provide me the opportunity to thrive. However, after hours on end of studying, I sat down at a midterm that possessed questions that were completely foreign to me. It was at that point I asked myself, why am I putting so much effort into something that I am getting no significant return from?

From that point on, everything changed. I changed both my program and major, and for the first time in my life started taking courses that I actually enjoyed. At no point during this past semester did I feel lost or overwhelmed. Yes, I did have to still work my butt off. But this time, the results of my efforts were finally tangible.

Do not let your family, your community or, in my case, your high school, dictate what you should do. In every class, regardless of subject, there are always students who have no interest in being there. In addition, there will always be certain students who work extremely hard but just cannot do well in a given course. If you are in one of those categories, maybe it is time to rethink your academic choices.

In addition, from a broader perspective, maybe we should be reexamining the expectations that adults in our society place on children. As the world develops there are a wider variety of jobs available. We should work to eliminate the assumption that there are only certain respectable careers. Maybe then, students will finally be able to enjoy school, not dread it.