Practicality Vs. Dreams: A Struggling Students' Dilemma

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High school and teenage years, in general, is a super hard point in life. We have to balance studies, family, finances, friends and think about our futures simultaneously. Personally, I didn't care much about my future back then; I just went with the flow and never really worried about what job I wanted to pursue in the future.

As college entrance exams were coming nearer, we had a serious talk with my friends as to what courses we wanted to take, and most of us were very unsure because we were torn between our dreams and practicality.

One of my friends mentioned that he wanted to pursue a course in medicine and work as a doctor. But knowing full well his financial situation, he just let his dream slide. He found other studies more in line with what his parents could afford because medicine costs a lot of money and takes a long time to finish.

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A few weeks passed, and one of my schoolmates posted a genuine question on Facebook for everybody to answer. She asked whether we should choose our dream course or a more practical one, practical meaning a course that's bound to generate a lot of money in the future.

Not surprisingly, one of our teachers says that we should pick a course that we would be happy studying in, and work a job that we would never get tired of doing.

As I read the response from my teacher, I shrugged it off because it doesn't matter what job you're doing; as long as you generate a lot of money, you will be happy no matter what.

For context, the teacher who responded is already a successful teacher studying for his doctorate at such a young age. In short, he generated a lot of money.

And so, I took that into account; he seemed happy making a lot of money for a guy who did not pursue his course. So, I went with my parents' suggestion, who pressured me to take a course in civil engineering. They ensured me that once I passed my course, I would already be taken care of because my uncle owned a private construction firm that was super famous in Davao.

Blinded with money, I now feel how my teacher felt. The first year I studied engineering was horrendous. I had challenging subjects, and I did not have any motivation to learn them, but surprisingly I passed.

It was such a horrendous experience that I searched for free Aeronautical Engineering schools in the Philippines to escape Civil Engineering. Although I found one, it was located in Luzon, and you had to fly there to take their entrance exam. And so, I'm stuck with CE.

And all these stories from my seniors and other people that Civil Engineering was not worth it because of meager wages in the Philippines is honestly terrifying.

Luckily though, I found Hive, where I could pursue my other dream of becoming a full-time blogger and providing for me and my family's needs through blogging and sharing content with people all around the world.

So, if you've learned anything from this post, it's to continuously pursue your dreams no matter what.

Money is not everything in life.

What about you? Are you stuck with a job or course that you hate?

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Thank you for reading my post! And I wish you all a great week ahead!

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I think you realized the answer within this post. As one of my biggest mentors would say life is about AND not OR so while you pursue a practical option if you need to support yourself or a family financially you can work part time on your ambitions/passions/dreams.

Good luck in achieving your dreams and remember just think about how you can add value to others whether by writing on engaging in the communities at hand.
!PIZZA

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Thank you for your kind words and advice!

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No problem man just keep striving and challenge yourself daily and sooner than we know the gap between dreams and reality will continue you to feel shorter and shorter.

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So, if you've learned anything from this post, it's to continuously pursue your dreams no matter what.

Money is not everything in life.

My parents, specifically my father forced me to take nursing before because it's in demand but I pursued a course in hospitality. Was I happy? Yes. I love it. And I'm thankful that although it wasn't my father's first choice I was able to prove to him that I made it in the industry.

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Congratulations! That's super great to hear. Glad you love your job and that you were able to prove yourself to your father.

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At this age, we are forced to face the harsh reality that sometimes we have to choose practicality over our passion. When I was in senior high school, I have always wanted to pursue International Studies but it isn't really a practical course and so I had to choose a pre-medical course that would secure me a stable job in the future. Maybe this isn't the right time to pursue my passion but maybe one day I will, who knows? Hopefully you'll be able to enjoy CE along the way. There is a reason why you are in this journey. Laban lang 🤗😀

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Yes, hopefully in the future, we will be able to chase our dreams. Thank you so much! I wish you all the best in your journey as well.

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(Edited)

One annoying person once told me that we always end up in a career that is completely different from our bachelor's degree. I didn't agree with him back then and what he said hit a nerve which I am now acknowledging as the truth. I spent 2 decades of my professional life chasing my field of study which was architecture and design, I am just now realizing well into my 40s that I chased the wrong carrot. No regrets however because life doesn't limit us to only one purpose. We could wear different hats throughout our lifetime. What is important is what feels right for you now.

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Wow, life is truly unpredictable. I love that you don't regret the choices in your life and I agree, everything happens for a reason and those two decades were there to show you the path that was truly in line with your passion. Thank you so much for reading, and for the advice; I really appreciate it!

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Keep pursuing those dreams. If we focus on what truly makes us happy then the rest will fall into place. !PIZZA !ALIVE

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