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When a child is born, or perhaps even before a child is born, parents would have a lot of expectations and plan for the child. That includes education and the school they would want to enroll their child to. Now, the trend in educating children has always been focused on fields like medicine, engineering, and law. Why? Because parents believe that these are the only fields that would make their children successful.
I feel the urge to write on this issue particularly because of the perception people have towards education in my society. I believe this is also a common scenario in many other places around the world. So to narrow down the issue I'm talking about, I would paint a picture for you to imagine what's going on in my society. When I was in school, all the way from the age of 7 until I passed high school, my only dream was to be a doctor. And every other student's dream was also to be a doctor. From families to friends' families, producing a doctor was a dream back then. My parents were told that I'm a bright child and could do well to become a doctor. That's how I thought to be successful is to be a doctor. I held on to this dream of mine so tightly until the point where I failed to secure a scholarship for it due to screwed-up bias government and its policies (we are all going to put an end to this in the coming general election which is a few hours away from NOW).
Having failed to snatch a place for my scholarship, I told myself it's time to decide on life and how life should be like. I pursued A Level which is called STPM in Malaysia and secured a place for Chemical Engineering. I took the offer, telling myself that I need a challenge in life to steer away from what I thought I ought to be, to something I never opted for as a choice of study. I never kept engineering as an option in my entire life. While some of us took what came our way, some students still insisted on becoming a doctor and went on to study abroad with their father's hard earn money. I felt I wouldn't need to prove myself successful in the future just by securing a job that is thought to be successful. I told myself, I define what success is and not let my profession do the work for me.
Much to my dismay, parents of the kids who are doctors look down upon families who fail to produce doctors. These pathetic families include family friends and also relatives who ridiculously think they have succeeded in producing doctors. They could even say that any other jobs apart from those related to the medical field do not guarantee a good future and secure job. Among the Indian society anywhere in the world, it's so common to see at least one child being a doctor. While it's notable that India and Indians produce good doctors, I think it's time to open their small brains and minds up to accept the fact that being a doctor and being successful are two different things!
There are also parents who force their will against their children's will. I had a friend who went on to be a doctor as both their parents are doctors and my friend had to be the one succeeding in their business. In one other scenario, all three children pursued medicine as the father was in the medical line. Seriously, what are we trying to achieve or portray through this? We are just merely limiting our skills and talents in other fields and studies. Parents fail to see that one can be a writer, singer, or politician and still be good at what he/she does. Why this prejudice on people based on the profession? I feel so sorry for you if you are one of the families I'm talking about because I just feel your small brains are all closed up and think pathetically.
On the other hand, well-to-do families send their children to do this course, whether or not they are capable of doing or if they meet the criteria of being a doctor. What matters here is money and it speaks louder than anything else! Most of the students finding their way to do medicine are just not sure of what secures their future and thus choose to do medicine as it is thought to be lifting their torn images up.
I would rather be someone who does a course apart from medicine and still be successful to be a living proof for what I preach. To me, a successful person is someone who lives life in her/his own way and makes the most out of his/her talents and not just clinging onto the reputation a job gives. I'm REALLY glad I swayed away from the common notion of success the society held and challenged myself to be different from them. A successful person is meant to be successful no matter what he/she does.
I feel the urge to write on this issue particularly because of the perception people have towards education in my society. I believe this is also a common scenario in many other places around the world. So to narrow down the issue I'm talking about, I would paint a picture for you to imagine what's going on in my society. When I was in school, all the way from the age of 7 until I passed high school, my only dream was to be a doctor. And every other student's dream was also to be a doctor. From families to friends' families, producing a doctor was a dream back then. My parents were told that I'm a bright child and could do well to become a doctor. That's how I thought to be successful is to be a doctor. I held on to this dream of mine so tightly until the point where I failed to secure a scholarship for it due to screwed-up bias government and its policies (we are all going to put an end to this in the coming general election which is a few hours away from NOW).
Having failed to snatch a place for my scholarship, I told myself it's time to decide on life and how life should be like. I pursued A Level which is called STPM in Malaysia and secured a place for Chemical Engineering. I took the offer, telling myself that I need a challenge in life to steer away from what I thought I ought to be, to something I never opted for as a choice of study. I never kept engineering as an option in my entire life. While some of us took what came our way, some students still insisted on becoming a doctor and went on to study abroad with their father's hard earn money. I felt I wouldn't need to prove myself successful in the future just by securing a job that is thought to be successful. I told myself, I define what success is and not let my profession do the work for me.
Much to my dismay, parents of the kids who are doctors look down upon families who fail to produce doctors. These pathetic families include family friends and also relatives who ridiculously think they have succeeded in producing doctors. They could even say that any other jobs apart from those related to the medical field do not guarantee a good future and secure job. Among the Indian society anywhere in the world, it's so common to see at least one child being a doctor. While it's notable that India and Indians produce good doctors, I think it's time to open their small brains and minds up to accept the fact that being a doctor and being successful are two different things!
There are also parents who force their will against their children's will. I had a friend who went on to be a doctor as both their parents are doctors and my friend had to be the one succeeding in their business. In one other scenario, all three children pursued medicine as the father was in the medical line. Seriously, what are we trying to achieve or portray through this? We are just merely limiting our skills and talents in other fields and studies. Parents fail to see that one can be a writer, singer, or politician and still be good at what he/she does. Why this prejudice on people based on the profession? I feel so sorry for you if you are one of the families I'm talking about because I just feel your small brains are all closed up and think pathetically.
On the other hand, well-to-do families send their children to do this course, whether or not they are capable of doing or if they meet the criteria of being a doctor. What matters here is money and it speaks louder than anything else! Most of the students finding their way to do medicine are just not sure of what secures their future and thus choose to do medicine as it is thought to be lifting their torn images up.
I would rather be someone who does a course apart from medicine and still be successful to be a living proof for what I preach. To me, a successful person is someone who lives life in her/his own way and makes the most out of his/her talents and not just clinging onto the reputation a job gives. I'm REALLY glad I swayed away from the common notion of success the society held and challenged myself to be different from them. A successful person is meant to be successful no matter what he/she does.
What do you think about this post? I welcome your thoughts and views!
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