2022 started off like any other year - with a lot of hype and hopefulness. It seemed really promising in the beginning but everything just started to take an unexpected turn. Of course, crypto took a turn in the opposite direction but what I want to talk about today is my educational career. It seemed like 2022 would be the year that I would finally see a clear path in my university journey but fate had different plans for me.
This Post is kind of long so I apologize in advance.
BACK STORY...(a long one)
I'm one of those people that have never known what he wants to be in the future. I just joined the crowd to say "Medical Doctor" but I never wanted to be that. Still, when I did not make the cut for Medicine and Surgery in 2018, I was upset but I did not know that the "disappointment" was a blessing in disguise.
Instead of Medicine and Surgery, I was asked to study Veterinary Medicine which I thought I would enjoy because I've always loved animals. Once I got into uni, I realized that it was not what I expected. To keep myself busy, I started a mini importation business which was actually a success in the short term but failed about a year later because I lacked what it would have taken to scale it.
Throughout my first year, I was told that I would change to Medicine. At the end of my first year, I knew I did not want to switch to Medicine so I convinced my folks to let me try Pharmacy. Well, I tried and I was denied a spot in the department so I had to go on with vet for another year.
During my second year at the beginning of 2020, I was burned out and decided I would not keep studying vet. I decided that I would just study Mathematics since it had always been what I was good at. I discussed with my parents and we agreed that I would study abroad but then 2020 did what it did - the pandemic hit, my dad passed away and other awful things happened that just destroyed my hopes of getting an education abroad. Still, 2020 came with some blessings too. I started to read more and educate myself outside of university. I also began blogging on steemit in December of that year which would later lead to me discovering Hive.
Public universities resumed in January 2021 after nine months of strike and lockdown. By then, I was still in the first semester of my second year (what a delay. Yeah I know). I knew I would be switching to Mathematics the following year so I stopped taking my school work seriously and just focused on crypto and blogging. Thanks to the bull market and my efforts, I made a lot of money that period. My weekly pay was more than what many of my lecturers earn in a month! I sacrificed a huge part of my social life back then and it was paying off. But the progress started to slow down after the session was over and I had to start classes in my new department.
I was excited to finally be studying something I "enjoyed" even though I would be starting from first year. I did every assignment and studied for every test and exam. The first semester went by pretty fast. The second semester started in January and I took everything seriously. I always did the assignments and helped others with theirs, I always studied, I sat in the front of the class, I was basically "that guy". It was going well until valentine's day when the lecturers decided to embark on a nationwide strike that would last 8 months.
During the strike, I discovered Hive and got down to business. I invested into my Hive Power and in splinterlands as well. Even though the bear markets were beating me down just like everyone, I was happy with my progress and the fact that I was working towards clear goals. I started to read and meditate more. I even started to take my gym workouts and nutrition more seriously and the gains were clear. I was basically moving on with my life and becoming a better person on the outside and internally too. Sadly, t all came crashing down when, one day, the strike was called off and we were asked to return to school.
You'd think I would be happy to finally go back to school but I just felt a lot of pressure and anxiety. I was just not ready to go back. I was so anxious that I could not focus on Hive anymore so I decided to take a break. One night, the thoughts started to creep in. I just started to wonder whether I even belonged in uni. I decided that I would finish the semester and know for sure. I resumed and two weeks later, started my exams (which I crushed by the way). At the end of the semester, I had spent a lot of money on school books and other stuff. After assessing how expensive uni is and the fact that I don't have a sponsor, how badly it has affected my mental health and how long I have been here without any significant progress in any career path, I have decided to make the tough decision.
What now?
I spent Christmas away from home because I really needed time to reflect and be sure of what I really want. I have been in the uni system for basically four and a half years but I am supposed to be starting the second year in my new department. To be honest, I gained more value from free content during the 8 month strike than I have in all my years of being a uni student. I have three years left if there are no more strikes but I have decided not to waste any more time and money on a path that I will end up not following.
I have asked for advise from older people but they always encourage me to just continue with the typical reasons that "you may need it in the future" or "people will respect you more". Funny thing is that most of these people have degrees that they don't use.
I have also asked a couple of young people (some older and smarter than me) for advise and they seem to be more open-minded about it. A lot of them encourage me to go ahead and do what I want stating that there are other paths to a successful and fulfilled life. Young people have started to realize that formal education is not the only path to success. A lot of people I know graduate from uni and begin to learn skills outside of what they went to uni for. You can argue that education is never wasted but what was the point of all that?
The question for me has always been;
Is It Even Worth It?
I think this should be answered by the individual. If going to uni aligns with your goals for the future, then yes, it is a good idea to get a degree. The degree opens up certain doors that would have otherwise stayed shut. For example, I doubt anyone can be a doctor without a degree.
On the other hand, if you're like me and you have no idea what you are in uni for, it may be time to consider other options and stop following the crowd. At the end of the day, the ones who have their eyes set on a goal in academia will leave the rest of us behind to wonder if we made the right choice. Of course, it's not a race but I really believe that time is of the essence and it should not be "wasted".
My biggest fear is not that I would not be successful in life because I know I will. My biggest fear is the initial stigma. "Dropout" - what a harsh word. How will I live these unsure years with that label. I used to be one of the smartest kids back in secondary school but now, I would be a uni dropout. What a surprise.
Well, I don't plan to just sit at home all day and smoke weed like the stereotypical dropout. I have plans to keep growing as a person. I want to hit the gym harder and crush all my goals for the year. I want to travel and experience new cultures this year. I want to read more "useful" books, take courses and learn new skills. I also want to be more serious with Hive and learn to grow my account. I know that I have my whole life ahead of me and this uncertain stage will not last forever. Heck, I want to be so rich that I can just buy the degree if I want to... or not
Thank you if you made it to the end of this long post. If you liked it, consider upvoting or reblogging. Also, please drop a comment. I'd like to hear the opinion of others on this.
Thanks for your time!
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It's ok bro I felt that too in the past but in the end I ended up going back to finish my degree. Maybe you can defer one semester and explore and really think what you want in life. Maybe you just chose the wrong subject to study or if you really don't want to study you got to figure out what you want to do for you career that can earn the income that will suit your lifestyle. There's no right or wrong. Just do what makes you happy and that's not illegal :P.
Yes I have thought about this. Maybe I just need more time to think but I doubt I would return if I defer. Who knows. I'll do that to be on the safe side.
Honestly, after a lot of thinking, there really isn't any course I think I can do except for Mathematics. I even considered an engineering course but that's really not where my strength lies at all. I just feel like I was not made to follow the traditional path.
Exactly bro! I feel like there's a lot of pressure at this stage of life. There's a lot of self discovery to do. I just don't want to be depressed in uni. Oh well.
I can understand that sentiment and why other said so. I found out that people here have more respect to someone with a university degree rather than those who don't. It's like they are saying that uni graduate is more educated while it may not always be the case. But recently, I found that having degree certainly helps to add a credibility and a nice thing to fall back on especially when things go wrong in our life. As in the old sayings, don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Here's from my perspective, I decided to pursue what I wanted. University for me was more than the major but also the environment. I found it hard adjusting despite I did well and was promising too. Though the degree is something I love but my situation at the time wasn't right and depression got the best of me till I decided to let go of that.But now, after integrating with the society, dealing with paperwork even for immigration purposes , having degree is a nice way to oil up our way though this process. This is why I also plan going back to school anytime soon. You can be freelancer, have your own business but even dealing with bank loan are much easier when you have some credibility too and sadly, degree is one of the way in my society. I hope that is not the case with yours. Whatever you decide, I wish you success because living with a drop out stigma can be harsh and sometimes no matter how accomplished you are or wealthy you are, it just sticks like a gum on your jeans.
This is really a fresh perspective for me. I have always heard how a degree makes it easier to be a part of society but I thought it was something that was quickly fading away. If only there wasn't so much importance attached to it there would not be so much pressure to get one and it would not feel so wrong to decide not to get one. There is so much more value to be gained outside the university but society does not understand this. What a life.
Being a graduate is a big deal in my society and especially in my family. The family had initially hoped I would become a doctor but they were disappointed when I chose to switch to Mathematics. Now they would just be devastated if I choose to dropout. Honestly, I have started to care less about what people think about the way I choose to live. People will always have their opinions but, although sometimes they mean well, we have to decide what would be best for us.
Thank you for the kind wishes. I am really scared of the stigma that comes with that "dropout" title. I may decide to return to school later but right now I just cannot do it anymore. I need to heal.
Well then if I had to advise you ionconunqie I would tell you to continue your university career and also to pursue your dreams.
If continuing on the university path makes you uncomfortable then leave it alone... the important thing... do you have another plan ready?
Right now you know what you don't want to do... but you also need to know exactly what you want to do.
I wish you to find the right path and that all your dreams come true.
A hug!
This is a very good point. A lot of people have asked me if I have a plan and I end up just telling them different things. The truth is that I have plans but nothing concrete. Come to think of it, I really do not have a plan for my uni degree but at least there is a set path with it. Still, when I think about it, that path ends after I get the degree because I don't plan to work as an employee but who knows what the future may hold.
I don't have a solid plan but at least I know what I would be doing when I am not in school. As I progress, the path become clearer and the process just feels right. I can't describe it. I just believe that it's ok not to have a sure plan because I can figure things out as I go.
Thank you very much. I really needed that hug!
Heh heh and thanks for that. You will see that slowly your path will draw clearly in front of you.
Don't give up and never give up!
With hugs you never need to be tight, I'll send you as many as you need 🤗
I would say, 'Follow your heart. It always knows where to go'.,
Yes I would definitely follow my heart even though it's kind of confused right now😅
I am sure you already know how peaceful you feel every time you think of ditching school and building other things.
The only time you feel scared is when you think of the 'drop out' stigma.
Irrespective of what you choose you should always remember that you will live with it. And if you choose something that doesn't make you happy, you may not feel fulfilled.
And the craziest part is that none of the people whose opinion you are worried about will live your life for you.
If you look closely, they may only be projecting their insecurities on you. Maybe, a regret here and there.
Because someone bold enough to change course is someone that threatens them since they would wish they had the same courage.
All in all, when you finally make up your mind, remember to draw a concrete plan on how you intend to live your life. Then you'll realize you will always have something to wake up and look forward to.
This is not disputing the fact that some days you will wake up and feel like a loser or that you would miss out on something in the future because of the decision you made today.
But look at the bright side, you are in charge, and being in charge gives you the feeling of control over how your life will turn out.
And yes, you will have the privilege to celebrate the wins and losses, most times alone because you might be the only one crazy enough to have chosen that path. But celebrate you will.
Phew, I am talking too much. Bye bye.
Woah! You have really said a lot of valuable stuff here. I felt a rush of courage as I was reading this. I have read this comment over and over again and it just hits deep. What wise words!
This right here is very true. It feels like a huge burden is off my shoulders when I think about it. The anxiety creeps back in when I consider just trying to finish.
This is really true. All people can do is talk but they won't be there when you're in your darkest times trying not to go insane. At the end of the day, I will be the one doing all the legwork just to satisfy other people's wishes. No way!
Thing is, I have a picture in my head of how I want my life to be and uni does not fit into it. I know that it's not going to be rosy and I may feel like I may have made a mistake at some point but that's just how it is. I know I would feel really bad when all my friends finally graduate. At least I will know that I chose what I would be doing and would wake up everyday looking forward to live the life I chose.
I love this right here! "Crazy enough". That's the phrase right there. Nobody will understand my weird mind and that's ok. As long as I win in the end.
Lol. You said a lot of helpful things. I really appreciate you. Bye❤️
Lol. Just create a plan, give yourself a timeline, then run with it. Believe me, you'll look back and pleased with the outcome.
And, yes, you are welcome 🤗
My condolences about your dad.
There would always be people who stereotype dropouts, but not when they are successful then they become inspirations. It is good you realized on time what you really want. You are 100% right when you say most people just go to school to just feel among and when they come out they either do something entirely different from what they studied or become frustrated.
You have your whole life ahead of you and since you have goals I wish you the best of luck. Have a wonderful life @awesononso don’t let anyone stigmatize you for your choice. You will do well.
Thank you my dear❤️
This is exactly what I believe! I feel like the stereotype and stigma may not last if you become really successful and prove that you were right all along. Still, the label of "dropout" never falls off but that's just how it is. Even after you make it, there will still be people that will belittle you for not having a degree but those ones are just jealous.
Exactly! I just don't want to get lost in the noise and regret it later. People say I'm still young but I don't want to wait until I'm older before I do something with my life.
Thank you so much for this. I know that many things will happen in the coming years but I am willing to face anything at all. There is just a lot more to life than we may expect.
Goodluck dear, there are different paths for us all. Walk yours with pride.
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You have certainly come a really long way and I am impressed at how much you have grown.
I know you are still contemplating about continuing your studies or not, and I understand you very well. Now this is my own advice, if school is overwhelming, I get it, infact everyone knows our educational system is something else. But then, what you are leaving school for, is it worth it and are you sure you are going to stick to your plans?
I know you have the plans laid down, but are you sure they will work out the exact way you imagined they would? Life is unpredictable and I honestly pray and hope everything works out fine for you.
I would have loved to tell you to complete what you have already started, then you just channel more time to the things you want to do. School is going to end sooner than you think, it looks so far but honestly, it’s almost upon you. I must admit that the learning process can be really exhausting but I really hope you pull this through.
I pray you figure out the best decision to make.
There are a couple of reasons I want to leave school including financial issues, emotional reasons and so on. I would love to say "yes, I will stick to my plans" but you never know what could happen. I know that life may not turn out the way I expect but I think it's ok to try and make mistakes now. Being young is an advantage when it comes to trying new things because even if I fail, I would not have risked much. Still, I trust myself and I know I have the zeal to conquer the goals I set for myself.
This is actually very true. If there are no more delays, I should be done before the end of 2024 but I can't say that there will not be delays. It's worse that the school fees have been doubled amidst the growing cost of living. Things are really hard and I just feel like I should not waste time, money and my mental health on something I "know" will not serve me.
Yeah I pray so too. Thank you❤️
Going to college is certainly not for everyone and that’s perfectly fine! There’s really no reason to say that you need a piece of paper in order to do things for a lot of areas of the economy and if they try to, it’s often a load of shit scheme to get people to spend money at the end of the day sadly.
An entrepreneur is an excellent thing to do, it just takes a while to figure out your niche but once you get it, you can work well at it!
Definitely college is not for everyone. There are multiple ways to become a functioning member of society. It's just sad that there is so much pressure to go to uni and get a degree that will just sit somewhere and collect dust. I hope more people can try to be more open-minded about this.
Entrepreneurship is something I really think I can do. I just cannot imagine working for anyone or settling for a paycheck that is determined by others. Well, I have a lot of figuring out to do.