Being educated in a British based education system back home whilst attending an international school, I was programmed to focus on one aspect of my education and forget about the rest as a result of streaming. I would even go to the extent of not only focusing on sciences but also focusing on being in the Top 10 in the class or scoring above 90 in every class. It had never dawned upon me to stop and think if what I was learning was something I was truly passionate about. And I think this is a MAJOR drawback for students especially those who have been educated in the British education system.
After being accepted in Bryn Mawr College, I realized that I was clueless on what I truly felt passionate about pursuing as a career. Yes it is true that we all don't really know what we want at such an early stage of our lives. But I am pretty sure that by the end of high school, everyone would have some sense of what they really enjoy learning. I think I have the "EVERYTHING-interests-me-and-I-can't-quite-decide-on-ONE" syndrome. I would love to learn about everything and Bryn Mawr College or any liberal arts college really provides that environment for me to explore them. However, I am a Chemistry major and we have quite a load of major requirements that really limit the freedom and time we have to dive into non-science related fields. And to top it all off, I am in the midst of deciding between finishing my BA degree in 3 years or 4 years like normal college students do. I am haunted by the question everyday by friends and my thoughts wander off trying to push me off to one side of that very high brick wall I have been casually tip-toeing on for the past one semester.
So everyday I question myself: Where is my niche? I love food, cooking, inorganic chemistry, materials science, engineering, appreciating art, making art, dance, learning about religions, and want to help empower more women in pursuing their dreams and gaining the respect we deserve in the modern day society; and the list is never ending. I guess some could be categorized as hobbies rather than something I would potentially pursue in the future. Then comes the ultimate question of all time: Will I be able to make enough money to support myself in the future? As much as I would like to believe that the most important aspect to consider is your interest, it is painstakingly true that we have to also consider money in such important life decisions. The more I think deeper on this issue, the more I find myself in a whirlpool of contradictions! This leads me to think that sometimes( and for people like me), having choices can be detrimental to my mental health. LOL!
On a side note, my college recently threw a "Spring Fling Party" outside one of the dining halls. We had hot dogs, burgers, "Mojitos", some fruity banana shake, cotton candy stands and a giant kid's pool of ice cream! Oh all the excitement and fun! Except I had just finished the most STRESSFUL 5 hour lab prior to this occasion and couldn't quite bring myself to enjoy the beautiful warm sunny day. The college also had a live band, those bloated up obstacle courses and rock climbing things they have in kid's carnivals and a Dance Revolution machine??? Yeah, my college does these random fun things occasionally. I wish I had pictures to show everyone because I'm pretty sure you'd be highly entertained by college students being kids for a day. It's always a good thing to have break and try to be a kid again; being in school for too long makes everyone forget the feeling of being free of problems and having the purest tinge of happiness in the form of smiles and laughter. Oh how I would give it all up to be 5 or 8 years old again. *mind drifting*
-Without a Care in the World-Taken at Coney Island by me over Fall Break 2010.
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