The Choices I Had After High School
When I was 16 years old, me and my cousin had a serious talk of what we want to become in the future. She asked me of what will be my course in college. Honestly, that time I don’t have an idea but I always wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid. I even taught the kids in our neighbor the alphabet before they entered prep school. I was at high school when I did that. Then I became a catechist at our local church. I taught young people about the basic Catholic Church Doctrines with trainings facilitated by our Parish.
A teacher maybe? But my sister told me that if I become a teacher, I’ll be back at school until I am old. I wish I did not listen to her.
My second choice was a Degree in Psychology. I had always been interested with people’s behaviors and traits, and why people think the way they do. At high school, I was reading my sister’s book in Psychology. She had a psychology subject in college, and every weekend when she was at home, I would borrow her book, and scan through it and read. The thought of not getting a job in future hindered me to get a Degree in Psychology. I was scared that employers will have to ask why I took Psychology when in fact I will be applying for a corporate job. I wish I listened to my heart.
My third choice was either Agriculture or Business course. I grew up in a farm and I like farming but getting a job with a Degree in Agriculture is tough, and that left me with a Business Education course. I thought I can land an easy job if I take a Business course. I took Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business during my second year in college. I spent my first year in the University in the College of Engineering and Computing. For two years, I dedicated my time and myself studying the subjects offered in the syllabus for BS AgBus. On my fourth year, my family experienced a financial problem that led me to left my schooling. I looked for a job and I became a sales agent for Circuit City in Davao. I think all of the branches in Davao are all closed by now. They sell electronic game consoles like Gameboy, Nintendo Wii, Playstations, PSP’s and accessories for the consoles.
After a year, I got enough money to enroll myself back to college.I took Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management. In one semester I took three major subjects. Imagine the stress and pressure I had during the semester. Advertising, Marketing Research and Product Management. Print ads, radio and TV ads, doing the Marketing Research and at the same time developing a prototype of the products and countless presentations in one semester. I remembered crying during the last week of the semester. Deadlines! The dreadful last week of the term. It was raining hard and I was absent for all of my classes that day because I was revising and reprinting all of my Marketing Research papers. By 7:00pm, the final output should be submitted. I was soaking wet with rain water and my shoes were broken. I couldn’t blame anyone, it was my decision to take all three major subjects! My professor was our dean for Marketing Research and deadline for her is deadline, no extensions. The happiness and the relief I felt when she finally accepted my paper was one of the happiest and unforgettable moments I had back when I was in college. After my college, I worked for a Non-Government Organization that aims to alleviate life of the countryside women’s organizations. I trained them to do business and taught them skills for food processing. For almost a year of traveling to different places in the country, I went home. I put up a small business at home but I failed. Then applied for a job in a BPO, and worked for years. I guess I am one of the few people who got a favorable situation during this pandemic. I left the city and started a new life in a farm. I became a farmer, and I found love and happiness.
Realizations
The course or the degree that you will be taking in college is not a guarantee that you will land a job on the specific field that you will study. My advice for the upcoming college freshies is that, know what your heart really want to become in the future. Work for it. Get a degree and familiarize yourself with the theories and principles. Excellent grades may help you find a job but always remember that your values and outlook in life will bring you success. The hardships and challenges in your college days are the pillars for you to become a strong person in the future. Do not give up when you feel down. In difficult times you gain wisdom and learn lessons that will help you overcome whatever roadblocks you will face in your journey to success. Do not stress yourself too much, enjoy your college days but don’t forget your responsibilities in school. And most of all, don’t be afraid of the future. Take risks, and if it’ll fail, learn from it and be better next time.
