Have you ever heard people praising you because they knew that you’re studying engineering? Well, no one beats the feeling when you suddenly become the talk of the town just because of the course you decided to take.
The choice comes with extravagant privileges. More often than not, engineering students are the bunch people would trust in terms of decision making. A good example maybe the incident when your neighbor suddenly asked you about the most preferred brand of computer to buy or your cousins asking help to solve math problems. You could also be the hotshot who gets the girl you so desire. All of these and many more.
But not everything that comes with the label is good for the health. Engineering can as easily transform from a sweet dream to a nightmare. Expectations. Too much pressure forced upon your shoulders to carry can cause the aspiring engineer in you to walk away from your dreams and drop out from the course you so wanted to take.
From the commonly perceived misconceptions like, engineers should know how to solve all math equations, to fixing the oven and adjusting the TV antenna down to the most dreaded parts like engineers are fail resistant and should just as easily land to a high paying job after graduation.
Societal expectations eat up all the opportunities for the students to enjoy studying the discipline they want. It creates a barrier that puts them at risk to depression. From having a hard time admitting to parents that they fail a subject to the need to explain to the entire neighborhood that you have to add another year in college because it’s just too hard, can all break a student’s drive.
And while you are now reconsidering your chances at an engineering school, well these can be avoided if you just keep these things in mind.
Complements may be important but over obsessing yourself on what other people think will just drag you down. Everything starts in the mind and if you believe in yourself that you can rise above previous failures, you can break free from the chains of weight cladded on your back. Remember that they can’t see beyond that label and their mere assumptions cannot compare to the hard works you’ve already done.
It is also time to go out of your solitary confinement and rid yourself off stressful thinking. Expectations can be cleared out with due understanding. Explaining your situation and seeking relief from your family and loved ones can help put your mind at ease and lift your spirit up.
Engineering is hard even with both the privileges and expectations factored out. But it can be life changing once you find the strength to overcome defeats and weaknesses. It is also a path to maturity. More than the skills you get to learn is the ability to keep the hope alive all throughout the entire ride.
Written by guest writer Kevin Facun
