I’ve always been a Straight-A Grade student, and I had never questioned that before. Now that I am finally into a well reputed Engineering University though, I’m starting to wonder why did grades matter so much, why getting into a “good” college was so important. I’m questioning the importance of material success for the first time, and realizing that the only reason I continue to complete pointless assignments and study for tests whose only purpose is to prepare me for another test is because I’m expected to? Or that will lend me a few more bucks in the Placement Interview?
My father yelled at me for an hour when my report card in 11th Standard for a weekly test in Physics had come. I’d got 6 on 40 in Rotational Motion, the chapter which I used to hate the most. “How will you get into a reputed Engineering College which such horrible marks?”, slamming my room door he said furiously. “Note my words, you’re just going to do a simple B.Sc and nothing else. Engineering is something you won’t be able to persue with such marks”, he added in angst. I asked why I would want to good marks in such small and big exams. To get a high paying job, he said. And I said, I don’t need a high-paying job to be happy, I want to be an entrepreneur. Why would I want a stressful job, why would I want to get into a highly selective college? His answer: Because you can make it. I thought who am I to disappoint my family? Though it was just the onset of winter, emotional storms seemed to have gobbled my room and my heart.
It’s like that joke- the one where a mother is taking a walk with her two toddlers and a stranger comes up to her and starts fussing over the children, saying how adorable they are, asking how old they are. The mother replies: the lawyer is five, and the doctor is three. Are we, as children, teenagers, students, even professionals, defined by others’ expectations? Parents are the real ones who care about us but who the hell is the outer world to put pressure of their expectations on us?
To put it in simple words you don’t know where you want to go with your life, and others(everybody your neighbours, accquaitances) know where they want you to go with it, so you might as well follow their wishes since you need to prove yourself to their word that you can match up to anyone’s expection, but at the end of the day you end up forgetting your personal wishes and your personal aims. I am sure you just wonder if you would find out someday that what they want isn’t at all what you want, and that it’s too late to go back and start over.
I would conclude saying that, YES do respect your parents’ dreams and expectation. But at the same time don’t get pressurized hearing people’s statments like “You’re capable of an IIT or an IIM.” OR “You must definitely try for a CA or CS. You’ve brilliant mind”. These are cliche statements that every neighbour/acquaintance would tell you after your 10th Standard. But as my article’s titlte says- Dont worry, just except the expectations. Work hard, your Aim is waiting for you to reach to it.
Liked It?? Then comment karo na yaar..
Love & Regards,
Anish.
Very well said my friend………..
kaash aisa ho pata…………..kaash………………par as it is said(even rajat says that!!!!)everything is destined……………..
some or the other day i will have my take…………..and the world will watch……………
this is one of favorites… jst hell wid the outer world…they jst dont have any authority to decide our future…its our lyf after all 🙂
Good one…very true only your parents can guide u better, liked the way u have assembled your thoughts in words.
datz juz d story of every student 2day….
2day i myself feel dat i wuld rather b more happy nd active if i juz do mah b.com rit nw coz i wuld b able 2 take part in many of my collg activites join sm club,take part in sports wic i luv 2 …..
bt doin a professional course is a headache..
u juz don hv ny time 2 spend sm worthy momments wid ur frndz…
idz always lke collg 2 lectures tutions nd ahead…
blah blah blah………
awesome!!
well, personally i would say i’ve gone thru this all… my parents my teachers expected alot from me.
They wanted me to go for science become a doctor as they think i can do it and it will match up the high society needs.
At that moment i was totally against all this i din knew how to manage to go thru all this… and then it was my sir, who used to teach me maths in 10th in the coaching center i used to go. Obviously skul teachers rarely teach good. He was the one who know my actual capability. He knew how practical my mind was not the cramming types of. I wanted to learn things not grasp them for just passing in the exams. I’m very thankful to him that he showed me the path i wanted and today i m here doing what i actually could do.
CA along with bcom, It matches my parents expectations to some extent and fulfill my wishes. I have always loved being an entrepreneur not a person who will do job in any mutli-national company. Thats what i m still working on and i hope i achieve what i want.
But of all i am very grateful to my sir who had helped me a lot.
choo chweet of u to post it dear. I’m sure this is what happening with every passing student and many of them who cant fulfill the expectations either under estimate them or suicide. Guys this is not the way to look forward instead think of a better solution.
Ignore what others say, i dun say dun listen to their words but even built ur own decision power.
Parents should really take this matter very seriously… as it usually effects the mind of a child. He always feel burden up coz of such huge expectation. The very own example “taare zameen par”
Watch it and feel it.
great post, thanks for sharing