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I Fought With My Parents to Pick a College Course of My Choice, and It Was Worth It



I can feel it in the air – it’s that time of the year again! That time, when young school going kids turn into living balls of stress. Once upon a time, I was exactly that.
My subjects in class 12th were commerce, unfortunately, with mathematics. Yes, you read that right. I had taken up mathematics under pressure from my parents. “Maths ke bina kya karoge (What will you do without maths)?” I was way too young back then to answer this. But today, as I stand on the verge of completing my graduation , I have an answer. Maths does not run your world but it surely has the power to ruin it if you belong to the “I hate maths” group. I am about to complete my Bachelors in Commerce. Yes. I fought after 12th to pursue my passion. I am not propagating fighting with parents. All I am saying is that you should stand up for your passion if need be.
After 12th, I was fed up. I could not even think of spending another three years of my life trying to please my parents with a B.Com degree. The thought in itself was horrifying. When I told them that I wanted to pursue B.Com, what I got as a reply was this, “Zindagi main kuch nahi krna hai isse (he wants to do nothing in life).” I wasn’t even allowed to appear for entrance exams. I was only allowed to sit for Pune university exam. My marks weren’t good enough to help me get into the course of my choice in Delhi University (DU). So, I sat for Pune University exam. I got a seat in Pune University’s best College of Commerce where highest number of PhD holder are. As they say, the rest was history. I am about to graduate, in a course of my choice.
Not being good at mathematics had done a lot of damage to my confidence back then, in the 12th. Throughout these three years, I went on doing what I love the most – writing. It helped me gain my confidence back. It helped me believe that I’m not a “good for nothing” person. I was just not good at maths otherwise, I’m good at life. My 9 articles, 3 opinions and 3 stories has been published in top rated daily news papers during these years. I have eight bylines in a renowned newspaper to my credit, lots of confidence in my heart and happy parents by my side.
Following my passion gave me back what maths had taken away. I might not end up earning as much as a person who has graduated in commerce but, I know I’ll be happy because I’ll be paid for what I love to do. It won’t be just a job for me. It’ll bring with it a lot of satisfaction. To the kids out there, trust me when I say – you will make it through this. Just hold on and have confidence.
Don’t rip yourself apart if you aren’t able to make it to Delhi University. There are a lot of universities out here and they are good enough to deserve three years of your life! The name of the university will just be a tag on your CV. It will only be your work which will speak. If you aren’t able to pursue the course of your choice from DU, I am sorry. It isn’t your fault. It’s the fault within the education system. If tomorrow a student having studied commerce with maths in the 12th, gets into English honors in a reputed college and you end up in a course that wasn’t your choice then, I am sorry. If a science stream student gets into the journalism course of Kashmir University and you don’t, then I’m sorry. It’s the education system at fault for not making it compulsory to conduct entrance exams for all courses. It the system at fault which does not check a child’s aptitude for the course they are about to take.
Also, I would say that this one choice is yours and only yours to make. What do you want – money or creative satisfaction with money? Think, choose and then go along with it. Do something which you love, for you’ll end up doing it well. It’ll be the biggest gift from you, to you. Eventually those around you will be happy to see you happy and doing well.
See you on the happier side of the world soon!

Good luck!

Owais Wani


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