Sunday, June 13, 2010
Default Setting
I was this close to studying dentistry. I am working on a master’s degree in English. Allow me to explain:
When I graduated from high school and registered for courses at the university, I had no ideas for my future career but I knew I was going to be a biology major. I was a bio major by default; I didn’t even have to think about it much, what else would I be? Perhaps I am exaggerating a bit and doing an injustice to myself. I’ve always been intrigued by biology, the study of life. In high school, I took more than the required number of science courses, really cool courses like Genetics and Microbiology. And it’s not as if I wasn’t good at biology. Then again I was a 4.0 student, school was my priority and I did good in all my classes. Moreover, I enjoyed most of them; my favorite high school classes in high school were Genetics, English, F.S.T (Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry) and Humanities. A blessing and a curse.
So why did I register and begin fall semester as a Biology major? I already mentioned that it interested me, but no more than other subjects. I attribute the fact that biology was my default setting to my Syrian roots. At the end of their 9th grade year, Syrian students choose to continue their studies with a primary focus in either the sciences (chemistry, calculus, physics, etc) or the arts (history, geography, etc). How can a 15-year old possibly decide the focus of his future education and career? Generally, it’s not very difficult because the ‘smart’ kids are expected to pursue the sciences. Ironically, these students who follow the science route 10-12th grade may choose to get a degree in the arts, but ultimately they have more choices. Also, at the end of 12th grade, there is a major exam, the scores of which determine what field a student can study in university. Students spend two years stressing and preparing for this exam. I believe the exam is out of 240 points and each field is assigned a minimum score, the fields are basically ranked. The number one field that requires a nearly perfect score (seriously, usually something like 238!) is medicine, which is closely followed by pharmacy, dental school, and so on.
It’s a completely different system and I’ve left out a lot of details, but you get the idea: smarts equals sciences and the best possible career equals medicine. Period. In my home, it’s difficult to escape this mentality. My father is a physician and it’s hard for him to grasp the concept of a smart student not pursuing a career in the medical field? If I can do it, why wouldn’t I?
And so, I became a biology major, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. For a while, I seriously considered becoming a physician. It’s an extremely rewarding profession that helps countless people in life-altering ways. And it definitely has its advantages – financial security, social prestige, etc. But, I saw how being a doctor can take over your life and I didn’t want that. (Plus, I wasn’t prepared to commit myself to something like ten years of medical school). What’s second best to medicine? I decided it was dentistry.
I didn’t have a deep passion for any specific subject, I couldn’t imagine myself in any one profession, and so I settled for dentistry. But why couldn’t I give myself the time to determine what it is I would do? The sense that the medical field – if not a doctor then a dentist – overshadowed most other professions, definitely existed in my subconscious. It was surprising for me to see things in a different light. All the while, I was also an English major, but I didn’t know until after I’d gotten quite far in the application process for dentistry that English was something I could and would further pursue, an idea that hadn’t occurred to me before. Don’t think that I consciously ignored a love for English language and writing because when I realized it, that is when my plans changed. I know that whatever smarts I have can be put to good use as much in English as any other profession, and the more time I spend with language, the more I realize it’s an art that requires a sharp mind.
Don’t get me wrong, my dad supports my decision to study English, but I’m quite sure that my shift away from dentistry is not exactly his favorite subject.
:)
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I'm glad you found your passion, even if it took a bit of searching.
ReplyDeleteMy son is an English major who plans to pursue an MFA. He could have been an engineer.
Most parents just want their children to be successful adults - it's that definition of success that gets sticky.
I'm glad you found your calling early. My path was not as direct, but the journey was worth it.
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