High school is the preface of the book, college is the core.
Here are some tips for college first timers.
Identify what you really love doing. Think not only with your mind but with your heart. Most of the time, senior high school students pick courses which their classmates say they will enroll in. Much like joining the in-thing. Everyone seems to go for medicine, nursing, law and IT. They tend to forget to consult their innermost feelings and ask themselves, "What do I really enjoy doing?" Remember that it takes 10 times the effort to do something you do not like rather than doing what you really enjoy.
Evaluate yourself. Look back at your high school grades and make a reality check to see where you really excel. Do you love math or does mathematics like you? Did you enjoy dissecting that poor frog in your biology class and did you get an excellent grade for doing it? Are you more of the artistic or the intellectual type? Are you right-brained or wrong brained…ooops I mean left- brained.
Seek advice. Even if you are determined to take a particular course, it is wise to consult your relatives. The most important people to approach are your parents. Their words of wisdom will serve as the light and driving force to your success in life. Parents will never advise their kids to take the wrong path.
Don’t let anyone influence your decision. Chances are friends will tell you to get the course they are enrolling in because they want you to be still their barkada. Friends may give you good advice, parents make better decisions. Take a serendipity walk and listen to the wisdom your subconscious mind is shouting out to you.
Don’t be influenced by those in-demand courses today. Chances are after five years they won’t be in-demand anymore. My father used to tell me that during the late ’60s and early ’70s, teachers were in demand. Because of the promising thought of having a job, his aunt (my lola) took up education. But by the time she graduated, she found it hard looking for a job, as a teacher and ended up selling encyclopedias. The same thing happened in the IT industry. Five to seven years ago, the IT industry was in full swing. Now due to the sheer volume of unemployed IT graduates, some com-sci and com-eng graduates end up as call center agents.
Pray. Seeking God’s guidance will lead us on the right path for He alone knows everything. Listen while He speaks. While awake, take time to be alone in a quiet place and listen to Him with your heart.
Indeed, the shift from high school to college is rocky and tough. It is like driving a car; we all start at the first gear. Knowing the proper combination and relationship between the accelerator and the clutch, the car can go smoothly and can easily shift to second, third, fourth and even fifth gear. At times we have to slow down, shifting to a lower gear which is just a reminder that we are going too fast. The inevitable shift is here, you have no choice but to take it.