It’s like a Pressure Cooker in Here

Never thought I would be writing something like this, thought I could abstain myself but here it is. The amount of peer pressure that students go through in making their career choices in India is really very high. The pressure here is not because that the student is unable to make a choice but, the pressure is because of the fact that the parent is least interested in what his child wants to do and at last throws him into the stream of what the parent wants his child to do and many would accede with me on this. At least, this is better as the student knows the actual face of his parent but there are parents who act as if they are interested in knowing what their child wants to do, and then they play a card which makes the student actually believe that he has made a wrong choice and willingly or unwillingly goes into the stream selected by his parents.

Now this is one side of a coin, where the student goes through this pressure unwillingly, abhors the career choice made by his parents or at times even abominates his parents in the journey and successfully comes out as an engineer or a doctor and leads a life which is planned again by his parents which is most likely as… 22 tak padhai, 25 pe naukri, 26 pe chokri, 30 pe bachche, 60 pe retirement.... Students of this kind grudgingly enter the stream and in the end successfully become unsuccessful engineers.

 We live in a country where the number of students taking up engineering is less compared to the number of seats available…..yes you read it right… I  have said that in an acidulous manner, and this has already lead us to a situation where the number of jobs available are very less compared to the number of unsuccessful engineers we are producing every year. Had the parents been a little more sensible in their choices, and took interest in their childs interests, maybe the whole nations hope wouldn’t have been on a single girl or maybe on three girls to bring back home an Olympic medal , maybe our country wouldn’t have been in  a present situation where every year we hope our country wins at least one Oscar this year, instead we may be wagering on something such as: will the number of Oscars that we are goanna bag this year break the previous record?

Even if someone tries doing something out of the box, we are judged…judged by our parents, judged by our teachers, judged by our cousins, judged by our relatives, judged by our friends, judged by the society. We are under this constant radar of being judged and compared each and every day, each and every minute. Judged by our parents for the choices we make….what would are neighbors/relatives think about our child? Judged on our potential…you seriously think you can make your career in cricket? Judged on our capacity…you study for at least 3 hours a day, if you want to become someone great. Judged on our potency….I don’t think so you can become a politician/leader. Judged on our interests…..seriously, film making? Judged on our capabilities….oh you want to start your own company? What’s your age? You hardly know how the world’s outside. Judged on our looks….you think you can become an actor? I accede to the fact that, at times the choices we make our wrong. But at least listen to what are interests are, instead of directly giving us a big no and that to without a reason. Try listening to us instead of youll deciding….ladka hua tho engineer, ladki hui tho doctor.

The other side of the coin being where the student doesn’t muddle through this pressure and takes extreme steps which results into abominable scenarios. Parents are least interested in what his childs interests are and judge their capabilities and do what they ought to do.  Fools are those people, who judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree. It doesn’t mean I am offending someone, I’m neither offending the parents nor the society. It’s just that, the educational system has made us think in a direction where the definition of success today is: becoming an engineer or doctor. I hope this mindset of the society abrogates.

Parents should try to abridge the gap between themselves and their child/ren. Try listening to what your child wants to do in life, and also put forward your thoughts of what you want your child to do. If they think their child has chosen a wrong path, try to giving them a valid reason before you saying a big no. 

Children should also understand that parents will always have your back whatever may be the consequences of your decision. But before this situation arises, you accost your parents with a valid reason. This will make them believe that you have made a decision not just for the sake of making one but it will make them realize that you are actually very serious about it. And, if they are still are not convinced and you still think you’re on  a right path, try speaking to someone elderly or maybe who has already been in that stream over a period of time, before you move into that stream.

 If you are on a right path and have a right guidance, just don’t give a shit about people judging you or about the society.  Just keep walking and slowly, and for surely, the world will walk along with you.