Not everybody wants to be an engineer.
When I was still a freshman in engineering school, I used to wear this shirt that said, “Your Dream, My Reality” which implied that I get to be an engineer while everybody else can’t. Being a naive student back then, I wore it with pride because being an engineering student was not easy. Little did I know that not everybody wants to be an engineer – and that included me.
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The more I was exposed to the course I thought I wanted to be in, the more I realized that I wasn’t happy in it. I’ve joined several organizations and when I started getting involved in different projects, I just knew I wanted to be in a different course. Coming from a science high school that required us to take up a science and technology related course in college, I really thought engineering was for me. I did so well in high school so I found myself surprised that I was getting awful grades in the course I was in.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to continue my education. My scholarship didn’t allow me to transfer to a different one and the pressure from my parents to become an engineer was very obvious. For six years, I found myself miserable and hateful for the choices I made over the past few years. Until finally, I graduated with an engineering degree. Despite the low grades and terrible nights crying myself to sleep for being so unhappy, I was finally an engineering graduate.
Getting a license was a different story, but I eventually passed and became a licensed engineer. So there I was. Finally free from expectations and pressure because I am engineer now. I still ended up confused with what to do with my life, with my career and with my degree. I am now an engineer on paper but I don’t want to pursue the field. I wanted to do something else with my life yet I feel like my degree limits me to do it.
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If I choose to practice the field, I know I will never be happy as well. Not to mention that the pay here is terrible.
If you were reading this, I know you’ll put the blame on me. I should have left engineering school and pursued something I was passionate about. But I know I’m not alone in this. I know that there are a lot of people out there who never wanted to be in the course they’re studying yet they chose to stay because they had to. For the six years in college, all I wanted to do was finish the course and pursue what I want eventually.
Now that I have been given that opportunity, I find myself lost and still miserable. Sure, I have an engineering degree, but what use is it for me if I don’t want to pursue a career in engineering? Being an engineer is not my dream but it is my reality now – and it honestly makes me sad.
So if you happen to be a student who isn’t happy in engineering, I suggest you leave. I’m not saying this because I hate engineering. I am grateful for all the engineers out there, they’re amazing. I’m sharing this story to remind everyone that becoming an engineer if you don’t really want to be one is something you’ll regret later on in life.
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