HOW WISE IS A 17 YEARS OLD SUPPOSED TO BE?

17. A peculiar age, to be honest. Infinite dreams, possibilities and prospects spread along the horizons. But, in India, we as kids are considered to be wise enough to choose the right path on our own. My question is "Are we really wise enough to choose a path, that must be walked upon for the rest of our lives?"
How much do we even know about life?
Children feel passionate about engineering and end up doing an MBA later on to enhance their earning capacity. End result? They might be millionaires but far off from their passion. Who once wanted to sit and make machines and appliances, sits and manages the finances and costs of a company. Wise enough?
We, as 17 year olds dont even know ourselves what we want our lives to be like 10 years from now.
And so, we make mistakes. Yes, we all do.

Is it okay to make mistakes? What if you enter a field and feel it isn't as cool as you supposed it to be? What if you want to switch midway? Is it okay?

I did it. I changed midway. I realised I'll never be able to achieve what I wanted to achieve if I continue to tread on the path that I chose in the beginning. So I left it midway. I had always been good with academics, consistently being amongst the toppers of the class. I chose designing because I felt very passionate about art. But I never thought about the other potentials that I have. Yes, I love drawing and painting, but can I spend my entire life, drawing? I didn't think about it. MY BAD. I chose a college which looked very promising from the outside but after I joined it, I found out the promises were fake. The college had a terrible affiliation issue. MY BAD, AGAIN.

But as a 17 year old, was I supposed to be so wise? That I could think about my passion, potentials, stamina, dreams, all at once?
17 years of my life, I was involved in this rat race of performing the best in academics and then within a few months I was told to jump out of that rat race into a new one. I jumped into the wrong one.

Right now, I sit at home, in front of my laptop, writing this.
You ask what am I doing right now? What college am I going to?
NONE.
Yes, You read that right. Despite being a topper, despite being good at everything I did for these 17 years, I wasn't good enough at making a decision.I am taking a drop this year so I can start making a better career from next year. MY BAD. But how bad is it?
Is it a crime to be young and make mistakes? Are we, as teenagers, really smart enough to make life decisions?
We all feel the need to pursue our hobbies as our profession. Very few of us think about its prospects in the later stages of life. It is not always necessary to make your hobby your profession. Sometimes, you should leave it as a hobby. In my opinion, we all must have something as an escape from the world and my hobby does that right for me. Sometimes, we should think practically and not dreamily. We shouldn't think about what we want to do for the next 4-5 years. We should think about what we want to do for the rest of our lives.

Making mistakes is okay as long as you learn from them. Dropping an year is also okay, as long as you get into a better institute next year. But making a mistake and realising it and still continuing it for the sake of not looking like a fool is NOT OKAY.

A healthy financial status and psychological satisfaction should be more of a criteria in choosing a career as compared to having fun. Your hobbies and passions can never be taken away from you, but a bad decision might take away a safe and secure future from you.
Dont think what you can do today and tomorrow and for an year. Think what you would be able to do for minimum 8 hours everyday for the rest of your lives? And after you think that, also think what would you like to do in the time remaining? If your hobby and your profession are the same, how exactly do you plan to take a break from your schedule? Hobbies and passions are usually personal aspects of our lives that most people want to keep it private. Can you really take up your hobby for a commercial purpose? For those of you who like to paint, can you paint for a commercial cause, to please your client? And those who like to dance, would you dance to please the audience or to please yourself?

Is your hobby more about impressing or expressing?

Be clear in your head before you make a choice. I made a mistake. I hope my readers don't. Know about your abilities and personality also and not just your interests before choosing a career. Sometimes there are other dimensions to situations which you might not be able to see at this stage. After all, you are just a teenager. Mistakes and misconceptions tend to happen.

If you decide not to make your passion your profession, the great thing is that you can still pursue that passion. In the passing moments that are yours and yours alone, your passion can fill you up, nurture your insides and fulfil you.

 

It isn't wrong to choose your passion as your profession. It is absolutely amazing. But it is not as easy as it sounds. You might have to face an internal turmoil in later stages when you cant carry on your passion the way you like it. All this must be considered before making a choice. If after considering everything, you feel it is right then you should definitely do it.
They say there must be a gap between your personal lives and professional lives. Where and when do you want your passion to accompany you? In your office hours or in your private moments?

We guys fall in the age group of 17-18. We are all smart but not always wise. Seek guidance before you choose a path. Everything that shines is not gold.

Best of luck. :)

a useful video in this regard