For many students today, choosing a course isn’t about passion—it’s about permission. Somewhere between “What do you want to be?” and “Are you sure that’s what you want?” students stop choosing for themselves. Instead, one question takes over: What will people think? These thoughts don’t come from nowhere. They’re shaped by parents, siblings, friends, and even neighbours—people who all seem to have an opinion on what success should look like. At times, it feels like your path is decided before you even get a say. Nowhere is this pressure more obvious than in choosing a course or career. Society has created an unspoken ranking system. High grades? You’re expected to pursue medicine, law, or engineering—careers seen as prestigious and secure. Anything else feels like wasted potential. Average grades? The narrative shifts, and suddenly you’re seen as already falling behind. This mindset ignores something important: people are different. Some students are passionate about sports, music, or the arts but are pushed into paths that don’t suit them. When they struggle, they’re labelled as failures instead of people placed in the wrong environment. It’s already unsettling that years of effort can be judged by a single exam. Why is that normal? Why should one result define a person’s potential? Why should a high-performer who loves music or art feel the need to choose a “respectable” path to be taken seriously? And why shouldn’t a student with average grades but strong determination be supported in pursuing ambitious careers? Eventually, the pressure to conform comes at a cost. Some people spend years studying or working in fields they never cared about, only to change direction later—or worse, stay stuck in careers that drain them. That’s time that could have been spent building something meaningful. Success isn’t one-dimensional. The world is evolving, and so are career paths. Limiting people to narrow definitions of success only holds them back. Maybe the real problem isn’t the courses—it’s the mindset. Students should be encouraged to explore what suits them, while being guided on how to make it work. Passion does not have to exist in opposition to stability—it can be developed into it. At the end of the day, it's not about meeting society's expectations but building a meaningful life because real success isn’t about following a predefined path—it’s about choosing one that actually fulfills you.

For many students today, choosing a course isn’t about passion—it’s about permission. Somewhere between “What do you want to be?” and “Are you sure that’s what you want?” students stop choosing for themselves. Instead, one question takes over: What will people think? These thoughts don’t come from nowhere. They’re shaped by parents, siblings, friends, and even neighbours—people who all seem to have an opinion on what success should look like. At times, it feels like your path is decided before you even get a say. Nowhere is this pressure more obvious than in choosing a course or career. Society has created an unspoken ranking system. High grades? You’re expected to pursue medicine, law, or engineering—careers seen as prestigious and secure. Anything else feels like wasted potential. Average grades? The narrative shifts, and suddenly you’re seen as already falling behind. This mindset ignores something important: people are different. Some students are passionate about sports, music, or the arts but are pushed into paths that don’t suit them. When they struggle, they’re labelled as failures instead of people placed in the wrong environment. It’s already unsettling that years of effort can be judged by a single exam. Why is that normal? Why should one result define a person’s potential? Why should a high-performer who loves music or art feel the need to choose a “respectable” path to be taken seriously? And why shouldn’t a student with average grades but strong determination be supported in pursuing ambitious careers? Eventually, the pressure to conform comes at a cost. Some people spend years studying or working in fields they never cared about, only to change direction later—or worse, stay stuck in careers that drain them. That’s time that could have been spent building something meaningful. Success isn’t one-dimensional. The world is evolving, and so are career paths. Limiting people to narrow definitions of success only holds them back. Maybe the real problem isn’t the courses—it’s the mindset. Students should be encouraged to explore what suits them, while being guided on how to make it work. Passion does not have to exist in opposition to stability—it can be developed into it. At the end of the day, it's not about meeting society's expectations but building a meaningful life because real success isn’t about following a predefined path—it’s about choosing one that actually fulfills you.