Dropping out of university to pursue vocational training: Adults shouldn't steal their children's '18-year-old dreams'.

TTO – Forcing children to follow their parents' desired career path is tantamount to 'stealing their dreams at 18,' an age when they have already established themselves professionally…

 

Besides my expertise in literature, I also teach life skills. Regarding future career choices, I usually guide my students to follow their strengths (abilities) and passions, to be themselves in order to fulfill their dreams and live happily.

I explained to them that in the process of pursuing their dreams, especially when starting a job, they will always face difficulties and challenges, potential risks, and a potentially arduous journey. But above all, no matter what, they will find happiness on the path they have chosen.

“"Going against the wind"”

I also advise students to "go against the wind" of their parents' wishes (if they don't like the profession, even if their parents have already paved the way for them), not to pursue their parents' dreams, but to pursue their own. In reality, many families are exhausted from choosing careers for their children, with unpredictable consequences.

I explain to the students that parents, being older and more experienced, should guide them towards careers that offer their children many benefits (easy work, high income, intellectual work, etc.), which is also a good wish of parents for their children. 

However, parents are not always right, and sometimes they make mistakes when forcing their children to pursue careers they don't like. Forcing children to follow their parents' desired path is like "stealing their dreams at 18," an age when they have already established themselves professionally.

Parents who steal their children's dreams and force them to fulfill their parents' dreams are essentially "crushing" their children's beautiful aspirations. Especially in an era where society has changed rapidly in many aspects and the younger generation has already established themselves, parents imposing their will on their children's careers can lead to unpredictable consequences, with more losses than gains. This has been "proven" over the years.

Let's sit down together with our child.

I'd like to share a story about a colleague who regretted making their child attend medical school. Back then, when students could take entrance exams for multiple universities simultaneously, their child got accepted into both medical and engineering schools. 

The son wanted to study engineering, but his parents forced him to go to medical school to become a doctor. He's been a doctor for many years now, but he's not very happy with his profession, which has saddened the whole family. She said that if they had let him pursue his passion back then, he would be happier with his work.

Instead of sitting down with their children to listen to their dreams and concerns, and helping them choose a career path and analyze the potential gains and losses of a future profession, some parents impose their own "dreams" on their children.

The most obvious consequence of forcing children to follow their parents' "dreams" is a "cold war" within the family. Instead of a warm and loving home, the family is burdened by the "cold roof" of prolonged tension and exhaustion.

When students "study on behalf of others," they feel discouraged, tired, and stressed. Years spent in university feel like torture, filled with knowledge that doesn't suit their interests. Repeated exams become commonplace (when students lack interest and determination), easily leading to them dropping out of university and failing to achieve their future.

After graduating, if you find a job you don't love, it's like going to work in the morning with an umbrella and coming home with an umbrella in the evening – working in a tired, forced, and emotionless way. This means that it's difficult for the person to create value for the community and difficult to develop their abilities.

Source: Tuoi Tre newspaper

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Author: Viet My College - Date written: April 23, 2020

Category: Job opportunities, Career information, News - Events

Tags: American Polytechnic College, Viet My College, choosing a career