In these last months, one of the important topics in our home has been choosing the university that my son would go to. It intensified in the last couple of weeks because he had the opportunity to visit some universities with the school to get to know the offer.
The procedure in the country we live in is as follows. He is now finishing high school and at the beginning of June he will have his final exams, which differ in difficulty and intensity from those ordinary tests and exams that he normally has throughout the school year. At those exams, which last three days, they will receive a grade, the sum of which is the "entrance" for certain universities. It depends on the grade he will achieve, with which he applies for studies. That's why many of his classmates still don't know what they're going to study because it depends on the results they will achieve in those exams and if there are enough places at the university where they want to enrol.
In this field, he is still undecided about where to enrol (if to any), of course, when he obtains the final grade and see if it is high enough for some good and interesting studies.
However, what he has it clear is that music is part of his life so that is in the focus now. He wants to study Artistic Performance - Violin. Here things go differently.
To enrol a Conservatory of Music to continue his musical education and obtain his degree as a professional musician, he has to go through an admission examination. It consists of several exams: the theory part, where they have to analyse the harmonic structure of a piece, interpretation in their instrument of a repertory of at least three different pieces and styles in a duration of 30 minutes and a sight-reading test. Also, his cutoff score from his previous musical education should be good.
That is not all, as even if he does well on the admission exam and his cutoff score is good, if the Conservatory where he wants to go has just 10 places to accept violinists, and 10 people did better than he... then he can't get in.
We went to a few Conservatories of Music in different cities to see the conditions and the requirements. The last visit happened this weekend and the impressions were quite good. These meetings that the aforementioned institutions offer are good as future students who are interested and come can meet and exchange opinions and experiences. Also, they meet future teachers and in some cases, they listen to the applicants and give advice and suggestions.
The month and a half will be intensive for us as we will accompany him in all his exams. These are just the first steps in a journey of what being a student (or parents of a student) means. It is not easy - for us, but for sure it is fun mixed with difficulties and life lessons - for the future student. Maybe we will have to face some major changes, maybe not as many as now it seems. Time will tell what would be the best to do.
This situation we are focusing on now made me think about the reasons why would people like to study at all. My son's reasons are to learn more in the field he is interested in and become a professional but he is also concerned about the financial aspect of his life - will he be able to live just from music later? That is why he wants to study something else too... earn his living from another thing. But, oh boy, things change so quickly nowadays and no one can guarantee that a job that is now paid well will be paid in the same way in five or ten years from now. Jobs disappear and new ones appear, but I am wondering how many people work in the field they actually studied for.
I know that my university days were memorable. I loved the dynamic that the institution where I studied to obtain my degree as a pianist had. And I am sure many of you who studied the right thing what your heart had chosen had the same feeling toward those days.
As a student you are young and meet people with similar interests, have a certain freedom from your parents and still don't have to work (or at least not a full-time job)... you make lifelong connections to fellow students, maybe even find the love of your life and most importantly, study the subjects you enjoy and grow as a person too. The skills and experience you get make you ready to start your own journey in life and career. Yes, it is a personal growth that you can (or cannot) apply later in your future job.
I asked my son what studies meant for him and I got a legit answer. Whatever happens now I can have some kind of peace of mind despite all the stress I am going through as a parent.
So, why did you study?
