College is truly a stressful time for a teenager: new friends, new environment, new everything. Surviving college during this pandemic is already hard enough, though it worsens if you enroll in a course you never wanted.

I once was a straight-A student by doing the bare minimum during my elementary through high school days, but now, perhaps no amount of studying nor motivation could help me get through this course.

So before you enroll this upcoming school year, you might want to read this.

1. There are a lot of students just like me.

During a Google Meet, our professors asked every one of us, “What made you enroll in this course?”. That question made me panic and anxious about how I should answer it because the people ahead of me told stories about having the dream of becoming an engineer ever since they were a kid.

Others got their inspiration to become engineers from their family members, and there I was with none of those.

Eventually, I was asked to answer the question, and I told my professors that I never really wanted this course and that I enrolled because my parents told me to. And after my response, my other classmates also told the same thing about what made them enroll in Civil Engineering.

A study titled “Factors Affecting Career Choices of College Students Enrolled in Agriculture “ by Darren Fizer in 2013 found that the most influential factor when choosing a major, based on the questionnaire, was the family influence.

In another study conducted here in the Philippines, researchers found that financial capability is the factor that mainly affects the student’s course-decision making.

Many other factors influence a student’s decision-making when choosing a course, but you should learn to choose one.

Don’t pressure yourself to enroll in a class you don’t want. Think of what you want and stick to it no matter what.

2. I no longer have motivation.

Like many others out there, I no longer have cause to study or keep going forward. I don’t see myself passing this upcoming semester, let alone become an engineer itself.

I can barely focus and keep up during discussions, so I work on other writing tasks.

I have always liked writing, but my traditional-thinking parents made me think that there was no way I could make money as a writer, and so I forgot about ever pursuing it.

I only realized what course I wanted after already enrolling in a class I didn’t like. I regret not taking time off.

I come from an average-earning household and two other siblings, and we don’t have a lot of money; that is why I cannot simply shift to other courses. I must finish my studies as fast as I can and help my parents with bills and debts. Just like in a blog by Nicolas Cole, I am afraid to disappoint my parents.

Sad as it may, but that is the reality for most Filipino students.

3. I don’t know what to do next.

Yes, I’m not too fond of the class I am currently enrolled in, but I keep on staying; why? We’ve already established that I don’t come from a wealthy family, but I think this is the terrifying reason why I stay; I don’t know what to do next.

I may be a straight-A student, but I’m not the best at anything. I can solve complex math problems, but I certainly am not the fastest at it; I can answer and explain difficult science questions, but I’m not the best at it; I can write decent articles, but someone can do it better than me.

And so I realized, shifting courses won’t solve my problems.

To counter the ominous tone of this article, I’m okay with everything I have now.

I recognize that a 19-year-old college student should not worry about his future so soon. Many people don’t know what class they want to enroll in or the job they want to pursue, and that’s okay.

We all have different timelines; different students have other times when they realize what they want, and for me, this is it.

I realize what I want, and that is writing. If you still have not found what’s best for you, relax; the time will come at the right moment.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle you need to overcome is the “why” you want to pursue something. If you can answer that question truly and honestly, nothing can stop you from going after it.

What realization struck a chord with you?

Let me know in the comments below.

This article was already published on Medium, which is my own work.