The other day i wrote an article about the advert put up by Blaze Kenya that caused a little bit of a buzz in me. [ Read it here: https://lindagatere.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/blaze-my-two-cents/ ]. Well, i got a few responses from people; some who are with me in my opinion, and those that feel that sometimes education is imposed on us.
Well, the truth is, most of us have probably “dropped out of something”. We all try a few things; and at some point we let it go. But that does not mean that we completely invalidate the whole system in general. Take me for example. When i got out of high school, I was so certain that i wanted to pursue a degree in commerce! Certain. My father is a retired banker, and naturally, I wanted to be a banker as well but at that time of my life, i figured that Commerce was the only way to go. Therefore, this was my first choice. After high school, before the results were announced, I used my mock examination results to enroll to CPA at Strathmore University. I thought i knew what i was doing. I pushed my parents to allowing me, a seventeen year old newly graduated from high school, to go live in a hostel in Nairobi West. By myself, of course. My father did not like the idea.
So I went. I studied CPA part I; sections one and two. I failed miserably. During the time when i was in section one, my KCSE results came out and i had scored an A- with 78 points. I had to change my choice of a degree. See, my father wanted me to study actuarial science. Some family members advised that i should take medicine, or law, or financial engineering; all of which i had achieved past the cut off point. I said no. Absolutely not. See, in my time trying out CPA, i had realised that economics and I blend very well. It was something that took minimal effort for me to understand. I realised then that NOTHING IN LIFE IS A WASTE OF TIME; there is a purpose in everything. I eventually dropped CPA; it was not working for me and i realised that I hate both law and accounting. On the other hand, I realised that i appreciated economics and mathematics more than any other course I could possibly have undertook.
Agreed, economics can be tough. Very tough in fact. But it is my cup of tea; I chose this for myself.
Now, some of the people who commented stated things to the effect that some degrees are forced down our throats; but i remember how i explained to my family that i would prefer Economics to anything else. And they accepted. I may, however, pursue Actuarial Science as my next degree; if not my Masters, because i believe in the power of education. I completely loathe examinations, but i appreciate the power of education in a person’s life.
Don’t give up. Keep going. It pays off. Eventually.