Which Is More Worthy of Your Time: Passion or Practicality?

Choosing a college course may appear to be easy and simple, but some students find it difficult, especially in determining what kind of path they really want to take. It’s always a bittersweet scenario when students start to plan out their chosen courses while others don’t know where to start. What do I want to pursue? Will this course help me to know what I want? Will this guarantee a better future for me? These questions are inevitable, especially when talking about the succeeding years  after college graduation.

Choosing our future career path ahead of us will always have its pros and cons and either way, it may be the head start of the future we’re starting to build. 

For instance, these decisions aren’t always single-handedly done because of anticipation of going to college but also because of different factors such as family standards or society’s beliefs. We can’t also deny that not everyone gets to choose their dream course or even their dream school because of the realities of life. And as a graduating student, you may start questioning yourself: what’s more substantial between passion and practicality? 

If we think carefully about it, there are a lot of things to consider when choosing either of the two. While you’re here, here are some takeaways that you may find helpful, especially if you are still undecided:

1. Dream beyond your goals, but also set realistic ones.

Never be afraid of chasing after your big dreams but also think and consider planning realistic goals along the way. We all have different timelines and these realistic goals are what make us more motivated as it maximizes our time and helps us examine our objectives from time to time. 

You can simply list down your short and long-term goals and try to distinguish which is feasible at this moment and which is not. For starters, these goals give us a vision of how we want to establish our future with the right resources and knowledge in making the most of our life as students and as future career-minded persons. We don’t have to pressure ourselves to finish each one of them! All we need to do is weigh in what gives us more progress and helps us identify what’s more important for us.

Slowly but surely. One at a time!

2. You can pursue your passion while being practical.

Most college courses won’t always be rainbows and butterflies. Some may be costly and some may not, but there’s always a way! You might want to consider working while studying like setting up your own business or simply applying as an assistant at your school’s library. You can also apply for a scholarship or work as a part-time student, whichever is more accessible and convenient for you! 

Choosing your passion is sometimes practical, too. There are a lot of things we can’t control when we are young and it affects our perspective and the other things we want to pursue when we grow up. Being around many people also helps widen our thinking and influence our decisions. And if you think choosing your passion will free you away from the ‘negative stress’ and receive the ‘happy stress’ while enjoying what you do instead, go for it. Both will be worthwhile in the end and if there’s a will, there’s a way! You can always work on it at your own pace, no pressure on that. 

3. It may be overwhelming and it’s okay.

There are a variety of college courses to choose from and it may overwhelm us, especially if we haven’t clearly made up our minds about it. But that’s okay! You don’t have to rush yourself into making a decision, especially if you don’t have enough knowledge about these courses. 

But what you need to do first is take a deep breath and relax. We won’t be able to decide properly if we’re not in the right state of mind, right? Next, we have to ask other people—may it be the alumni of our school, our parents, or the people in different industries or job roles inclined with the courses we are considering taking. Having their guidance and enough idea of what’s ahead of us are very essential. These help us avoid common mistakes when applying for these courses in college. 

You don’t have to do this alone; there are a lot of people willing to help you decide!

4. Detours will always be a part of your journey.

Remember the time you weren’t able to join a local school competition, but you were able to compete in a national contest bearing your school’s name? Or do you remember failing a subject one time yet it led you to take part in the school’s quiz bee from the same subject you failed at? Yes! As cliché as it may sound, you have to keep in mind that rejection is a redirection. It doesn’t mean you’ll forever be bad at something just because you failed at it. 

Our progress will not always be linear and it won’t always be delightful as there will be many challenging obstacles we will be facing along the way. But, fret not! It’s a part of everyone’s lives and it could even lead us to unexpected and better opportunities that will bring us plenty of experiences when the time comes. 

Whatever you choose, choose what’s best for you. You’ll still arrive at your destination, regardless. 

Still undecided about what to choose between the two? Come and join us at our upcoming webinar, “Passion vs. Practicality: Be Empowered to Make the Right Choice”, to be live-streamed and cross-posted on Edukasyon PH and St. Scholastica’s College Manila’s official Facebook pages on December 3, 2022, at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Discover what your heart desires with us–see you there!