Live your life the way you want to, not your mom

I often see posts or tumblrs about not going to university or quitting university and travelling or not doing what society wants you to do.

And I sometimes I find it ironic because I’m all for living your life how you want it and following your dreams yet here I am starting a three year degree.

Guess what? Following your dreams can include university! It’s not “conforming to society” or being a sheep by choosing to study something. If your dream is to study, then go for it. If you dream of a job but need to study to be qualified for it, then bloody go for it. Who cares if studying is considered the “social norm”.

Not everyone finishes high school and goes straight into college just for the sake of it. But if you do that’s okay. It’s also okay not to go to college, or take a break, or to leave.

As for me, I was home schooled as a child apart from a year when I was 5. The older I got the more I hated it. I hated that I felt stupid because I couldn’t concentrate, wasn’t self-disciplined enough to just get it done, and I had a lot of problems that caused me to fall way behind. I was given the impression I was stupid and wasn’t going anywhere in life, like school was my only chance for anything. I had no support at all in my learning. I had a change at 16 and switched to correspondence which helped a lot once I got used to it and managed to finish work on time. I learnt a lot but eventually I felt like I was falling behind, not meeting my deadlines and expectations and wouldn’t get into the uni when I wanted. I applied anyway thinking it was my last chance, and I got in.  I finished that semester of Uni with two A’s and an A- minus despite severe depression and anxiety during the year, procrastinating assignments til the last day, and huge family problems. I was so frickin’ proud of myself when I passed, because I know I did it on my own and despite having a pretty rough school-life, I discovered I am most definitely not stupid, and when it comes to stuff I love, I am far from it.

I was considering which course to do this year, and considered doing a degree in animal welfare which I previously had only looked at as “unreachable considering my lack of former education (and smarts)” but decided to apply for it anyway. I got offered an interview and came away from it feeling incredibly down and had the impression that the course manager thought I was unable to succeed in this course.

I applied anyway and was accepted on condition of my grades, and after finding out I had all A’s, I got in. I got into the degree I thought I wasn’t even capable of getting into.

Fast forward, I’m in my second week, last night I was almost in tears feeling like I am not capable but hey, there’s gonna be a lot of nights like that over the next three years.

I’m not studying because it’s the “thing” to do, and I’m not gonna not study because that’s also the “thing” to do, I’m pursuing my passion, I’m dedicated to learning as much as I ever can about animal life. This is a dream come true for me.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re not smart enough. You just do what you want to do and start off in the direction you want, it doesn’t matter you slowly you go as long as you start. 

Screw society, screw social norms, don’t listen to your mum or listen to your dad or even your friends, listen to your heart (unless your heart is telling you to kill people) but also don’t make the mistake of doing/not doing things to go against them, the choice is entirely yours, no one else has to live with it but you do.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”― Howard Thurman”