Boy from P (P stands for a town in Ilocos Norte) seems to me a shy guy. Sometimes, I even misperceive him as snobbish. But one busy night, when I was working long hours at home as usual, he popped in on facebook, and to my surprise. Wish to share with you, dear karikna, the transcript of our conversation. But let me warn you that I am not a guidance counselor, and so my thoughts here must not be taken as professional opinion, hehe..
BfP: sir.. puwede po bang humingi ng opinion or advice? haha!
HLY: sige, of course, except on hair growth..
BfP: whahahah! ok sir.. kasi sir, i would like na sanang magchange ng course po. narealize ko na hindi ko talaga gusto ang ECE. gusto kong mag-business course na lang po, kasi gusto kong magpatayo ng sariling business. wise po bang i-stop ko na po ang ece at magchange career?
HLY: hmmm.. hindi mo na ba talaga trip ituloy ang ECE, parang pinipilit mo na lang ang sarili mo?
BfP: hindi na po sana. yes sir, yung hindi na ako interested sa mga projects namin na dapat gusto namin, un.
HLY: first, you have to know that you don’t have to take up a business course to be a good businessman, at maraming graduate ng management ang tambay lang ngayon. So, kung ayaw mo na talaga ng ECE e magshift ka, pero hindi dahil sa magtatayo ka ng business, kundi dahil meaningful and fun sa’yo ang pagkuha ng business course. Pero siguraduhin mo na ayaw mo na talaga ang ECE at hindi dahil sa tinatamad ka lang, hehe. Fourth year ka na, di ba?
BfP: opo.
HLY: hindi ba too late na? it will take you 2 to 3 years more e pag nag-shift ka sa business course.
BfP: yun nga po eh, super late. kaya lang madami naman pong mga projects na hindi ako interested, baka kung magkatrabaho ako, ayoko din sa ginagawa ko. ok lang po sa akin kung additioal 3 years. ganun din naman sa ECE, baka di rin lang ako papasa sa mga subjects ko. lalong lalo na sa board. lol
HLY: siya, shift ka na alud, asap.
BfP: hahahaha! main problem ko lang po sa parents ko, di ko pa sinasabi. sana pagbigyan.
HLY: spoiled ka naman e, papayag yun.. pero paano nga pag di sila pumayag?
BfP: ay hindi din. haha! magdradrama siguro ako. joke! pakita ko yung bagsak kong grade kung magkakaron this term? Haha
HLY: teka, anong major ang kukunin mo?
BfP: pwede ba ung entrep po?
HLY: puwede, ok rin siguro kung marketing..
BfP: ang hirap ng situation, sir, pero I’m determined.
HLY: at least you should be grateful that your family can afford it..
BfP: eto pa pala sir, almost 50% sa amin na 4th year ECE students, ayaw talaga nila ng ECE. so naaawa din ako sa kanila kasi mataas daw expectations ng parents nila.
HLY: kaya nga you are lucky kasi you have the means, walang pressure masyado sa’yo na kumita agad. Be thankful for that. Your parents will understand. Just do them proud later on when you become successful in the field you will embark on.
BfP: oo nga po eh. sir, any tips naman jan kung pano sabihin sa parents ko… hahaha!
HLY: banggitin ko na lang kaya sa article ko sa diyaryo, tapos pabasa mo na lang, haha
BfP: hahahah! ewan ko na lang po kung ano reaksyon. sige sir. thanks so much.
sana payagan. haha!
HLY: papayag yan.. pero ‘wag mo naman sanang ibagsak ang mga subjects mo ha para no choice sila..
BfP: hahahahah! yun din sana balak ko po. eh dun din naman ata patungo.
HLY: good.. ok.. just keep me posted..
BfP: yes ah sir! salamat!
*****
What advice, dear karikna, would you have given Boy from P?
i remember the late fr. r.r,who is in his last year in medicine but he shifted to theology and ended up as a priest,it has been his childhood dream to become a priest but his parents forced him to enroll medicine,it took him several years before he convinced his parents to approve his plans and let him follow his dreams..tay pagsasao tayon nga apay nga mangala ka ti kurso nga awan met interes mo?ti alaem tay kurso nga pakaragsakam ken ar-arapaap mo.my advice boy from p,go ahead follow your dreams,and not just building castles in the air….
Life is short. Magshift ka na sa gusto mo talaga. Sana pumayag ang parents mo, 3 more years na lang naman kung magsi-shift ka kesa naman maging trabaho mo ‘yan forever, eh ‘di hindi ka masaya ‘di ba?
Kapag gusto mo naman ng Entrep, make sure na gusto mo talagang magtayo ng business. Sabi kasi ng prof ko, may mga Entrep na students sila na ang balak ay maging empleyado instead na maging entrepreneurs.
halla parang kilala ko kung sino siya.
Siya rin siguro yung nagtanong sa kin kung ok ba ang entrep sa mmsu cbea. sabihin mo lang sa kanila na ayaw mo na ng ECE, sure maiintindihan ka naman nila, spoiled ka nga daw eh sabi ni sir HLY. para sa akin gawin mo na next AY kung gusto mo talagang magshift, magsummer class ka na, para at least may makuha ka ng units sa MGT. kasi mahirap nga naman kung ayaw mo talaga at di ka na talaga nag-eenjoy. the 4 years (almost) you have spent with ECE program should not be the reason para magstay ka pa kung talagang ayaw mo na. what is 4 years to the satisfaction that you’ll get pag nagshift ka na sa alam mong ikasasaya mo. pero alalahanin mo rin ang iiwan mong environment, lalong lalo na yung mga kaibigan mo at possible co-workers in the future, yung nakasanayan mo ng routine, etc. kasi iba ang environment sa business school at sa engineering school. mahirap kasing iwan ang environment mo na medyo nakasanayan mo na. pero masasanay ka din naman, oras nga lang ang kalaban. 
Kasapulan suna ti pagilian, adda vision na iti bagina, ammona no ana ti kayatna aramiden. Ken saan lang a para bagbagina no di ket para iti padana a tao, agsipud ta mangirubuat to isuna ti pagsapulan para iti sabali, while enriching himself. Entrepreneurship is good, and take management too as a double course. But I recommend that he’ll take Accountancy or Management-Accounting. These courses are not just about management but will also help him determine how his business is doing, how to minimize cost and maximize revenue. Bonus payen no makapag CPA suna
why not finish the course first,,,,, and let your parents be proud,,,,, it’s a sacrifice on your part but its a way of showing your love for them,,,, anyway parents knows best,,,,, and who knows your perspective about the course would be different 5 years from now,,,,, and try to imagine what would your thoughts be 10 years from now,,,,, saan ka kaya mas maraming pagsisisi following your wants now,,,,, or sacrificing a bit for your parents,,,,, remember kahit karamihan ng pagkain ngayon e puro ” instant”,,,,, decisions pertaining to life need not be,,,,,,,,
Kung ano ang hilig mo just go on….pero dapat isipin mong maige…kas tay pagsasao…awan ti umuna a babawi no di ket kankanayon nga adda iti udi..
ewan…..
tatagal ka ba ng 4 years kung ayaw mo talaga yung kurso? sana noon pa puro bagsak ka na at matagal ka ng natigok sa ECE dept kung wala kang interest. minsan kasi kung nahaharap tayo sa matinding hirap sa projects, exams, etc naghahanap tayo ng escape and madalas kesyo magshishift, magtratransfer at kung ano-ano pa.
try to weigh things. is it worth it na magshift nalang ng ganun after four years of hardship in ECE and hirap ng parents mo just to give you everything you need? i am sure kung nasa kurso ka na ng business pag mahihirapan ka na namn gugustuhin mo na namng magshift or baka tumigil na din sa pag-aaral.
success is not about having the right course, it is not about having all the resources… it is about working hard and being determined. madami diyan yung kumukuha ng kurso na di nila gusto dahil sa lack of resources madalas but they are successful. walang nasayang na time, energy at money.
maybe u can watch the Indian Movie “3 IDIOTS” ahhh. together with your parents…saka ka bumuwelo..ng gusto u.haha
may prof ako ng physics nung high school, nung college siya, ayaw niya yung major na yun pero nung maging instructor na, he learned to love it. malay mo kapatid, mamahalin mo rin ang ECE balang araw, sayang 4years.haha.1 year na lang kung papalarin graduate ka na
sa nakikita ko, it’s a matter of “want vs. need” kasi nga those who ‘have’ will pursue a career that they want and tho who ‘don’t have’ will pursue a career that he needs…but all these given, “we” cannot really give any advice to BfP since this is his own matter…and besides,he, and he alone, will be the one to “suffer” what ever option he will choose…he must learn to be responsible for every decision he makes…
best thing to do though is to be honest, to himself and to his kins…