As I have made U-turns in my educational career, I tend to believe that many other students, too, faced this problem. I wanted to pursue a particular field of studies for making my career, but had to change it due to cultural constraints. prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
It is a fact that the studies of arts and sciences are equally important because of a number of reasons. Notwithstanding the fact that both have different aspects of knowledge, many students are, sometimes, forced to take up a particular field of education with little or no interest in it. Most parents in Pakistan display an unjust and silly attitude towards female education. They want their daughters to become doctors or teachers, and sons to be doctors or engineers. Parents don’t mind their sons taking up a business-related field that promises better wages.
Many students take U-turns due to one reason or the other. Sometimes they take wrong decisions in confusion while choosing between the subjects or opt for fields that are currently in demand.
I faced many U-turns in my educational career as well. During my early education, I dreamt about several fields I could join, but those were highly restricted culturally. After matriculation, I wanted to do engineering, but being a girl, I wasn’t allowed to pursue it. The only option I was left with was medical sciences. Unfortunately, I could not qualify for medical college despite doing my matriculation in medical.
The next U-turn in my mind was to change my course to arts. I couldn’t do it as there is a prejudicial point of view regarding arts - that these subjects are only for those students who aren’t good enough and don’t want to opt for a tough course. Finally, I proceeded with science subjects, but by the time I did my bachelors in science degree, I made another familiar U-turn and began studying for masters in English language and literature. I was uncomfortably shifting from science subjects to arts and wondering what to make out of my educational career.
There’s another myth that there are no good jobs for those who study pure sciences. This change from science to arts was a challenge for me, and I accepted it with the hope to do well. Initially, it appeared strange to study something new. However, I had this feeling that one day, I would complete my studies. That was a remarkable achievement and now I have found a challenging job. I will now try to make use of my education, not only as a gainfully employed person, but hopefully, as a better citizen and human-being.
It’s not only the story of my educational life, but also a true depiction of students’ problems. I went through varied experiences and studied different subjects that made me aware of many fields of education. It was a good learning experience, even though at times, I felt disappointed at the fewer choices I had made in terms of the subjects.
On the basis of my experience, I suggest that gender discrimination should not hinder students - both male and female - to acquire education of their interest. I believe, education is for all and it should be free of all sorts of restrictions and discriminations.