I’m going to take a stab at a topic that is sort of close to my heart. This is close to my heart because at a certain point in my educational life I decided to pursue something that wasn’t about money. This was at one point a big struggle in my life. In my case this was theatre, but insert your own passion if you wish. I see many students agonizing over future careers and the choices they make now as being either maybe helpful or probably detrimental to their well being in the future (normally translated as their “financial” well being). While money is certainly important I wish they would consider broadening their horizons a little bit. While money can sometimes remove stress (though it also can create it) it can’t actually buy happiness (though many studies have suggested that a modest amount can help). The important point is that money is not a guarantee of anything.
When I was a student I saw some of my peers devastate themselves over what to major in during their seemingly required four years in college. Some students who had parents pulling the strings (money) literally wept as they changed their majors from something they loved to something “practical” for Mom and Dad. Wash, rinse, repeat. This is a constant struggle that I’ve seen as a student and as a teacher. Here’s my advice: do what you love and find a way to make enough money to keep doing it. For some of my friends “do what you love” is playwriting and the way they make money is to tend bar or work in a bookstore. The job that pays them doesn’t define them. Lastly (at least for this post) don’t write off the things you love as impractical. If you love them they make you uniquely capable and skilled in whatever practical area you may go into. Like the gal in your office who is pretty good with computers but not IT — she’s invaluable and unique because she probably loves computers. Okay. Rant over. Go live your lives (and hopefully your dreams too).