You can find Part I of this series here
You can find Part II of this series here
You can find Part III of this series here
You can find Part IV of this series here
Note: Some of those quoted in this article chose to use a self-selected pseudonym to remain anonymous.
My favorite question on the student survey was the very last. “If given zero external pressures and allowed to take any class you wanted without any judgment or prevention…what would you study? Who would you become?”
Here are some of my favorite responses:
“I would have continued my passion for the arts. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to become an artist, and my parents continued to encourage that til middle school, when they told me it wouldn’t be a feasible option for the future, and I should rethink the career. This led me to lose touch with painting and sketching, something I used to be very good at…If it weren’t for everyone telling me that I couldn’t become an artist, I would’ve gotten even better at it and maybe become successful.” – Zaynah.
For the record, I’m sure you’re an incredible artist. As someone who loves art and doesn’t plan on going into the field, I highly recommend you take it back up. I spend almost all my free time either writing or drawing. I draw all the time in class to focus, and most teachers are fine with it. Art hasn’t slipped from your grasp just yet, I promise. It’ll come back to you, just give it a chance to. And please, please, take some art electives. Art history, especially. I love art history.
“I would study photography or even, like, sports science.” – Arvind.
Consider joining the Viking Vibe! It’s not too late to start participating, and we’re always searching for photographers and sports writers. It’d be great practice if you’re ever interested in doing freelance work as a side job in the future.
“Without any pressure, I’d want a mix: deep science/engineering classes plus more time for things like music or art. I’d want to become someone who understands both how the world works technically and how people think and feel.” – “Chicken Tender.”
“Chicken Tender,” you are beautifully tender-hearted. In all seriousness, as mentioned before, a lot of engineers and scientists do get into musical and artistic hobbies, if only to work on their dexterity and understanding of how the world works (e.g., anatomy, physics, sound, light, etc). You can always do both; don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
“Travel nurse, the reason I don’t choose it is that it’s pretty unrealistic to keep as a job for a long time.” – Emaan.
I actually didn’t know what a travel nurse was before I saw this, but it sounds like a fascinating and important job. As someone who plans to get into one of the most unstable industries out there, I get how scary it is, and I get why you might want to pick something else for the sake of your own safety and happiness. Just know that, if it means anything at all, I think you’re more capable than you think you are.
“I would study art and finance. Go into banking for a couple of years. Make a good amount of money. Then start my own art gallery and become an art gallery curator.” – “67.”
I highly recommend you take art history in college, at least as a minor or something to fill in gaps in your schedule. I took it last year, and it was one of my favorite classes. I think you’d find a lot of the history behind the Renaissance patronage system really interesting. Art conservationism is also a pretty cool field to look into if you also happen to have an interest in chemistry.
“I have no idea, but I would want to go into either Aerospace, Medicine, or a combination of both like Aerospace Medicine.” – Rohan.
This is another one I didn’t know existed, but it sounds so cool! There’s an interesting article by the American Medical Association talking about what it’s like shadowing a military doctor specializing in aerospace medicine. What it’s like in aerospace medicine: Shadowing Dr. Ortega. You might find it interesting.
“I would have taken a Macroeconomics course, or maybe Photoshop and Journalism. I want to be somebody with an engaging message to share, and I think these skills would take me there.” – Mihir.
You already have an engaging message to share, Mihir. You’re a cool person. And the world is gladly waiting for you to share it. The Viking Vibe would love you! And remember, you don’t need a formal class to get into Photoshop. I learned a lot about my own art and photography software by just sort of playing around with it.
“I would study business and politics and, in the future, hopefully find a way to use that not only to help myself but others as well.” – Krish.
We need more people out there like you. Even if you don’t intend to pursue politics on the national level, you should definitely consider getting involved in local politics. Things like planning boards and school boards. Those places are where real change is made. You should talk to Dr. Negreval about that if you get a chance to. Please, please, please take “Current Elections and Jersey Politics” (formerly PLACE)! It was my favorite class in all of Junior year, and it had some great competition.
“I really want to be a writer—that’s my dream career. But of course, it’s practically impossible to make a living that way, and it’s not like I’m bad at STEM classes, so being a writer/psychiatrist is no problem for me.” – Sourya.
As someone who wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, I understand that heartbreak. Remember that there’s more to writing than being a published author. Consider things like the publishing industry itself. If you’re more interested in the intersection between psychology and writing, you should heavily consider becoming a proper researcher. Academic writing is as valid as any other!
“I have no idea, because I feel my entire school career has all been based on what others around me are doing.” – Shivam.
You don’t need to know anything about anything. You’re just a kid. Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise. Take some time to explore yourself and who you are. You don’t belong to anyone but yourself.
The kids at this school dream.
We are stressed and overwhelmed. We feel dumb and unprepared. We feel guilty and wrong, no matter what we do. But we do dream. And those dreams matter.
Maybe the biggest problem this school has isn’t necessarily how our classes are structured and made. It isn’t weighting, nor our prerequisites. It’s the fact that we allow our students to think that their dreams don’t actually belong to them. At some point between getting called on during career day in 2nd grade and filling out your CommonApp the summer of Senior year, we’re taught that our aspirations are insignificant. We’re taught to temper our expectations and settle for the mundane, the stable, the digestible. We’re taught to be prepared to make sacrifices, that we owe those who came before us simplicity.
We pick the courses and careers we do because we want to. That’s my conclusion. Simple as that. We’re not being disingenuous. It’s just that want is not a simple thing. There are a lot of factors that determine what we want. If South Brunswick is truly concerned by the patterns shown by the decisions we make, then institutional change is in order. Change oriented towards making sure all students feel like the school is willing to support them no matter where they want to go in life.
