I’m an indecisive person. Even small little things like choosing what to eat for lunch can feel so stressful to me. I’m scared that I will regret the choice that I make which is why I hesitated when faced with a choice.
I vividly remember just graduating from poly last year and realizing that I had to make a big life decision, I was starting to feel anxious.
After graduating with Diploma in Optometry from Singapore Poly, most of my friends have decided to continue working where they interned or have already planned on what to do after graduation. During that time, I was struggling to choose between working as an optometrist or studying social work in university.
Tip 1: Don’t rush into it
Every time I look through Instagram stories, I often see friends posting and sharing about their work or school life and it makes me feel left out, it's like everybody is busy with their own lives and I am still here thinking about what to do in life. When meeting up with my friends, sometimes the conversation topics were about work or school and I will be there sitting quietly, listening as they talked.
My relatives kept asking me what I’m planning to do after graduation and I did not know what to tell them. During Chinese New Year, they kept asking if I planned to go to university and the conversation always ended in awkward silence. I felt annoyed like I was being rushed to move forward in life.
Many people kept asking me what I wanted to do and it frustrated me till the point where I decided to make a stand for myself. I realised that it’s my life and not theirs; I get to decide what I want to do with it. I learnt not to blindly follow what my friends were doing but instead to take time to think through.
I remember searching for an inspirational quote of the day and this quote came, “There is no one correct path in life. Everyone has their own unique journey. A path that’s right for someone else won’t necessarily be a path that’s right for you. And that’s ok. Your journey isn’t right or wrong, or good or bad. It’s just different.” and I thought that the quote is so true! Don’t rush and always take your time to think for yourself.
“There is no one correct path in life. Everyone has their own unique journey."
Tip 2: Know the Pros vs Cons
Just like how everything has its pros and cons, both working and studying have theirs too. In by dilemma of choosing between working and studying, here is what I discovered…
It will be good to weigh out the pros and cons to see which choice will be best for your situation as it will differ from person to person. Remember that there is no clear black and white path to take and it all depends on you.
Tip 3: Take time to know yourself
While I was researching my future options, I chanced upon an article. The article provided questions that were helpful for me to decide. As much as it helped me back, I hope it helps you too.
Here are some questions you can give some thought about:
- What are your choices?
- What do you really want?
- Would your job require you to have a degree?
- Do you want more time OR money?
- Do you like to study and have long holidays OR do you want to work to have a regular monthly salary?
- What are your strengths?
- What skills do you have?
- What are your values?
These questions helped me to understand myself better. Having self-awareness will help you to identify your areas of interest and also to align your behaviour with your values leading to a greater sense of clarity and purpose, and to success.
But if you still don't know what you want to do, then choose the option that you think is the least bad for you and from there you can work things out.
Tip 4: Ask people to share about their work/school experiences that you’re interested in
It is always good to ask people questions, especially your friends or seniors who have been through and they can share their first-hand experiences as well. This allows you to have a better understanding of what you’re actually getting into and you can get answers you can’t find on the internet.
For me, I would ask about the culture at work or school because this is one of the things I look for. Some of you may even find it important to know about the workload, environment, people, time management and more. Don’t hold back on your questions!
In the end, nobody knows what’s the best thing for you to do. Instead, you can always try any one option first and if you are unsatisfied, do the opposite. The most important thing is that you are satisfied, not others.
Just you.
With your choice.
And for now, I have decided to work as an optometrist assistant in an eye clinic.
Not knowing what to do next after graduating from Poly might not always be a bad thing. It could just mean that you need more time to figure out where your interests lie in!
Read Si Jia’s article ‘Why Taking a Gap Year Isn't So Bad’ and how she took a gap year to explore her passion and how that helped her figure out what her purpose in life is.
