When I turned 18, I graduated high school and it was my turn to pick a study. I wasn't really sure what to pick and I was overwhelmed with the amount of choices. I tried checking out all sorts of studies until I finally settled at Computer Sciences at a university close to my home town. I was surprised how much work I had to do for an actual study, compared to high school. It felt overwhelming and I got extremely stressed.
I started in September but I had already ended my study in March. I skipped many classes and my grades were quite terrible. I figured studying might just not be the thing for me. I talked it over with my parents but I figured I could try again, with another study. I did my research a lot better now and I seriously asked myself 'what do I want to study? What do I want to become? Is there a passion which I want to develop?" I then picked a study with an excellent balance of tech and creativity, both very important things to me. And oh boy, that sure changed things.
Studying is easier
My first year in my new study was just amazing. Both to me and my parents. In my mind I didn't 'study' that much, when I actually did. The subjects in class interested me so much that I actually looked up stuff about them in my free time; basically a form of studying then. And when I had a test coming up, it didn't feel like I'd die when I had to open up my books: all of this was just interesting to me! Studying was so much easier and less of a burden.
Feeling useful
In my previous study, I'd feel pretty useless at times. Mostly because I didn't know anything about the subjects and I couldn't really help out with group projects. It kind of hurt my self-confidence because I felt stupid. I turned into the quiet guy and I started skipping many classes. However, on my new study, I follow almost all of the classes and I'm actually taking the lead in group projects. I also find myself more eager to help others out when they've got questions and I'm not the quiet guy in class anymore. I feel way more confident in my skills now and I know that I'm not as stupid as I thought; I'm actually quite clever!
Feeling happier as a whole
An additional benefit of finding a study that fits you is that you'll be feeling more content as a whole. It's kind of a follow up from the previous point: you'll be feeling more confident because you're actually helping out in class and you're the one that can make a difference. You'll also see your grades rising quite high and you might even develop a passion for the thing you're working on (web design for me, for example).
Conclusion
When I look around nowadays I see so many students who have picked a study 'because their friends choose that study' or 'because their parents wanted them to follow that study' or the classical 'because I want to make lots of money later on'. It saddens me, because studying shouldn't be a burden for someone. It can and should be (semi-)fun. I mean I still have classes I don't care about at all and subjects that are still a pain to study for, but the good things outweigh the bad by far. If you're reading this and you're going to pick a (new) study sometime soon, please do take the time to ask yourself what you really want to learn. Having a study that you like can make all the difference in the world. Good luck!
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