Caveat: Nothing is certain.

By the time I started university, I was so excited about some of my subjects, I switched my major four times in eighteen months.  I started in Chemistry, because I’d done very well in high school Chemistry (98%) and I thought I wanted to be a research chemist, like my great uncle.  That lasted four weeks.  Then, Philosophy and its world-weary wisdom beckoned, and I became a deep thinker for another couple of months.  Of course, I was taking other courses at the same time: English, Mathematics, Greek, and Music.  No surprise, by the time I’d finished my second year, I had tried majoring in all but English.  I saw myself as a choral conductor, an antiquities scholar, or the teacher who would eliminate everyone’s math-phobia.  In the meantime, I was accumulating English electives, because I was good at them and I am a speed reader – a subject for another Corner, by the way.

By Christmas of my third year, I could no longer avoid the blank, after-grad door called “The Future.”  I had settled, by default, into an Honours English program, partly because I couldn’t face The Future with a mere three-year B.A.  My scholarships kept me more or less afloat, bolstered by my summer job as a janitor/orderly in an insane asylum for geriatric patients.  My parents couldn’t afford much more tuition, however, and I had major load of student debt.  A future of cleaning excrement off walls and floors did not excite me.

Beginning to panic, I made an appointment with, Dr. Prausnitz, the department head of English.  I asked him, “What should I do?  I don’t want to be a high school English teacher, and I’ve ditched Chemistry and Math.  Who would hire a choral conductor who can’t even play the piano?  All I can see is going for an MA in English, if I can get scholarships.  My loans are maxed out.”

Dr. P. asked me, “What do you enjoy most in your studies?”

I said, “This isn’t about enjoyment!  I have to find a career.  I have loans to pay off!”

Dr. P.: “Follow your nose.”

Me: “I beg your pardon, sir?”

Dr. P.: “Pursue your passion.  Live your love.  Follow your nose.  You love literature, so this is your one chance.”

Me: “But that’s so self-indulgent.”

Dr. P.:  “Self-indulgence isn’t always wrong.  Sooner or later, someone may hire you because of your love of literature.  The odds are no worse than someone’s paying you lots of money to do something you don’t love.  Follow your nose – the most primal and neglected of your five senses.”

So I did.  After my B.A., my nose took me to graduate school and finally into a professorship – after twenty years of school.  I loved getting up every morning.  I loved teaching.  My loans are almost paid off.  Once in a great while, I wish I had millions in the bank, but in my retirement I do wish every day I was back the classroom, with other students who love literature.

If someone wants you to be a doctor, but you want to live in a tree-house and paint hawks and eagles, consider Dr. P’s advice.  Believe me, you could do worse.  Some people have lousy noses, of course.  Some people are born miserable.  They are not the norm, yet.  Live your love.  Follow your nose.  You might just end up happy.

Ron Markin is Professor Emeritus in the English Department at the University of Saskatchewan, and a recipient of the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship award (1987).

0

0

7 Comment(s) 

To post a comment or rating, you must LOGIN if you’re an existing Studentawards member OR SIGN UP if you’re new to this site.

Rio13 wrote:	"The odds are no worse than someone’s paying you lots of money to do something you don’t love." I love this point. Posted on Nov 24, 2012 at 05:06
universitybound3 wrote:	Truly inspiring; and reminds me that I must continuing to achieve the best marks possibly, so I will have the career I've always wanted! Posted on Aug 10, 2012 at 10:48
StudentON wrote:	YES!!! I'm in high school and I have already learned to follow my heart and "nose"...because in the end, I will have to live with myself and my everyday job. And as Jessie J says: "its not about the money[...]we want to make the world dance"!!! <3 :) Posted on Dec 06, 2011 at 12:03
StudentON wrote:	YES!!! I'm in high school and I have already learned to follow my heart and "nose"...because in the end, I will have to live with myself and my everyday job. And as Jessie J says: "its not about the money[...]we want to make the world dance"!!! <3 :) Posted on Dec 06, 2011 at 12:02
chickadeeCELP wrote:	After reading this article all I felt was relief from pressure that I didn't even realize I was under. Thanks :) Posted on Aug 20, 2011 at 01:59

 

« ‹ Page 1 2 of 2 › » Show 5 10 25 50 100 results per page Records 1 to 5 of 7