Life, Education, and Your Future (December 25, 2002)

What is the ultimate goal of a human life? Where do we come from, and where do we go? Is it good enough to believe in God or to be religious? I don’t have answers yet. If you are rich, will you be always happy? I don’t think so. How about if you are poor, can you be always happy? I don’t think either.
But most importantly, I think it is very important to enjoy your life with love and forgiveness.

In today’s society, education is very important. After enjoying student life for more than 20 years, I realized that only education couldn't make you ready for the real world. Becoming a college or university student is great but what you can benefit from school depends on how you learn at school. It is not just studying hard and doing well in exams. Actual learning is beyond that. In fact, life is already continuous process of learning.

You have to go to school to learn certain things, and you can learn others valuable things outside the school. Indeed, you can learn something anywhere. Education is not just for making money. The better purpose should be to help our human- kind to have better, safer, and more peaceful lives.

I have heard many students saying which majors are better than others or this major can make more money than that major or Computer Science is hotter than Engineering. I think all subjects are interesting. The only thing is you have to be interested in what you are studying. You have to understand your passion. Sometimes, it is very hard to find out what you are really interested in. Even career assessment test cannot give you 100% correct answers. A better idea will be to take all general education courses at the beginning of the first year of college, and find out what courses are more interesting for you. Again, just studying hard is not enough. Getting more friends, knowing your teachers, and having work experience at school or outside of the school are very important for you future career plan.

Even though, you do everything right as planned and try your best, things can go wrong in you future. It is natural. Things will not always happen exactly as you plan. Don’t be upset. Don’t look at the past to blame yourself or others, and foresee the future. You got to do your best at your present time. You have to enjoy and stay calm at your present time. You have to be ready to face anything you are going to face whether it is good or bad. These are more important than your studying. You need to be patient and stay calm in order to achieve something. When the time comes, you will be fine.

Just remember, life is beautiful.