A Backend Engineer reflects on his courageous decision to drop out of medical school and pursue IT instead, emphasizing that while starting later than his peers felt challenging, following his true passion was the right choice, and the will to keep learning has been key to his success.
It was the 2nd year of college when I decided to drop Medical school to pursue IT.
You see, I was a blank canvas. That's the common issue of all freshmen. At the age of 17, all we knew were Math, Physics, Chemistry, and examinations. Everything was a blur. We had no idea about occupation, skillset, or even our own interest. Standing in front of one of the most important life choices - University, Medical School came to my decision as a strike.
The moment I started to know of evisceration and other medical work, got swamped into the books full of terminology, I knew one thing for sure: This is not where I belong. Spending the next 10 years on this? Nope! A doctor can never get his job done without the passion for what he does.
Finished the second term of sophomore, I knew my parents would have never given me the approval for major-switching. Giving them the heads up wouldn't do them or me any favor. It could even create invisible pressure, which I don't think I need. Let's be this straight. No one wants their kid to drop Medical School just to sit with a computer day in day out.
So I did everything in the dark. I still went to school and trained myself again for the exam. I didn't even ask to maintain the academic record because I knew I wouldn't go back. I knew it was the right move to choose IT. And thank God that's still valid until now.
Starting a bit late is okay, as long as you have the will to make it happen. However, seeing those young classmates sometimes feels a bit odd. In an era where you can find everything you need on the Internet, nurturing your passion and finding your inner strength is the only thing that matters. It's been my 3rd year as a Backend Engineer, yet I've never stopped exploring the new. I'm still thankful for not giving up on what I believe.
