The modern world is one of specialization. In Finland we're schooled for a minimum of nine years, with the first true specialization coming right after with two to five extra years: high school or vocational school that begins where public schooling drops us off. It is here, at approximately fifteen or sixteen, that one should be able to tell what he or she wishes to become. Hark, I hear someone go in the back: high school gives a general schooling that leaves three extra years to ponder what you'd wish to be. Alas, no.
High school and vocational school both specialize us, even if we don't recognize what is happening. With vocational school this is rather self evident: you will graduate with a profession. The specialization that happens in high school (or gymnasium, if you prefer) is more subtle but still there. After taking the matriculation exam and graduating, a then-former high schooler is rather required to move on in his or her schooling: the high schools of Finland do not give us much to become useful, productive members of society. The Finnish high school is a preliminary schooling system, preparing students for university or university of applied sciences. What everyone forgets to tell is that what you study in high school will affect where you'll be going after. Didn't take physics? Goodbye, architecture and engineering. Didn't feel like biology? No, sir, you won't be a doctor. Yes, all of these gaps can be "repaired" with extra schooling. No, the modern system does not look upon this kind of thing kindly.
So, we should know what we wish to be at 15? What if we don't? There seems to be no good answer to this: the best one I ever got from our study counsellor was: "Well, think about it." All this brings us down through the years to today and the reason behind this post. What if even now, after three years of university and rolling steadily into the fourth one, I'm still not sure I'm studying the one thing I want to do for the rest of my life? I've often heard the phrase "Oh, you don't need to know yet, you can always change what you study or study something new!" and it always seemed a bit tacky. How many have looked at the current model of schooling and the way it's going? Less freedom, faster schooling, and for heaven's sake no sidetracking. So you don't really want to study whatever it is you're studying? Too bad, you're stuck with your choice.
As I wrote above, today's world is one of specialization. I've personally never been one to specialize with fervor on something: I prefer to know a lot about everything, just not, well, everything about something. I'm often unsure about what I wish to do with my life: I'd rather test things out than jump into something simply to find out after five or six years it is something I don't want to do. I would rather be a Jack of all trades than a Master of one. Unfortunately the world seems to have passed us jacks by: it is time for us to conform, tighten the cravat and fall in line. Choose a job, overqualify for it and then stick with it until your far away pension. Good luck.
Glum as this got, here're a few photos of this year's early autumn. Do enjoy what's left of it. Winter is coming.
