Young people have their dreams - to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a banker.
Many parents made a big financial sacrifice to help their children to achieve their dreams. Some sold their houses to get the money to send their children overseas to achieve their dreams.
Some children may not fully realize the sacrifice that their parents made for them.
Are the sacrifices really necessary? Can the young people's dreams be modified by reality?
When I was in secondary school, I wanted to be an engineer. The brighter students in my class chose medicine and aimed to be a doctor. I thought differently. I wanted to be an engineer.
My father was unemployed. My mother struggled to run a business to earn some income for the family.
I threw away my dream. I left school after secondary education to work as a clerk in an insurance company. The starting pay was $180 a month. It was a decent pay at that time.
My principal called me to his office. He asked me to stay in school. He said that I could apply for a bursary to meet my school fees.
I told him that the bursary was not enough to support my family financially.
Anyway, it was easy for me to change my dream. Instead of being an engineer, I continued self study to become an actuary. I qualified after ten years. For me, it was better than being an engineer.
Dreams can be changed.
When I told a friend about it, he said that my message should be targeted at parents, rather than their children. I agree with him.
I hope that this message is read by both parents and their children.
Tan Kin Lian
Many parents made a big financial sacrifice to help their children to achieve their dreams. Some sold their houses to get the money to send their children overseas to achieve their dreams.
Some children may not fully realize the sacrifice that their parents made for them.
Are the sacrifices really necessary? Can the young people's dreams be modified by reality?
When I was in secondary school, I wanted to be an engineer. The brighter students in my class chose medicine and aimed to be a doctor. I thought differently. I wanted to be an engineer.
My father was unemployed. My mother struggled to run a business to earn some income for the family.
I threw away my dream. I left school after secondary education to work as a clerk in an insurance company. The starting pay was $180 a month. It was a decent pay at that time.
My principal called me to his office. He asked me to stay in school. He said that I could apply for a bursary to meet my school fees.
I told him that the bursary was not enough to support my family financially.
Anyway, it was easy for me to change my dream. Instead of being an engineer, I continued self study to become an actuary. I qualified after ten years. For me, it was better than being an engineer.
Dreams can be changed.
When I told a friend about it, he said that my message should be targeted at parents, rather than their children. I agree with him.
I hope that this message is read by both parents and their children.
Tan Kin Lian
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