Disclaimer*: The articles shared under 'Your Voice' section are sent to us by contributors and we neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of any facts stated below. Parhlo News will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the website. Read our disclaimer.
This post is also available in: العربية (Arabic) اردو (Urdu)
To my nation’s brave young souls,
You just can’t catch a breath, can you? It all started one spring when you were thirteen and were promoted to ninth grade. And from the first day when your teachers terrorized you with the prospect of board examination you’ve been fighting a constant battle.
The battle has taken more of you then any fight deserves to take. After clearing Matric you got into Fsc and somehow life became even harder. The teachers mocked you, told you that school was nothing like college, academy made you believe it even more. Chemistry tortured you and the result broke your heart. But you still picked yourself up and continued to fight because what else could you do.
In the second year in addition to everything else, you had to start worrying about the standardized entrance exams. You spent countless nights tossing and turning in bed thinking, no worrying about your future. Wondering if you’d get in some medical college? If you were good enough?
Many silent tears fell but you dared not speak about it because who would listen? Your parents who had dreamt of you being a doctor before you could even walk? Your friends, who were going through the same agony? Your siblings, who had problems of their own? Your family, that not only took an unhealthy interest in your grades and admission forms, but also wreaked your self-confidence by comparing you to every Tom, Dick, and Harry? Your teachers who only care about their result?
So you stayed quiet, and the struggle went to college, went to the academy, studied for tests in both and in between all that made time to register of NTS, HEC exam, MDCAT, NUMs etc. And then after what felt like a century, you cleared your intermediate. Of course, the entire world wanted to know your marks.
People who you had only met once called to see how you did. And then there were the comparisons. Another blow to your self-esteem! Before you know it, you hardly sleep for a couple hours; you were addicted to tea and Panadol because of a headache that never seemed to stop. All you did was study.
And then after countless hours of hard work you appeared in the entrance test, you were one of the thousands who had struggled just like you. Your confidence faltered but you took a deep breath and continued walking. The paper was given and wait a minute, what is this? This isn’t what you studied for, this wasn’t like the practice tests you gave in the academy. When did they say there would be diagrams? And what is with the chemistry? How can a normal person do these calculations without a calculator? And why is the time running so fast? Half an hour left and I am not even nearly done. These aren’t simple synonyms of those 800 words you had memorized?
And then it was over and you were allowed to leave, but the fight was nowhere near over it was just the beginning. Everyone asked how you did but you don’t know because how could you? This was nothing like you thought it would be. Still, you tried to keep up the act, you stayed strong. That was until the key was released and then you broke down.
It was just too much to bear, you couldn’t do it anymore. People were calling, parents were looking at you expectantly and you were just tired. You had been fighting a battle you were signed up for without your consent and after all that effort it didn’t matter. Because according to the calculations you just weren’t good enough to be a doctor.
You could always pay a few million and become a doctor from a private institute but you’d never get the respect you deserved because you did not get admitted in a government college. No matter how hard you work, how competent doctor you become, this stupid test and its score will never leave you…
And the worst part, the ones who were supposed to support you, to love you unconditionally, the ones who were supposed to protect you; broke what was left of your spirit. Your parents didn’t understand, they found you lacking and you were just done. You wanted life to end, you considered ending it but you couldn’t because no matter what the world says you are better than that!
You could have faced the entire world, deal with their gossiping if your parents had supported you, if only they had hugged you and said, “It is okay my dear, you tried your best, it just wasn’t meant to be. What’s done is done, no looking back just forward, the world hasn’t ended.”
But that didn’t happen, did it?
But you know what my brave warriors; it is okay! And if it isn’t it will be. Just be a little brave and have faith because you aren’t alone, Allah is with you. He has a plan for you and the plan He has for you is better than any plan you had for yourself. So what if you won’t become a doctor? There is a big world out there, open your eyes and dream, dream what you were scared to dream.
Stop worrying about making others happy, you don’t owe it to anyone. You don’t owe it to your parents for raising you, parenthood isn’t a business transaction. Just be the best human you can be, be kind be brave, be respectful. Do what you want to do, fight for it, demand it. You deserve it! Don’t give up young one, you are more than some marks, you are a wonderful person who was made for much greatness. Find your purpose, study what you want to study.
And if health science is what you wanted to study then don’t give up, look around there are other fields. there is dentistry, there is physical therapy, there is nutrition, there is biomedical science and public health, there is nursing and pharmacy and health technology and medical research.
The world just doesn’t need MBBS doctors; it needs people in all these fields as well. Just remember no field is better than the other, every single one of them is necessary. Give them the respect they deserve, even if you aren’t interested in any of them.
And when you get in some field embrace it, because now it is your identity, and if people mock you, ignore them! Who cares about what they think, work hard and be the best you can be. Enjoy life to the fullest, laugh, sing, dance, and help others. And when you do it, I promise you that you will get the respect and recognition you deserve. You will be happy and in the end that is all that matters not the money, not the status, nothing just the peace of your heart and mind.
I speak from my experience of not getting admission in any government colleges and I am so grateful to Allah for this. I thank Him every day for it because I got to do what I love and for me, that is enough. The world and its thoughts are damned, my parents are proud of me and that is all I ask for.
So be brave young warriors you’ve fought enough for someone else’s dreams now fight for your own and don’t give up! The best is yet to come!
