The Commencement Ceremony is coming. It reminds every graduate about several years of campus life. Some may be satisfied with achievements including research progress, relationships, or job offers. Others feel nervous about their undecided future or their final failures in POSTECH. In addition, graduation gives a new initiation and acts as a new starting line. That’s why we call the graduation ceremony ‘commencement’. The following is what I realized when I was preparing for life in a new society.
I got admission from Korean law school for a J.D. program and participated in the orientation and several ice-breaking events. My class of 2018 consists of students with a variety of majors, from business administration and economics, commonly found in Korea, to relatively rare majors like philosophy and natural science. It is far from my ordinary surroundings, mainly composed of students majoring in science and engineering.
Having a talk with new schoolmates, I realized how much I am inclined to a certain way in several social and logical points of view. It could be found in not only a minor thing like understanding the recent sci-fi movie ‘Interstellar’ at once, but also habits of applying cost-benefit analysis, scientific method, and greedy approach. On the other hand, it seemed to be a little harder for me to have an emotional consideration and be rapidly excited in mood.
In the case of students from other majors, business administration majors seemed to be optimized for quick adaptation to new environments and friends, whereas economics majors liked discussing nation states. I suppose they do this because they have learned macroeconomics for years. It can be inferred that several years of lectures, activities, and relationships with people in the same society gradually incline one’s point of view and way of thinking. Of course, a general conclusion should not be set from a sole case. Even though I know this, my first impression works as a meaningful intuition.
Some people may suggest students’ inclinations are from their original tendencies, not their school surroundings. According to their opinion, people who think macroscopically and naturally apply economic principles choose to major in economics. However, wishes on one’s career path and essential characteristics are different. Inclinations along major subjects should be approached from accumulation of experiences in school life.
I mentioned a lot about how I found inclinations along majors and I explained it as a result of an influence of different surroundings. Many people, including myself, don’t realize this decisive factor before confronting a lot of people from other surroundings. If you are aware of it earlier, you can control your merits and demerits, and find your true identity and vocation without trouble. It is a message from one graduate considering his position and concept in a new society.