As every semester passes, I always get reminded of how fast the time goes by, and reflect on what I have done over the last semester. As another semester passed after becoming a junior, I came to think that despite of what I had learnt so far, there was nothing which I was especially good at. Despite of coming to POSTECH where people around me would tell me that I have achieved one of the major goals throughout my life, the fact that I had no specialty was a big problem. The problem of looking for why was not so hard.
The most frequently asked question for taking any lecture is: “Does the professor give scores generously? What score did you get from that subject?” As we can see from this question, although this may sound too general, most students in POSTECH study for their grades. As the they do so, they are not so passionate about learning the subject itself, but simply cram for the exams, and forget about what they learnt. And that does not mean that they spend time later on reviewing what they have learnt. Thinking of that, I came to question whether POSTECH students cannot see the seriousness of their situation—blindly studying for the grades—because of the sweetness of being satisfied with their current positions. Getting good grades is obviously favorable for a good career. However, that does not mean it is okay to consider studying annoying and tiresome.
We all dream of successful careers. However, most of us do not see the exact path following up to such dreams. It sometimes seems we are all alone on the path where no one tells us what to do next. Soon, frustrated and confused, we plunk down and pursue an easy life; the life in which we are solely concerned about grades and attend lectures which give easy grades. I think this often occurs due to lack of desperation. A successful businessman once said that one can achieve anything with the desperation of seeking for fresh air while drowning. After reading this, I decided to volunteer for Research Officers for National Defense, which I had been contemplating for several months. As a volunteer, I am attending lectures to learn as much as I can. If I was blinded by going for an easy life, I would have missed the chance to volunteer and regret my choice. Having desperation for achieving specific goals challenges one in many ways. It also makes one’s life more energetic and vivid. For those who have the same concern I had, I hope this column whips you into action.