How family & cultural expectations affect your study and career decisions

When I was choosing what to do after high school, I was certain that I’ll be studying at university, although I wasn’t sure of which degree. Looking back now, I realise that it wasn’t my conscious decision of wanting to pursue tertiary studies.

It was THE path.

No thinking needed.

No decision-making needed.

The path is to go from high school → university.

I didn’t even consider any other alternatives, such as vocational education, going straight to work, or taking a gap year.

And back then, I fully believed that it was what I truly wanted to do, out of my own volition. A decision based solely on my free will.

“I thought I was choosing my own path.”

Now I know that that is not entirely the case.

What I didn’t realise back then was that my decision to study at university is in the air I breathe.

It’s the only “valid” pathway I know of.

It’s a pathway that fits very well with my family and cultural expectations: Good grades → Reputable university → Climb the career ladder → etc etc.

It’s as if I’m a fish inside an aquarium, with the water being “getting a university degree”, and the aquarium being “family & cultural expectations”.

That’s the kind of impact family & cultural expectations can have on your study and career decisions. Subtle, but powerful.

It’s not necessarily bad, because it has taken you to where you are now.

But if you feel discontent with where you are, then I invite you to consider: how did your family & cultural expectations affect your study and career decisions thus far?