Why did I choose my major?(1)

If you ask me why I've picked up Mechanical Engineering as my major in university, probably I am not able to let you get the whole picture immediately. Because the response to this question and following ones all date back to my junior high school days. Also, I believe all these results of "where I am now" point to the decision I made at that time, which was going to a vocational high school instead of an ordinary high school. Frankly speaking, I didn't know clearly about the difference between those two types of high school. But the only facts I did "believe" were I could probably get rid of those annoying subjects—like Math, Chemistry and Physics—and needn't to experience the stressed out life in an ordinary one just by attending a vocational one. But ironically, while making the decision back then, I had no idea about what vocational ones are available, let alone heard about the vocational high school that I have now already graduated from. Even now, it still sounds a little bit ridiculous to me in some way. I really can't imagine how naive I was at that time. But honestly, a vocational one would probably be a better choice for me. At this point, if you are thinking this is the end of my store, you are wrong. The "worst" is yet to come….

Under the educational system in Taiwan, we all know the admission to a high school is based on one's grades in Basic Competence Test(國中基測). In other words, people with higher grades could probably get accepted to the best schools. But to some degree, this system is more like a business to me. If I compare grades to money and schools to the products, you would probably know what I mean by that­­. If one student has much money in the pocket, his/her parents might persuade him/her to buy the most expensive products without considering which product is the most useful and suitable for their children. In another case, if one has only a few dollars in hand, the product he/she can afford would be the "leftover" in the store. I think my case was a hybrid of those two. I remember the day when I went with my mom to my high school for major choosing. While waiting in the long line for that, I asked her whether she knew what the Architectural Engineering Department was. Because I wanted to know more about what their jobs—either a designer or a construction labor—might be in the future after graduation. However, her answer was not what I meant to receive. "The constructions in Taiwan have almost saturated and the boom will be shifting to Mainland China," she said. Suddenly, I felt like getting a slap right on my face. If cleverly enough, you would definitely know what she tried to express indirectly. Of course, she didn't want me to pick that up. But right before my turn to pick, she called my cousin for some advice. Because the closer it was to my turn, the less the choices available. Eventually, I picked up Drafting Department(製圖科) as my major, based on their decision. And then that decision led to my major later, Mechanical Engineering, in university. This is the only choice because Drafting Department is one of the fields in Mechanical Engineering.

Even now, I still have a passion for buildings—and nothing could pique my interests as much as it. But As far as my major, I used to feel bored about it. Fortunately now, I gradually like it by picking up my project this year. And I know if I am able to advance my study and still be the graduate student of the professor of my project, definitely, I will get a good job just because of his fame. But I wonder whether this is truly what I want….