I could still vividly remember that candid 17-year old boy, full of naïveté, signing layers upon layers of papers. His signature is awfully awkward, trying so hard to mimic how the old ones do it with ease. His mom is in a proud moment, happy of what his son has achieved. The fruit of all the boy’s hard work and toiling now about to be recompensed. Finally, a ticket to success, he is going to College!
Today marks my 16th month in the job serving my 5-year bond. Allow me to put into writing what I should have told that 17-year old naïve little boy before he signed that contract some 6 years ago.
#1 THE SCHOLARSHIP IS COSTLY
You should know that the cost of studying in Mapúa (purported to be the best engineering school in the Philippines) is insanely absurd. On an average, you pay 30,000 PhP every term, you have four terms per school year which makes it 120, 000 PhP per annum, excluding other expenses such as books, projects, thesis, et cetera. This average spending cost is a conservative number.
Simply put, you are aware that studying in a premiere engineering school is expensive. What did not make sense to you is that it is indeed VERY EXPENSIVE.
#2 THE SCHOLARSHIP IS NOT FOR FREE
On face value it might appear to you that it is free, but for a business’ perspective, it won’t make sense to sponsor a random person without getting anything in return. It maybe in a form of tax incentives for the company (Corporate Social Responsibility), or discounted business value once you started working for the company. The same reason why there is a bond period that comes along with the scholarship.
#3 THE SCHOLARSHIP BOND PERIOD IS JUST TOO LONG
Maybe you have dismissed this thought all throughout thinking that a 5-year bond isn’t bad. But before you sign that paper up, remember that it represents 50% of your twenties. Being tied down to a single company takes away much of the freedom you could have had. You simply cannot jump into another career, or move to another country or lead an alternative lifestyle. You will miss the prime of your life associated with twenties.
While others say that you may just lead another career path after fulfilling the bond, question is, will you still have market value after that?
#4 PEOPLE CHANGE, SO IS YOUR PASSION
This is a very natural human tendency. You will more likely to change your interests and aspirations once you go through college, regardless of whether you have a scholarship or not. The University opens up a lot of ideas which can impact your goals in life. And for somebody who can literally do anything, College is just a way to sift through those options to find that one thing you are most passionate about.
And with a scholarship bond, you will be deterred to follow what your heart tells you otherwise.
#5 THE SCHOLARSHIP IS NOT THE BEST OPTION, RATHER IT IS THE SAFEST ONE
You might have missed this one big time. Being unlucky in the birth lottery, your parents thought that getting a scholarship would be the best option possible, but truth is it is the safest one. Your parents will urge you to take up the scholarship and play down the long bond period because it is safe. You go to college without having to worry about your tuition and a sure job after graduation is just as enticing.
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Don’t get me wrong and write me off as ungrateful to the company who sponsored my education. In fact I could never thank them enough for the opportunity. Without them I would have been a different person, I would not have met the many wonderful people I’ve known since then, and I would have not improved my atrocious grammar. LOL!
However, I can only fool myself for so long, pretending that I like what I’m doing. I feel I’ve been losing a great deal of opportunity cost if only I were living my passion now. I think there is so much more out there in the world where I can be who I am and do what I love to do.
Some may say this is only part of the challenge of becoming the person who we want to be. I say, not every form of sacrifice is valid unless it brings us closer to our goals. Same holds true when we endure hardships and trials of different sorts. It does not follow that if we experience challenges, we are inching closer to fulfilling our dreams. The sad part is, when we have already played all our cards, sacrificed so much, lost lots of opportunities in the process, we will wake up one day only to find out we have been trailing the wrong path.
If only that 17-year old kid were able to see the other side of the scholarship coin, it would’ve been a different story.
“You’ll be much more successful if you follow your dreams and follow your passions.” ~ Jay Weatherill
The Power Single 