Not so sweet sixteen

Why on earth do they call it sweet 16? I remember when I was that age I was extremely awkward and under confident. It was not till I was in my 20s that I had become more confident about my appearance and about what I wanted to do in life.

When I turned 16 I had just completed my O’Level exams and had summer holidays prior to starting college. This was the time when I had to decide what subjects to take and since I had done Science and Math in school it was a choice between Pre-Engineering and Pre-Medical.

I remember that whereas my parents had left it to me to decide, my elder brother and sister who were both studying to be doctors had strong opinions on what I should do. My brother was in favor of me following his footsteps and my sister was not. This was very confusing for me since they both had solid points in favor and against becoming a doctor. My brother thought that girls who became doctors had a good career ahead of them as there were plenty of job opportunities. Becoming anything else would just be a waste of time as there were not enough jobs in other fields for girls. My sister on the other hand felt that the studies were too difficult for someone not really interested in the subject. I always had an inclination towards Math.

So in the end I decided to take Pre-Engineering. I never became an Engineer (that’s another story); instead I did my MSc in Electronics and worked in a Telecom company. I’m glad that I did what I did because if I had become a doctor (and I seriously doubt if I could have maintained my sanity in 5 years of medical college) I might have never had a successful career, made lots of money and traveled the world. My sister as a doctor never got the opportunities I did and I am really grateful to her for pointing me in the right direction.

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Daily Prompt: Sweet Sixteen