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• A reply on Conversation: What do you think a teenager should do when he is interested in so many things that he cannot settle for any option for his future?

  May 31 2011: Bem, pelo que vejo já tens um plano. Se o problema é "perderes" um ano, mais vale agora, do que começares um curso que não te cativa realmente e depois acabares na mesma por trocar, com mais tempo e dinheiro investidos. Acho que as pessoas não têm todas de fazer o mesmo percurso em linha recta nem terminar o curso com a mesma idade.
  
  Dito isto, boa sorte!
  
  PS: daqui a uns tempos provavelmente irás perceber que teres ido para a "área errada" te dá uma vantagem em relação aos teus futuros colegas. Não terás muita dificuldade em recuperar a formação de base e por outro lado vais ter um ponto de vista diferente dos teus colegas que te pode vir a ser bastante útil.
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  A comment on Conversation: What do you think a teenager should do when he is interested in so many things that he cannot settle for any option for his future?

  May 28 2011: I can say I've been there a decade ago (and I don't mean Cascais :p). I believe four main aspects are at stake here.
  
  First, as life expectancy stretches (and so does education) it seems that people are young for a longer period of time. In other words, I don't think an 18 year old today - generally speaking, of course - has the same kind of maturity that an 18 year old would have, say, 50 years ago. Of course teenagers are better prepared in terms of technological abilities and other aspects that play a central role in modern society, but the weight of responsibility is being pushed further into the future. Getting a job, moving out or raising a family (basically the three main moves most of us make in life that involve a lot of responsibility) are being delayed. And that's not necessarily bad. But to force people who are unprepared to choose their profession and stick to it is just not wise.
  
  Second, shouldn't we try before we buy? I mean, before choosing a career, teenagers should have the opportunity to see how things really work in their favourite professions, by visiting companies, interviewing professionals, watching documentaries, doing internships, reading books with realistic accounts and critiques of different fields of expertise, etc.
  
  Third, technological advances have made it a lot easier for us to specialise. For instance, the skills a graphic designer needed a couple of decades ago, and the skills he needs now are quite different. They both require sensibility, but the process of designing was made a lot easier and accessible, even for people who can't hand-draw that well (but still have great ideas flourishing in their minds). On the other hand, these advances also mean the new professionals need to update their knowledge and skills (a lot) more frequently. When we say 'there's no job for life anymore', it not only means people will change workplaces, it also means their professions will change throughout their lives.
  
  (to be continued... below)
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  A comment on Conversation: What do you think a teenager should do when he is interested in so many things that he cannot settle for any option for his future?

  May 28 2011: And yes, they might change professions more often.
  
  Fourth, sometimes it doesn't really matter how old you are, because you'll always feel attracted toward different interests. In different times it would have been harder to pursue those interests, so someone would enforce a path upon you and you would do whatever your parents wanted you to, or whatever your social condition allowed you to aspire to, etc. Today you are presented with the gift of choice. And choosing is hard.
  
  So, finally, my advice (mostly derived from experience): if there's something you really, really, love, choose it, even if it's slightly unrealistic (better to pursue your one true dream - even if for a limited period of time, because money really is necessary in life - than to spend the rest of your time trying to convince yourself of how rational and sensible your decision was). But since you seem to be divided, well, what about choosing one of your interests as a career and the others as hobbies, or side-jobs? And might you couple some of your interests into the same career (multi-disciplinary approaches are valued in certain fields).
  
  And since we're in a time of crisis and there's a shortage of jobs (and new types of jobs coming to life while others face extinction), I would add this: if one of your interests presents itself as a safer choice in terms of future employment opportunities and / or earning prospects, it might work as the decisive factor.
  
  Anyway, don't worry too much. If you're anything like me, in a decade you'll still be figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Just make sure the next decade is filled with experiences that allow you to grow and work in something that's meaningful to you.