Exposure and Environment

 A Tale of Self-Discovery

A tap on the door. I was a little frightened as I jerked out of bed because I hadn't expected anyone. When I came to, I realized I had been asleep for about an hour. A concise recap of the events of that day materialized once more. I had chills down my spine realizing that I was poorer than I had been all week. It hurt like hell, a searing agony. That's when I realized I hadn't taken my prescription. I took a sip of water and one Panadol tablet.

 

"Hey, come in," I called out. My voice was hoarse. "Bro, where have you been? You've been very quiet," Hussein looked surprised to see me. It was a normal greeting in a local dialect. He was my college roommate, studying in the Faculty of Built Environment, specializing in interior design.

 

He went back to his room, which was just a partition opposite mine. At that moment, I started a conversation with him. It was a moment of reflection. We discussed how we found ourselves in college.

 

"Did you have prior knowledge of the interior design course before joining college?" I asked. "Yes, for sure. My uncle is an architect and he's been in contact with me. He's actually my mentor. His advice to choose this course influenced my decision. I happened to have worked with him and learned the art of project execution," he paused for a moment. "That's truly inspirational," I replied.

 

I was truly shaken. I felt like a misplaced boy. I reconsidered how I ended up in this institution. My initial reasoning was solely to obtain a degree and fulfill my parents' wishes. In my community, there's a common belief that once you finish college, you'll secure a lucrative job. My roommate was determined and knew that he was here to gain skills for a job he already had.

 

I opened the news article, and the first headline had the government complaining that they had no jobs for the increasing number of graduates. One mocking headline read, "Just study, but know where you'll be employed." As the villagers' cream, I never wanted to dash their high hopes for me. A great responsibility lay ahead of me.

 

A student lives to see another day. A day shines brighter when they have money. A significant percentage of young people are students at various institutions. Most have devised dubious ways to survive. Like me, most of them come from low-income families. They are burdened with the responsibility of rescuing their families from the poverty that has enslaved them.

 

From Hussein's story, two things are evident: exposure and environment. A person chooses their path based on their experiences. One becomes an artist because they are exposed to music. Another enters into business because their parents are involved. This is highly dependent on the environment we find ourselves in.