Feeling "stuck" in your branch/career?

I think the following is worth bearing in mind for everyone, but particularly for present day school and college students:

Our society and education systems are so uptight that very few students make conscious and well thought out choices about which career path to choose. Over the last 14-15 years of being a faculty member in different institutes, I have often met students who are "stuck".

Some are in a branch that they don't really like but don't know how to change over to one they would enjoy. They can read this article: http://strike-a-pause.blogspot.com/2015/07/on-changing-career-paths-and-academic.html

Then there are also students who would prefer a completely different career altogether! I'm talking about students who've ended up in engineering colleges but would rather be musicians, artists, novelists, ... (also read the note at the end of this post)

For example, there was a fellow called Prasanna at IIT Madras who wanted to become a guitar player. He, very sensibly, completed his B.Tech. program - but alongside he worked hard on his music and brought himself to a level where he could give being a professional musician a chance. He succeeded and is a well respected guitar player today.

Some may not be as successful as him - some might have to keep a regular job in the day and play concerts in the evening - others may not even find concerts to play - it's a tough world. But if you are passionate about something, you have to pursue it and put in the hard work. That's important.

Another example is Nitesh Tiwari who was my junior at IIT Bombay but has gone on to become a film director.

Again, different people may achieve different levels of success. The important thing is to give yourself a good shot. Stay sensible, complete your studies, but work really hard on your passion and try to raise your level. This is possible if you stop just sitting around and wasting time. That's the worst thing to do in college life. Never waste time: use it wisely!

I also know some people who've decided to go after their passions after they had already started their professional careers. Being normal middle class folks with responsibilities, they can't afford to leave their jobs outright. So they're doing the next best thing: they use their evenings and weekends to try and make a place for themselves in the world of music, art, literature... Some are succeeding more than others and if opportunities present themselves may transition to new careers and professions that are aligned with what they're deeply passionate about. But each and every one of them is glad he or she is putting time and energy into pursuits that bring them joy and fulfilment! Each and every one!

PS: It's very very important to bear in mind that sometimes one can start feeling stuck or wishing for alternate branches/careers simply because a few subjects are difficult to grasp or a few professors aren't that good. You have to avoid getting tricked by such reasons. If some subjects are difficult, work at them harder. If a professor isn't inspiring you, find books in that subject that re-awaken your interest and move forward. But yes, if you genuinely feel disinterested in your branch/career and want a way to break away into something that you find more fulfilling, I hope this post gives you some inspiration and ideas.