Life is, in one respect, a matter of choice...

Millions of young people are once again at the gates of universities, trying to plan the future of their lives. Some know what kind of future they want; they seem to have made their decisions. Most, however, have no future plan at all. They have been swept away by the flow of their fate, heading toward an unknown. There is no clear goal, nor is there a decision in sight. Could they be thinking that things will somehow work themselves out along the way?

If a future path has still not been charted after twelve years of education, it means something is not going well. If an individual who should be at the point of standing on their own two feet has no idea how they will continue the rest of their life, the situation is truly dire.

It was years ago. When I asked a seven-year-old child—named Adem—who had just started primary school in a Turkish family that had moved to Germany as workers, what he wanted to be in the future, his answer surprised me greatly. He wanted to be a truck driver. I asked why. I was curious about how he had made this decision. I thought for a moment because, in our country, every child starting primary school usually wants to be a doctor. Perhaps nowadays, depending on the trend, some might want to be astronauts, but the ideal profession is usually medicine. Whose ideal that is, is a separate issue.

Anyway, the decision that our Adem should be a truck driver was made at school. After interviews with the child, aptitude, curiosity, and inclination tests, etc., it was decided that the child was suitable for truck driving, and guidance began accordingly. Indeed, years later, our Adem realized his dream and is now continuing his life in Germany as a truck driver.

Therefore, in developed Western countries, the education system, instead of crushing children under the burden of borrowed dreams and ideals as we do, gives them the opportunity to build their own dreams, form their own ideals, reveal their own talents, and develop their inclinations. Thus, by the time the child reaches the university gate, they have largely drawn their roadmap regarding their future plan. When that is the case, there is no need for them to experience confusion about what score they will get, which program they will be placed in, etc. For every child who completes the primary and secondary education process, questions regarding whether or not they will attend university are clarified. For those who want to attend university, the decision-making process regarding the program, department, or field is largely clear. As a result, there is neither overcrowding at university gates nor do young people fall into a panic about getting into university or not. Every individual in the young adult category can somehow be included in the production process and reach the stage of standing on their own two feet. Because the process begins to be implemented from primary school, every individual is prepared for life by receiving education in line with their talents and inclinations.

In our country, however, every child is primarily a project for their parents. While parents try to realize their own dreams and ideals through the child, they unfortunately position them as the protagonist of their own future story. For this reason, the child never finds the opportunity to construct their own story. From the moment the child opens their eyes to the world, which university they will attend and what profession they will pursue begins to be discussed by the parents. The child's world of play, their relationship with toys, and their social spaces are shaped according to the profession desired for them in the future. Moreover, for every parent, their child is a genius, and there is nothing they cannot do or achieve. When such high values are loaded onto a child, they are doomed to be crushed under them for a lifetime. Some may perhaps manage to overcome this burden by showing the success expected of them, but most are crushed and destroyed under such a heavy load.

On the other hand, the education system is not of a quality that will support the child in planning and programming their own life in the way they want. Our schools take as their primary goal preparing our children not for life, but for the university entrance exam. Therefore, the entire education system is built on children succeeding in multiple-choice tests. The ability to decide on the most correct option among multiple-choice answers as quickly as possible is developed. Every child is raised like a racehorse. Racehorses that have no analytical ability, do not interpret, do not question, do not discuss, do not criticize, and only try to pass their rivals.

As a result, our young people wander around university campuses indecisive, and often unhappy and hopeless. But since they have somehow made it this far, we might at least have a few words to say to help them at this point.

Our young people waiting for university exam results should not stand idle during this process; they should ask themselves what their talents, tastes, inclinations, and desires are. They should think carefully about what kind of life they want for themselves, and in what kind of life they would be happy. They should try to understand the key points of their joy of living. They should ponder which profession or job would excite them.

They should not forget that this life is theirs, and they have the right to live it as they wish. They should try to make their future plans with their own free will, set achievable goals, and make the right choices. Thus, they can create the opportunity to live their own lives according to their own preferences. After all, life is, in one respect, a matter of choice.