Many times we hear, “A piece of paper can’t decide our future.” And it’s true — a degree is not your entire identity. It is an achievement, yes, but it’s not the ultimate definition of your worth or potential. Too often, people allow their degree to build invisible walls around their goals, thinking they must stay within the “safe zone” of their academic stream.
A degree represents educational capability; it’s a tool that can open doors. But tools are meant to be useful in many ways, not just in the way written in an instruction manual. Similarly, your education supports you in any path you choose, even if it seems unrelated to your field of study.
Passion, on the other hand, is limitless. It’s a driving force that pushes us beyond boundaries, beyond syllabus, into the open sky of possibilities. Dreams are not printed in textbooks; they are shaped by curiosity, creativity, and the courage to take risks.
If your passion lies outside your degree, that doesn’t make you unqualified. Instead, it makes you a dreamer, adventurous enough to learn something new.
The problem arises when society treats degrees as cages rather than stepping stones. A science student is expected to stay in labs, an arts student in creative fields, and a commerce student in the corporate world. But history is filled with people who dared to break those norms and patterns: engineers who became writers, teachers who became entrepreneurs, scientists who became filmmakers. Their degree did not limit them — their passion freed them.Also, the skills and knowledge you gain from a degree are never wasted, even if you work in a very different field. In fact, having a different academic background can sometimes make you stand out, giving you a unique perspective that others in the field may lack.
Of course, chasing a dream outside your degree requires extra effort and maybe hustle. You might need to self-learn, take short courses, or start from scratch. But passion fuels persistence, and persistence builds mastery. The journey may be longer, but it will also be fulfilling.
There are many people who believed in their dreams and made it come true. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, dropped out of Reed College just after six months. Similarly, Kim Namjoon, known as RM, is now called the “leader of K-pop.” With a high IQ and academic brilliance, he once ranked among the top students of his nation, but chose music and carved a big name in the industry. Mary Kom too, coming from a rural background, left formal education early to become a six-time world champion and Olympic medalist.
A common fear is that stepping away from your degree means wasting your education. But education is never wasted — not just because you chose a different path, but because it’s a foundation you carry into every part of your life. Think of your degree as one chapter in your story, not the entire book. Life is too short to live according to tables of expectations. Your degree is a starting point, but not a limit.
If your heart wants to fly higher than your syllabus allows — go. Learn, adapt, build your own definition of success.
In the end, dreams deserve wings, not walls. Let your degree be the wind that lifts you, not the chain that holds you down.
Sejal Virmaram Prajapati
F.Y BSc
1st semester, PHCASC
