Dr. Kaifu Li mentioned many times in his speech: Do the work you like to do. But this is exactly what I am confused about: What is the job that I like and am interested in? I still can't figure it out.
Kaifu: As a student, how do you find your interests? First of all, try many aspects and actively seize opportunities. My "Third Letter to Chinese Students" can give you some inspiration:
"How to find interest and passion? First of all, you have to separate interest and talent. It is easy to do what you are talented at. Produce results, but don’t think that it’s your interest just because you do it well. In order to find your true interest and passion, you can ask yourself: Are you eager to repeat something and can you do it happily and successfully? Have you always wanted to do it? Does it always satisfy you? Do you love it from the bottom of your heart (not just from your mind)? Is the happiest thing related to it? When you ask yourself this, be careful not to incorporate your parents' expectations, society's values, and the influence of your friends into your answer.
"If you can answer clearly. If you have the above questions, then you are lucky, because most students are groping or regretting during their four years in college. If you still haven’t found the answers to these questions, I have only one suggestion: Give yourself the most exposure to the most options. I remember that when I first entered Carnegie Mellon's doctoral class, the school had a mechanism that allowed students to choose their teachers. In the first month, every teacher tried their best to attract students. Because of this mechanism, I was lucky enough to meet my mentor Professor Ruidi, and thus chose my doctoral topic "Speech Recognition". Although not all schools have such a mechanism, you can take the initiative to learn about different schools, majors, topics and teachers on your own, and then choose your interests from them. You can also find hobbies through libraries, the Internet, lectures, club activities, communication with friends, electronics, etc. Only by contacting you can you try, only by trying can you find your favorite. ”
Those who dare to try must be smart people. They will not lose, because even if they fail, they can learn from it. Therefore, only those who dare not try are the absolute winners. Losers. I hope that all students will try their best to broaden their horizons and not only gain lessons from it, but also find their own interests.
There are also some in my "Fourth Letter to Chinese Students". Regarding this aspect:
“Some students asked me how to find my own interests like me? First, be objective. Don't regard things that are recognized and valued by society, family, and friends as things that you are interested in. Don't just assume that something that seems interesting but has never been done is your interest. You need to experience it yourself to know whether it is an interest or a desire. Interest does not necessarily qualify as a career, and liking to play online games does not mean that you will like or have the talent to develop online games. Being interested does not mean you have talent, but you can try to find the combination of talent and interest. For example, if you are talented in mathematics but also like computers, you can engage in research work in computer theory.
“The best way to find your interests is to broaden your horizons and get in touch with as many fields as possible. Only by getting in touch can you have the opportunity to try, and only by trying can you discover what you love. It is a unique opportunity that the university can provide. Make full use of the school's resources while you are in school, and get in touch with different fields and jobs through the library, auditing, the Internet, lectures, part-time jobs, club activities, friend exchanges, electronics, and electronic forums. , expert.”
If I had just gone to the law department obediently and not tried to audit computer classes, worked in the computer center, or consulted with the teaching assistants of the computer department, I would never have discovered it. My own strong interest in computers. At the same time, in the process of searching, I also broadened my horizons and gained a lot of lessons.
Many students think they are not interested in their major, what should they do? For most students, changing departments is not a good choice, and what major you study does not completely determine your job after graduation. Therefore, the first and most urgent thing is that you should try your best to learn this major well and cultivate your own interests. There are many different fields in a major. You can get in touch with them more, and you may come across the direction that you are really interested in.
Sometimes, difficulties or prejudices can make you unclear about your interests. For example, I used to think that I didn’t like speaking very much, but then I made up my mind and told myself that I must learn the skills of speaking. After years of persistent practice, I get the satisfaction of successfully delivering a speech. , I discovered that I really enjoyed speaking. In addition to "love what I choose", you can also try to "choose what I love". After broadening your horizons and making contacts, if you discover your true interest, then look for the possibility of changing departments, try extracurricular learning, and take electives or audit some related classes. You can also look for some part-time job or vacation internship opportunities to further explore how to find a job in this industry that is suitable for you after graduation.
Life is long and you can have many interests at the same time. In addition to developing interests, it is more important to find lifelong ambitions. The author of a book interviewed hundreds of successful people and asked them what they didn't understand when they were young but finally understand today? The most common answer he received was "I hope someone from my senior background will tell me and encourage me to pursue my ideals and ambitions." Interest is important, but ambition is even more important. For example, my ambition is to "maximize impact", but I have had many interests over the years: speech recognition, game playing, multimedia, research to development conversion, management, meeting user needs, speaking and writing, helping Chinese students... …Interests can change, and they don’t have to be your final goal. There is no need to cut off any path of interest. You can develop in parallel and make the best decision when necessary.
Secondly, you must accept the reality, return to a dedicated and gregarious attitude, and discover your unique talents. Hilton believes that people have different talents: everyone can pursue the same career, and don't worry about spending time finding your footing. Hilton said that it took him 32 years to discover his strengths. He started his career as a clerk, but there was nothing shameful about it. Washington was just an inspector at first, and Maugham studied medicine before writing. They eventually found careers that could give full play to their talents and became successful. Don't be put into a fixed track due to external reasons and lose the world that should belong to you. Don’t hesitate because you don’t know your strengths yet, be brave enough to explore! You'll find out what you can do.
Satisfied.