The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, which road shall I take?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost (1874–1963)
Like many others, I have misinterpreted this poem to be one of victory, a sense of satisfaction where years after I’ve made a decision in what I seem to have taken ‘the road not taken,’ and the ‘one less traveled by,’ I can proudly say ‘and that has made all the difference[!].’
Contrary to the common belief that this poem is a symbol of individualism and celebration, it evokes a sense of remorse of the other equally traveled or untraveled road — ‘What if I had taken the other path instead?’ Here are some sources you may like to read up from to get a deeper insight of the poem: SparkNotes, Susan Barocini-moe, Smithsonian, and The Paris Review.
Through it all, whether it is the two roads equally traveled or two roads equally untraveled, one has to make a choice. As we go about our daily lives, we constantly make choices. From ‘What should I eat today,’ to ‘Should I make that business deal,’ or ‘To go or not to go, that is the question.’ Every choice we make will affect us one way or another.
Recently, I was hit with the necessity to make a choice ‘Which university should I go to?’ and ‘Which course should I take?’ I had a month to visit the various local universities’ open houses, ponder about what I would like to do in life (or at least the course I wish to take), and make a decision. Because a month is all I had from the day I received my A’level results to the day I had to submit my universities’ applications. I must say, it hasn’t been the easiest decision to make. Unlike many of my friends, who had a rough idea of what they like and what they want to do in the future as a career, I only knew what I don’t like. I roughly knew which industry I want to be in … Then again, I wasn’t too sure. There were many uncertainties and I was simply unprepared to make a decision. My plan, initially, was to go to a liberal arts college where I will get to learn a wide array of subjects in the first two years before declaring my major. My mindset was to learn ‘everything’ as much as possible, then make a decision on what I would like to specialise in. But I also had to come up with a concrete backup plan in case I don’t get into the college of my choice. I half-suspect I wouldn’t get into the liberal arts college which I wanted very much to attend. True enough, I did not make the cut. That being said, I am truly grateful that I got offers for my first choices from the other three universities which I applied to.
My first two offers came rather early: an Engineering major and an Economics major in two different universities, respectively. My third offer only came a few days before the acceptance offer deadline, Arts and Social Sciences. A little background, my third offer would allow me to take a variety of modules from different Arts and Social Sciences majors before declaring my major in the second year or so. Somewhat similar to what I planned for initially, a little more time to find out where my interests and passion lie before making that decision of specialisation. Because my third offer came in rather late, my greatest dilemma was in choosing between my first two offers where I thought ‘This is it. It’s one or the other. The deadline is nearing. Which should I choose?’
Confusion, anxiousness, and uncertainty are the three words I would use to describe the decision making process. It was a battle between courses and culture. Choosing a university is an important decision to make, especially since one would be investing their money, time, and effort in it. It will be a place where you will spend four years of your life (depending on your school and course, the duration may differ) learning and breathing. It will be where you make your transition into adulthood. You will learn how to be independent and equip yourself with both practical academic and life skills in preparation for the working world. You will make new friends and meet new people from diverse backgrounds who will brave the university life with you.
The fear of the future felt and still feels pretty real. I was afraid to make a decision because I didn’t want to make one in which I will regret. Should I arrive at that point of regret, what then shall I do? To ensure I make a rational and well-informed decision, I looked up on forums of the various courses and schools online, and presented my case, my serious dilemma, to seek valuable advice from experienced adults who have graduated, and close friends whom I trust and know me well. Their responses were mixed. All of them shared their perspectives and opinions, of which I cherish and appreciate very much. Their advice gave me a deeper insight to how I should evaluate my choices. Despite the varying viewpoints, there is a statement that resonates with them all: to follow your heart. Or follow your gut feeling if you may.
There is no perfect decision. Choosing one will lead you to forgo the things in the other, choosing the other will lead you to miss out on things in the ‘one.’ More often than not, no one decision will let you have your cake and eat it too. There are bound to be sacrifices and opportunity costs — the next best alternative forgone. But trust in your choices. Trust in yourself that you have made a well-informed and rational choice. That whatever you chose is what you deem best for you. You have trusted yourself in taking that leap of faith in accepting that offer, or making that decision. Go with it, run with it. Be the best you can ever be! Give all that you have chosen your best shot.
After approximately one-and-a-half week of contemplating, I have come to a decision. I’ve decided to click the ‘accept our offer’ button. It was daunting. A few hours prior to clicking the button, I started to second-guess myself. The list of ‘what ifs’ came tumbling down in my head and my heart sank. Is this truly the right decision? You have two more days to make your decision … What if this … What if that … Oh no. What if … What if … What if …
Putting aside the noises and second-guesses in my head, I clicked the button. This is it. I have made my decision. I have chosen to embark on an Engineering course for the next four years of my life. This road that I’ve chosen to take seems, for many reasons, in its literal sense, the road not taken, the road not widely taken, the road that is unconventional. Uncharted waters, I would say. Even I was surprised by my own decision.
But without a ‘sigh’ will I be ‘telling this,’ that ‘somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I — , I took the one less traveled by.’ Unlike the sense of remorse the poem evokes, I do not want the road (in my perspective) not taken that I’ve taken to be the road I harbour a tinge of regret, remorse, or dissatisfaction. I want it to be the misinterpreted version of a great victory. One in which I can say with joy and excitement ‘and that,’ my dear, that ‘has made all the difference[!].’
If anyone of you out there is facing a tough decision to make, I just want to encourage you that you are not alone. Whether it is the choice of your university, or some other choices which you don’t have a straightforward answer. You can do this! You can make that difficult and perplexing decision. Do not be afraid of taking the path that is not traditional. Follow your heart and trust in yourself. Be it the road not taken, or the road well trodden, the race is not anyone else’s but yours. For coming to a conclusion and making that decision, I am proud of you. Give yourself a pat on the back for the great job you’ve done. You’ve overcome your fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Or even if you still possess these emotions, you have made a decision. For that you are a brave, brave soul!
