Have you ever bumped into your university professor later in life?

Have you ever bumped into your university professor later in life?

And they ask you what are you doing now but you are too embarrassed to answer because the career you choose isnt related to what you studied in university?

How would you answer?

Reply 1

Kendal Mint Cake

TSR Group Staff

This is such a good question! Intrigued to see the responses!

Reply 2

Spelunker

not my uni professor but I did run into my old secondary school teacher once. he asked me how medicine was going and I had to explain to him that unfortunately the eager A* student he taught when I was in year 7 got burnt out by year 11 in college and chose to do biomed instead 😂

Reply 3

1582

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Lecturers no. But in my 20s I ran into one of my old teachers in the pub. He didn't remember me. But he did join my mate and I for the quiz when the rest of our team ducked out early.

Reply 4

Kendal Mint Cake

TSR Group Staff

I also ran into my old A Level English Lit teacher in a pub once, years after leaving school. She had a very profound influence on me and was one of those teachers you leave school remembering. I enjoyed telling her how much she'd positively influenced my life. It was a cool moment and she was grateful to hear it as it's essentially why most teachers get into teaching, right?

Reply 5

littleCorsican

Original post by Spelunker

what did your teacher said? is he/she disappointed?

Reply 6

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by cyxstudio

Have you ever bumped into your university professor later in life?
And they ask you what are you doing now but you are too embarrassed to answer because the career you choose isnt related to what you studied in university?
How would you answer?

Yes, often. They don't care, so long as you are happy. You know why you didn't follow the pure degree profile, own it. No academic is expecting to churn out a course of new <subject> clones every year. They know only one per course might become an academic and a few per course will ever practice the subject in a career (higher % in medicine, law etc).

Reply 7

Spelunker

Original post by cyxstudio

what did your teacher said? is he/she disappointed?

no he was just a bit surprised since I had said I wanted to be a doctor since the beginning of secondary school. he just gave me some well wishes and we parted ways ☺️

Reply 8

littleCorsican

Original post by Spelunker

no he was just a bit surprised since I had said I wanted to be a doctor since the beginning of secondary school. he just gave me some well wishes and we parted ways ☺️

i did biochem but ended up working in tech

I get asked this question too many times in life. and my biggest fear is bumping into my uni professor or former class mates and having to explain lol