"They also want me to be a doctor, by the way. (But they are against engineering for some strange reason). I don’t want to be a doctor at all.
How can I show my parents that prestige isn’t everything? "
- First, unfortunately, you cannot change your parents or anybody else for this matter.
However, you are absolutely correct and more so specifically in both cases of Medical School and Engineering career, it does not matter which college you attend to be successful. Medical schools do not care about the name of your college, there is whole list of very important facts about you that they would care, name of the college is not on this list. Engineering firms do not care either and most of them hire from the local colleges anyway no matter if they are low ranked and unknown.
But despite being right and your parents being misled, your battle is the losing one. Being right is not everything. If they are paying, you got to go with “the wind” so to speak and not against it, it is simply much easier and much smarter. Believe me, YOU WANT your parents to be on YOUR side. Make a peace with them, they only want the best for you, despite the fact that they are incorrect. Here is your lesson for the rest of your life, winning the battle is not as important as winning the war.
You will achieve your goal if you put your mind into it, no matter what college you attend.
At the end, YOU will be the decisive factor, not the place and not your parents. Focus on this, develop the plan how to achieve your goal and let your small battle with your parent to be behind you, just be smart and let it go!
Best wishes!