As soon as we start school, we don’t think too much about what we want to do with the rest of our lives. And, even though we are only little preschoolers or kindergartners we are indirectly expected to begin figuring out what we would like to do. Since I was little, I have been constantly pestered about how my future should consist of me in medical school, and then on to a career in the medical field. I am sure many of my fellow classmates and friends have gone through a similar childhood. And if you haven’t, you’re lucky.
Of course the future is important; everything we do, almost every single choice we make and action we take today is going to affect us in some way tomorrow. It is wise of us to consider our futures and understand that many of our choices may not have positive consequences. Our prospective future is vast, and there are so many things that could possibly happen to us in the next five years. During high school, we are expected to grasp some kind of an understanding of where we would like to be in the next few years, and that begins with figuring out which career path we would like to follow. And so begins every student’s search for a favorable career, and thus a college major to go with it. For some students, that path has already been cut out by family expectations; for others, it may be a path they have to choose all on their own.
As a senior who is planning to attend college in the fall, I can say I am still not completely sure of where I am going to be in the next few years. I spent most of my life thinking I have to be what my parents want me to be. Up until a few years ago, I didn’t realize that I can choose, and I have chosen. However, knowing myself somewhat well, I know that I am prone to changing my mind, and that I am not, and cannot be, 100 percent sure of what my life will be like. I know that this is a concern for many students. High school is a time for us to explore different choices, but as growing young men and women, it’s difficult to know what we enjoy or prefer in terms of careers, and whether we see ourselves doing something for the rest of our lives.
I have been constantly criticized by my parents for being “confused” and “uncertain” about my future, but of course I am confused. It’s the future. It is supposed to be uncertain. What I think I may enjoy now can easily become something I am no longer interested in while I am in college, where I will be experiencing so many new prospects. And what if I stumble upon something I enjoy more than what I have chosen? What if something I don’t find interesting now is made to be more intriguing for me in college? There are numerous possibilities in terms of what awaits us in the future.
Many of us are probably in the process of trying to figure out a major for ourselves, but keep in mind that the future is a world of possibilities. It is a different world from the one we are living in right now, and it is alright to not know where you are going. Even the people who seem completely sure right now may change their minds in the future. Determination is important but if we think of it as “determination to stay committed to what we have planned” then we will miss out on other opportunities.
Whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or a senior, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know what you want to major in during college. Open yourself up to different subjects and activities that you are interested in, and even explore a few of the ones you aren’t appealed to. Nothing is completely black and white — there may be something in a certain subject that you end up loving, even if you aren’t too fond of the subject as a whole. Remember that there is always an “undecided” option for a college major, which allows you to take regular classes your first two years of college, giving you another opportunity to choose a major, as well as broadening your choices.
