Journey Forward…
Hey all! It’s a new year, and for some of you that means that all of a sudden, people are assuming that you have a plan for your future. “So what are you going to do when you graduate?”
That can be one of the most terrifying questions—a question that you can’t avoid during your last year of school.
Most of you are 17 and 18 years old, and up until now, you’re life has been mapped out. Since you were five or six, you went to school each day, and you didn’t really choose your classes, you didn’t have to plan out what was important for you to take for your future… that was all taken care of for you. All you had to do was show up, do the work: be a student.
Now, all of a sudden, it’s pretty open. It’s like drifting along in a river and then all of a sudden ending up in a pool that has hundreds of off-shoots and streams and you have to paddle hard to get through to one or the other. And you have no idea which stream is the right choice to get you where you want to go.
From experience, and from chatting with you guys over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that we focus so much energy on this decision. And, while it is an important decision, it is not the MOST important decision that you’ll ever make. The reality is that your journey is on a road with curves and crossroads, and you’ll come to so many places along the way that may lead you to a decision to move in the opposite direction, or just a slightly different direction.
My advice is this: find out what you enjoy.
What are you passionate about? Have you ever volunteered or done a job that was so fun that you felt energized after a day’s hard work? If you have an answer to any of these questions, those are the things that you want to focus on in looking for future paths. That’s where you start.
I’m going to say it again… that’s where you START… this decision is not the final decision. You are not stuck in that decision once made. You are not shallow and undisciplined if you change your mind later on. You’re walking your journey just like everyone else, and regardless of what you may have heard, the MAJORITY of university students change or tweak their degree or focus once they’ve started the process.
Want my advice?
FIGHT for yourself! Don’t allow yourself to be overcome with stress and the feeling that if you don’t get this right, you’ll have failed at life. You’ve got this! YOU are the person most qualified for this task. You have a small amount of travel behind you in this journey, but the exciting part is that you’re about to embark on an adventure that you can’t fully predict or control.
You’re about to meet some amazing, crazy, lovely, fun people. You’re about to learn about some amazing new things that are going to change your life. You’re going to see some things that you’ve never seen before. You’re going to grow up.
GET PUMPED! This is what you’ve spent the past 12 years preparing for! And guess what?! You get to do all of this with a community of students who are in the same place. Strap in, and get ready, ‘cause it’s going to be AMAZING! At least that’s this student’s opinion…