If you ask yourself, "what am I doing with my life?" often, you are not alone. College is supposed to be the place where you discover who you are and prepare yourself for this dreadful, yet exciting concept known as "the future." Your peers are all engaged, married or have awesome internships that will lead to full-time job offers while you struggle to get through the day without a nap and an anxiety attack. I hope my words bring you some peace.
No matter what your major is, your GPA or your employment status, you are a hard worker. You do your best when completing assignments, try to speak up in class and struggle to make ends meet by working a part-time job. You're trying, and that is what's important. You may not be like your friends and classmates who seem to have their futures all planned out. Maybe you've had to change your plans a few times to really be sure you're setting yourself up for a future you'll want. So what if you're 23 years old and haven't graduated yet because you changed your major three times? It doesn't matter because you are doing the best you can, and that's all you can really expect of yourself.
Maybe you're one of those people who are happily engaged to their partner of four years and are on track to graduate. The inconceivable amount of doubt you have about your choices is not something to worry about. You are taking huge steps, and there is a lot of risk involved. You would need to be worried if you didn't doubt yourself. You still have so much life ahead of you, and the decisions you are making now, such as what career you will be working in and who you will have a family with, are terrifying, and that is okay.
Should you go to graduate school or should you take the full-time position you got offered from the place you did your internship? Do you have what it takes to make it through graduate school? What happens if you can't find a job after you graduate? These are the questions that keep you up at night and fill you with anxiety and fear. "The future" is supposed to make you nervous because you care and want to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Any time you doubt your accomplishments, think about all of the times you could have let yourself down.
You could've skipped studying for your finals to go out with your friends, but you put in the time and effort and made something for yourself. You are laying the foundation for what kind of life you will have, and even though that's a scary thought, you are doing a great job. Don't be discouraged by your mistakes or shortcomings. The trials you are going through now are shaping you into a strong, powerful and productive person, and if you keep following your dreams, you will be able to look back on your achievements with pride and know that you have accomplished amazing things.
