If you’re between the ages of 18 and 25, chances are you are probably either enrolled in college, graduated from college or thinking about going to college. Getting a college degree has become almost a necessity for most careers in today’s society, so it is expected that between these ages, you attend some form of college. However, college isn’t for everyone and most people don’t even realize that until they’re on the road to a major and become stuck with it. Now I’m not talking about the whole social aspect of college, because I do believe that everyone should experience that, I’m referring to the actual education aspect of college.

In college, it is expected that we find a major we enjoy, graduate with that major, maybe continue our education into graduate or medical school and then ultimately find a career based off of that major. But what if we really cannot find a major that we could see ourselves with for the rest of our lives? Because let’s face it, once you declare a major and graduate, it is difficult to find a career that doesn’t relate to it whatsoever. So really, the major you pick when you are 18, 19, maybe even 20 years old, will stick with you for the rest of your life. That’s a long time to think about if you ask me. And then what happens if you change your mind? People change their minds all of the time but if you are already three years deep into your undergraduate degree, you will find yourself in school for a lot longer than planned. More schooling means more money down the drain, and more time spent before entering the real world.

Don’t get me wrong, college is great and can be very rewarding if you know what you want to do and how you’re going to get there. However, it isn’t for everyone and that is perfectly okay. It took me my entire freshman year of college to realize that this is all temporary for me. I always knew that my true passions would never be enough to support myself, so I was under the impression that I had to pick a major that I would be stuck with to get a “real job.” I never thought of the possibility that a “real job” could be temporary for me. All of the schooling and studying could all be temporary. For most, college is a place to prepare for something more permanent, but for me, college is preparing me for a temporary job -- a job that will make me the money I need to support myself until I can be financially stable enough to own my own company with something that I love. My passion, the one thing that I actually enjoy learning about and always want to know more about, is yoga. I have just finished my 200-hour teacher training and it was honestly the most eye-opening and influential experience of my life. It unlocked a new door to my life that I have never been so eager to open. I finally found something that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life and it is something that I can’t get a degree in and my college education will not help me to grow further into my practice.

I am fully aware that following your passions can be risky sometimes and if you would’ve asked me when I was younger if I cared at all about the risk, I would’ve said no. If you asked me in the beginning of this past school year, I would’ve said that my passions aren’t realistic and the risk is not worth it. If you ask me now, I will tell you that I can make them realistic. I can make my dreams realistic. It may take me a while to get there and I may have to do some busy work to prepare me for that, but I will make it happen. Like the famous Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the

heart, you'll know when you find it.” I have found it. It has taken me a while to escape the “unrealistic” trap that stops a lot of talented people from going after their passions, but I have found a way to make it all seem possible.