A question I have asked myself often lately: "Why do people expect young adults to figure out their whole life plan between ages 18 to 22?" How a high school senior is supposed to know what major to pick that eventually leads to a specific life-long career amazes me. I could barely decide what I wanted to eat for breakfast in high school, let alone pick the right career path. The most confusing part of it all is the advice you receive from everyone around you. Adults tell you to do something you love, but also stress the importance of money and being financially stable. What a strange and often confusing paradox for young adults.
Fast forward to college graduation, and I still can't choose what I want for breakfast. OK, I'm not that bad anymore, but I am still fairly indecisive, and clarity has still not come. Many students have decided what they want to do after graduation, but not all of us college grads can be so lucky. Yet you still hear the same advice: “Do what makes you happy… but also make enough money that you can live comfortably.” This is perplexing advice even at 21 and 22 years of age. What if doing whatI love means sacrificing some financial stability? What if I choose a career that makes me miserable, but also leads to me being extremely wealthy? What if I can’t have it all? Adults say you can and should wait for the “right” career, but what if that career never comes along? There are so many “what if's” when talking about the future, and although the only certainty about the future is its uncertainty, that doesn’t make potential life altering decisions any easier. All I know is I’m 21 years old and a recent college graduate who has no clue what to do now that my college career has ended. The only thing I am sure of is that I want to help people, animals, or the environment -- anything to help make the world a better place. What a wide array of options I have and in no way does that make deciding any easier.
So yes, I have a degree from arguably the best public institution in Georgia (depending on who you ask). I have job experience. I have life experience. However, I still feel like the confused 18-year-old who did not know which major, classes, etc. to choose. I still get anxious when others ask me what I am doing after graduation and I have to respond with the vague, “Oh you know, just getting a job somewhere.” That is code for: “Someone please hire me and tell me what to do for the rest of my life. Make sure it not only makes me happy, but also pays well.” Sigh. I am a planner, so not having a life plan after college constantly weighs on me. When I do start to worry, I try to remind myself that I am a young, determined 21-year-old who has plenty of time to decide what to do for the rest of my life.
So for those of you in the same boat as me, whether you are a recently graduated high school or college student or just confused about life: It will be OK. You will figure it out. It is never too late to change the course of your life. You can and should experiment with different careers, but it is not the end of the world when your first, second, or third job does not work out. You can always change your mind. Finally, you can do what you love and be financially stable. You can have it all. but that does not correlate to having it all figured out the day you graduate. Take your time, because a career can determine your future happiness. One of my best friends was working a job she hated and it didn’t matter that she was making money, because it was clearly affecting her happiness. You don't have to sacrifice your well-being, emotionally or physically, for anything or anyone.
If there is one thing I do know after graduating from college it is that I am an intelligent, independent, and passionate person. I will find a career I love that allows me to improve this world in some way or another, and it is perfectly acceptable if it takes a little bit of time.
