The first time I ever went on a college visit was in 6th grade. I was 12-years-old.
Texas has an absurd amount of universities and thanks to my "college prep" school, I've visited most of them. Coupled with these visits was the not-so-gentle pressure of choosing a major and a college of interest. I, like most people, changed my career goals many times throughout the beginning of high school as I tried to get an understanding of what I liked or could see myself doing in the future.
However, as my junior and senior years arrived, the pressure to know what I wanted out of college grew immensely and I settled into law. Now don't get me wrong, I am fascinated by law and the entire judicial process in America, but that isn't the reason I told people I wanted to be a lawyer. I told people that law was my future because I didn't want the raised eyebrows and concerning looks that all high school students receive when they tell others that they are unsure about the future.
But really, how can we not be confused? As 18-year-olds, we go from raising our hands in class and obeying a bell to being expected to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Doesn't that system seem flawed? Why is exploration and creativity looked down upon by secondary education when it comes to deciding on a future career path? And why are we expected to limit ourselves to ONE career path?
As a planner, I used to be so afraid to admit that I was unsure about my life post-high school graduation, and although the uncertainty can still be daunting at times, it is freer to be open to the possibilities. So to those of you whose majors declare "Undecided," or maybe you just simply have fears for the future, I am here to tell you that it's OK to not know everything.
Half the fun is figuring it out along the way.