We all go through phases. Many college students go through an “I don’t know” phase. At any time during your college experience you can hit a wall. You seem to never have a solid answer for anything concerning college or your future, and you begin to question everything you’re doing.
The question, "What do you want to do with your life?" is so broad and hard to answer. But, it is one we hear constantly from friends, family, and professors.
What’s your major?
What do you want to do with that?
What are you doing after college?
And the list goes on.
In a recently posted video, YouTube vlogger Katy Bellotte (or HelloKaty), talks about her fears and as the title states, the concept of faking it. All of which, are relevant thoughts in the minds of college students.
In addition to not knowing the answers to big questions, she talks about the fear of living a less than extraordinary life in the video. She, like many other people, fear that amazing things could be happening to her, but they’re not because of she is holding back or not taking certain opportunities. No one wants to go through their whole life and realize at the end that they missed out.
Also, the concept of faking it (the title of the video), she explains, is living a life in which people think that you’re perfect. In today’s world, it is so easy to cover up all our flaws. There are hundred of apps just for editing pictures. People try to hide their imperfections in order to blend in and be popular. People are obsessed with creating an image of their perfect selves on social media. Bellotte encourages you to show people who you really are. Faking it is not a good idea because you’re only holding yourself back. If you're being you, why hide that?
She ends the video talking about how human beings are such internal people. You can bottle things up to keep your feelings from other people.
These fears and concerns are valid. Many people might think that they’re the only ones feeling this way. The overwhelmed feeling you get when people ask about your future, the fear of missing opportunities, and the faking it to sway people's perception of you are things all college students experience.
This video helped me understand that you will get lost. Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Stop faking it. As she says, "it is okay to not be okay;" and that has never been truer. It is okay to take the day off and take time for yourself. You'll never figure out all the details of life in one day, so don't try. Try to take every day as it comes and your "I don't know" phase will pass as you learn the answers gradually.