The end of high school comes with a lot of stressful things. At the age of 18, most people expect you to know where you’re going to school, what you’re majoring in, what your five-year plan is, and basically have your entire life together. This can feel like you’re being rushed into a decision you aren’t quite ready to make. So when all of these decisions are expected of you, what should you do?
Some people feel as though they are failures if they can’t figure out their life by the time they finish their senior year. From personal experience, I want you all to know that this is not true. Here’s a background on my story.
When I was preparing to graduate high school, I felt like I needed to know what career I wanted to go into. I kept thinking to myself, "What is it that I like to do, or like to learn about?" My first answer was art. I loved drawing and painting. Ever since I was a little kid, art was all I ever wanted to do. But in high school, there is a pressure to pursue the ‘practical’ and not the passion. I figured I should just major in science since it seemed everyone in my class was going that route. I declared my major as zoology.
When freshman year came, I was super eager to start all my classes. The first week was nothing but sunshine and rainbows. Soon, though, I started feeling uninspired to go to my classes. I was no longer eager to learn. I felt very lost and unsure of what I wanted. After talking to my parents, I decided to switch my major. I knew I wanted to do something creative, but I still was stuck in the ‘practical’ mindset. I decided to pursue architecture. Very quickly, though, I learned that this major was definitely not for me. Finally, I switched to undecided. This is the moment I felt the most defeated because I lost what I thought I was meant to do.
That summer, everything changed. One night, my family and I were watching "Rise of the Guardians" and something finally clicked. The scenery, the characters, the story, all of it made me realize something very important about myself. I wanted to be an artist, an animator. Finally, my inspiration came back, and a fire I never felt before burned in my belly. I had to go for this career and really put my all into it.
Now I’m graduating with a degree in communication, but I plan to attend an art school to pursue a career in animation. The point of this story is that as a high school senior, you don’t have to listen to what everyone says and go the way everyone expects you to go. You also don’t need to have your entire life decided in a single year. As you grow older, your passions and interests will change, and, in time, you will discover your true purpose.
