21 years old. Is that too young to be having a life crisis? I’m most likely not going to go out and get a yellow Porsche on a whim, but there is no denying the fact that I am utterly LOST.
I just finished up my junior year of college. Please don’t ask me where the time has gone, if I feel any different, or what I have accomplished. I swear college students always seemed so much older and put together than how I feel right now.
I have always taken comfort in givens; 6.02 X 10^-23 is Avagadro’s Number, the square root of 69 is 8 something, chocolate chip cookies make the world go round, cats are better than dogs, don’t wear white until memorial day etc etc. So it is ironic that the field I am pursuing, medicine is infamous for its uncertainty.
Will I get into med school?
Where will I be in the next 5 years?
Can I bring my cat?
When will I get married?
(WHO will even want to marry me!?)
I just feel like I am too young to make any life decisions. Who gave me the freedom to do so? It’s scary that age 18-22 is a big indicator of the rest of your life. Not only are we supposed to know what we want to do, but how well you perform in college basically decides your future. Talk about high expectations. Like my dad says “work hard now or work hard for the rest of your life”. (That’s actually what Rihanna’s Work is about). Hard work doesn’t scare me, rather I like a stimulating challenge. It’s just frustrating that even when you do know what you want to do, the road to accomplishing your goals seems endlessly difficult.
The silver lining? We’re all in this together (cue High School Musical). We are unified in our uncertainty. Found while still being lost. Those moments I’m feeling most, isolated and defeated- I remind myself that I am not the only one in this position. There are college kids everywhere trying to find themselves. Medical school applications are tedious and stressful, but there are thousands of other students struggling to fill them out. Having your heart broken sucks, but the majority of your peers have experienced it. Most students have a quarter life crisis at some point in their college career. It’s completely normal. Honestly I’d be more concerned if you didn’t.
Anyway, you have the rest of your life to be put together, so enjoy the uncertainty while it lasts! Life isn’t about being perfect and put together, it’s about the journey and trying to become the best version of yourself. Miley said it best: “life is a climb but the view is great!"
