Recently, I have been finalizing my stuff for co-op and I realized how so many people knew what they were passionate about doing in the future and I wish I knew. Other than my childhood career dreams of being an archaeologist and exploring the world, I never really seemed sure about what I wanted to do in the future, and I am realizing that that is okay.
In college, you'll probably meet people that are 100% certain of what they want to do, something they had an undying passion for since they were young. But you're still unsure of even the slightest things. So what do you do? Do you just tell yourself that you're content with some career choice because it seems stable? You could do that, or you could try to figure things out the way that works for you. Either way, you got this.
Doctor. Engineer. Teacher. Research. My mind has changed too many times and I have always enjoyed the idea of one of these paths. Yet, it seems easier for some people to know what they want to do. It can be discouraging sometimes but that is all part of the journey to where you're supposed to be. At times, it felt like time is running out for me to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life, but it kind of sounds impossible. You'll figure it all out soon enough.
My advice to someone in this position would be to read up about your interests, talk to professors, take different classes, join extracurriculars you're interested in. You'll meet people and be able to talk to them about their interests and how they got to where they are. You'll learn about what people do during their days. Throw in classes that sound interesting to you if you're able to or do research on topics that spark your interest during your free time. Nothing bad comes out of more good knowledge. This is what looking for a co-op has mostly taught me. I was able to expand my search and look at what else I could do with my skill set and combine my interests as well. I'm still not sure about what I want to do in the future, but I have somewhat of a better idea.
And don't worry. You don't have to know what you want to do as soon as you come into college. You have the time to try different things and see if they're the right fit. You'll find that something that gives you that spark and passion inside soon enough.
If you know what you want to do, fabulous. Go out and accomplish it. I'm rooting for you! If not, I'm still rooting for you. Explore your interests and try different things. You never know where you'll end up and where you're meant to be.
