My senior year of high school is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the never ending questions about college. "Where do you want to go?" "Have you started applying?" "What do you want to major in?" Family members, friends, and even my hairstylist and random grocery store employees have been asking me about my future plans, and while I appreciate the interest, I have a single request: please stop.
By nature, I am a planner. I know what I'm eating and what I'm wearing and what I'm doing at least a day in advance, and I become extremely stressed out if I am forced to be spontaneous. However, there is one aspect of my life that I have not planned, and that is my college/career choice.
The decision regarding college will most likely be made when I see financial aid packages and compare them, but I don't even have a "dream school" in mind. I have automatic admission to any public university in my state, so I have a wide range of options - which makes picking which ones to focus on a difficult task, to say the least. The application for my freshman year has been open since the first day of August, and while I've completed what I believe to be my final drafts of essays and have conducted heaps of research, I am still undecided.
Perhaps it would be easier if I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but thus far, I do not. I have bounced multiple ideas, none of which seem to be a fit for me. I could be a high school English teacher (but I don't like kids.) I could be a Journalist (but journalism is dying.) I could be a lawyer (hello, debt!) The cons of each career seem to outweigh the pros, and as of now, I don't have any concrete majors or areas of interest in mind.
I know that all of the questions and advice I've received is well intentioned, but honestly, I would rather do without it. It stresses me out when someone gives me a very strong opinion on which school is THE school that I should go to with my grades and achievements. I second guess myself when I hear friends applying to Ivy League schools and renowned institutions. I feel a tsunami wave of anxiety when I hear how a student got into their dream school and ended up hating it.
There are other things that can be discussed with me. I can talk about the weather or politics or the Olympics or anything else happening in the world. I can tell you what classes I'm taking or how good the last book I read was or what I ate for dinner last night. Most people are unsure of what their future holds - so why am I expected to know what I want for my future when I have not even graduated from high school?
So, with all of that being said, I do appreciate the interest in my life and the encouragement I receive. But please, stop asking me about college, or at least refrain unless I bring it up myself. I don't know where I'll be next year or what I'll be doing...but really, does anyone?
