I've always been a planner. I get these ideas in my head, and I run with it. I research, I organize and I make a plan. Now, these plans don't always follow through the way I want them too, and sometimes they are completely irrational and unrealistic plans, but I genuinely enjoy the process. I realize there are some people that make a plan, stick to it, and are successful in their endeavors. I almost envy those people.. but then I look back, and I realize if my plan went exactly the way I laid it out, I wouldn't have met half of the people I did, have the job I do, or be the person I am.

Rewind to freshman year of college, when I began college as an architecture student in the College of Art and Design at LSU. Architecture is a 5-year program, and they pretty much have every semester mapped out for you, with the exception of your general educations. I dreamed I'd one day work with residential properties, and have my own HGTV show flipping houses or something cool like that. I made great grades, even better friends, and genuinely enjoyed it.

That fall, I started working with a non-profit, no-kill dog rescue. I was ready for another dog after having lost my most recent rescue pup, but it just wasn't possible in a dorm so I did the next best thing. Through the volunteer work, I did with Yelp! BR, I realized my true passion: helping, rehoming, and loving these dogs. Sure, I got to walk them and love them, but I also had to do some of the dirtier jobs like cleaning out kennels, doing laundry and giving them baths after a nice romp through the mud. I quickly decided I would spend my life somehow involved in dog rescue. Now, the relatively realistic half of my head told me that I still have to get a degree and I still have to find a career, because I wouldn't be able to support myself (or my dogs) if I didn't.

So, after realizing what I was passionate about, my naive 18-year old self decided that I couldn't possibly apply architecture to dog rescue (dumb, because SO many people don't even use their degrees in their occupations) and I needed to change my major to animal science, maybe even one day go to vet school. There's my crazy irrational planner/dreamer attitude for ya, but if you know me, you know this wasn't a successful idea because I'm no longer a science major. I'm much more passionate about caring for the animals than I am about the medical aspect and I realized quickly that I would not have been able to get through vet school if I could barely get through Chemistry 1 and 2.

Yet again, I changed my major and I ended up pursuing a marketing degree after many people suggested that my personality would be perfect for it. It was alright, and I'm sure I could have been successful had I followed through with this plan. I just knew it wasn't for me.

Now, let me tell you, school is expensive. I went through 3 majors in 4 years and it seemed like graduation was never going to come. I became extremely discouraged because at this point, 4 years into college, I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life except rescue dogs. I went to my counselor and asked what my fastest path to graduation was, and she told me that because I've jumped around and had classes in multiple areas, I should do a general degree that we call Interdisciplinary Studies and pursue 3 minors. I would graduate after 5 1/2 years total, and I would hopefully have a little better idea of what I want to do.

Fast forward to today. Graduation is in sight and I'm thinking about trying to take my planning and dreaming skills into event planning, but I'll keep y'all posted.

The moral of my story is that I'm currently a super senior, I don't have a set plan for a career after graduation, and I'm at peace with it. It's ridiculous to have to make a decision at the age of 17-18 when you enter college. I barely knew how to live on my own, much less decide on the career that will support myself for the rest of my life. It's okay to change your mind, and its okay to take a little extra time to figure out your plan. Don't stay in something just because you don't have a backup plan. Take that class that has nothing to do with your major and join that organization even if it's not what you're studying. If it interests you, then do it. You might find a hobby or a passion, or you just might find a new career goal. Just know that it's okay to not know. You'll figure it out.