Discouraged, confused, lost. One moment you're printing out your resume and confidently applying for that internship and the next you're sat contemplating whether or not your life has direction. You swore you knew who you were going to be when you entered college and you were so sure that you would never doubt the major you have chosen. But every now and then, you hear a little voice asking, "are you sure you have what it takes?"
Believe me; I know the feeling.
No matter how many times your professor commends you or how many A's you get on exams or how many people tell you you're doing an amazing job, a small sense of inadequacy sneaks its way in from time to time.
This is normal. I mean, we're only college students. As much as we like to believe we have our lives in order, we really don't. At the ages of 18, 19, 20, and 21, we know little to nothing about the "real world", and yet, we're expected to know exactly what we're going to do once we enter it.
And so, every once in awhile, you may catch yourself second guessing yourself and your potential. I know I do. As an education major, I'm constantly wondering, "Do I have what it takes to be a teacher? Am I intelligent enough? Am I likable enough? Will my students think I'm too strict? Will I be too much of a push over? Could I really fail a student, even if they earned that 'F'?
Feeling inadequate is scary. For one, it's incredibly detrimental to your self esteem. But it's also scary because failure is scary, having no future is scary, and the idea of being 25 and still trying to figure out your life is terrifying.
But we are young and with youth comes a lot of mistakes, a lot of insecurities, and a whole lot of questions. If you're questioning yourself and your capabilities, just know that you are certainly not alone. Everyone feels like that from time to time. It's a healthy reality check. It's a good way to step back and assess the place you're in at this moment.
And when you assess that place, I'm sure you'll start to remember all the reasons you wound up there, all the people who inspired you to go to college and choose that career path, all the people who believe in you and know you can do this, all the times you've caught yourself fantasizing about your future job and how much you can't wait to actually be in it.
Or maybe you'll realize that this isn't what you want, and that's okay too, because college is all about figuring yourself out. It's okay to switch your major, once, or even twice. You have the entire world in your hands at this very moment. You can decide you want to be a nurse one day and turn around and decide that music is your passion the next day.
You're never going to be in another place that is so eager to help you put your pieces together. So, don't be discouraged. You're going to figure it out. Until then, keep your head up; you've got this.
