Starting in my junior year of high school, people (adults mostly) started asking me what my college plans were, and then what my career plans were. I felt ashamed and confused every time this question was directed at me because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after high school. College or career wise.

Naturally, I began to panic. I watched as the plans of everyone around me, friends, classmates, siblings, slowly came into focus and started falling into place. I kept waiting and waiting for it to happen to me. I kept waiting for that “aha!” moment that would tell me which college to attend and what to major in. I waited my entire junior year, and almost halfway through my senior year.

The moment never really came.

Eventually, because time to decide was a luxury I no longer had, I picked the school to spend my next four years at. While I liked the school I chose, I didn’t love it, and I mostly chose it because I knew I was running out of time. But I was relieved, because I finally had an answer to the “Where are you going to college?” question that everyone kept asking. But that was only one half of my problem.

Now, I had to figure out what the heck I wanted to study and what career I wanted to have. Once again, I watched as everyone around me talked about the passions that they planned to pursue. They had their plans mapped out with such detail that I truly felt like an idiot for not knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. On a whim, I declared a major in journalism. I wasn’t really sure why, all I knew was that I needed to decide on something, even if I wasn't sure if it suited me.

Flash forward to now, I’m nearing the end of my freshman year of college. My major is still journalism, with an added second major in international relations. Despite the fact that I chose it on a whim, I’ve found a passion for journalism that I never thought I’d have and it’s made me fall in love with writing all over again. And while I’m still not exactly sure what I want to do after I graduate, I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s okay that I don’t have everything planned out.

In fact, when I got to college, I was stunned at how many people were in the same boat I’m in; not knowing what they want to study or what career they want to have. I still have moments of panic where I feel like I’ll never have my life figured out, but I know now that it’s pretty normal, especially for people my age, to freak out about the future.

If you’re a high school or college student without a plan, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay not to have one. Allow yourself time to grow, explore your interests, and most importantly, let yourself panic about what comes next if you need to. I’ve realized that the fact that I freak out about my future just means that I’m serious about it, and that I value my happiness enough to not settle on something I’m not passionate about.

When people ask you what your plans for college are, don’t be ashamed to tell them that you aren’t sure. If your friends already have the next ten years of their lives planned out, that’s great. But if you don’t, that’s great too. It’s okay to be unsure, it’s okay to change your mind (several times if you need to), and it’s okay to try things on a whim.

Will Ferrell once gave the commencement speech at the University of Southern California, and something he said has stuck with me throughout the countless attempts of trying to plan out the rest of my life.

He told the graduates, “Enjoy the process of your search, without succumbing to the pressure of your results.”

Take a step back and enjoy yourself while you try and figure out what it is that you’re passionate about. If you don’t find it right away, don’t panic (or do if you need to). Everyone’s search is different, some people don’t find their true passions until way later in life. The most important thing is that you’ll eventually have the life you dream of, even if it takes a while and a few wrong turns to get there.