Life in college can be fun, exciting, miserable, stressful and all of that at once. Work makes us stressed. Friends make it fun. Good grades make us feel like things are falling into place. Bad grades make us feel like the world is ending. Overall, college is a roller coaster, and sometimes it’s hard not to feel lost in it all. I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to feel lost and that the world is far from ending. Here are some specific reasons why this feeling is okay:
It’s completely normal
The fact that college can be compared to a roller coaster just shows that it might be difficult to handle all the ups and downs. This means that you’re not expected to feel happy every second of every day. You’re not supposed to feel like you have everything figured out. Whenever you find yourself feeling lost, just remember that it’s just a part of the process. Feelings of confusion are actually good things because they often lead to new ideas and solutions.
You’re not alone
Every time I talk to friends about feeling confused or lost, they reassure me that everything will work out and often share their own experiences. After hearing many people share feelings in common with my own, I have come to the conclusion that I’m not the only one who feels lost and confused about where to go next. I know that because I feel the same way as many other people in my personal life, most college students probably feels a similar way too.
There will always be people at different stages from you
At times, it may seem like everyone has it all figured out. You may think that you’re the only one who doesn’t have a major picked out yet or who the only one who has gotten a C or the only one who doesn’t have an internship set up for the summer. As previously mentioned, know that you are not alone, but also know that there will always be people who seem further along or further behind than you. Overall, it’s best not to compare yourself to other people. Many times I’ve noticed that my feelings of confusion all began when I started thinking about my progress compared to someone else’s.
You don’t need to know exactly what you are going to do after school
Dealing with uncertainty is one of the most difficult aspects of college. Even if you have some idea of what you want to do, you never know how things are going to work out after graduation. This is why I often feel so lost about the idea of a future career or plan after college. I like knowing exactly what’s coming next. Despite this, I have realized that it’s not necessary to know what’s coming next. In life, you never really know what’s going to happen, so why should your career path work any different? Overall, I think that it’s best to get to know yourself and take opportunities while in college. Look at uncertainty with excitement instead of worry. You’ll get where you’re going, I promise.
