Immediately after high school we enter a world where we’re half adults and half still trying to figure out who we are. We went from being treated like children to having to choose a path that’s going to dictate the rest of our lives. Scary, right?     

If we change our minds too often, we waste time, money and just confuse ourselves even more. But how are we supposed to pick a major that will affect how the rest of our lives will go when we still have so much growing up to do? How do we know we’ll love writing, or teaching, or performing surgeries 20, 30 or 40 years from now? The problem is, we don’t. 

Most of us are undeniably different than we were five years ago. Our personalities and values might be similar, but as we experience more of the world our outlooks on life will inevitably change. It's simply a part of growing up. We start seeing things differently as we begin to open up our eyes to new things. With this, our wants and needs are bound to transform. It’s only natural. Realistically, how can we really make a decision on what we want to do when most of us our too young or inexperienced to know what the rest of the world has to offer? 

Throughout our lives we were told to plan ahead for our future, get ready for the years to come, know what we want and go for it. But unfortunately, we live in a world that stresses the importance of planning and being prepared, where “winging it” is just considered irresponsible or careless.  

So the question is, how do we prepare for the rest of our lives without having the slightest idea of what the future might entail?   

There is surely no right or wrong answer, but one thing that is definitely helpful is having an open mind. From what I’ve been noticing from past graduates, what our degree is in doesn’t necessarily matter so much. What matters is how motivated we are, and how well we connect with people that cross our paths. It is important to work hard in everything you do so the results hopefully lead to a satisfied, future you.  

If everything really does happen for a reason, then us stressing out about things we think are so major right now are actually so minor. Life is about the roller coaster, so we might as well enjoy the ride, right? Personally, I know I’ll never stop worrying about my future and where I’ll end up, or if I’m on the right path, but in the big scheme of things, wherever I end up is where I’m supposed to be.