School is starting next week. That means an increased load of responsibility and stress, not to mention a bit of homesickness and doubt that I have made the right decisions regarding where I am going to school and what I am majoring in. I personally find it incredibly difficult to leave home each year. My parents helped me move into my new apartment a few weeks ago, and, though I am extremely excited to have a new house and be on my own, it is still sad watching my mom and dad drive away. One way I find comfort in going away to school is to remind myself of the goals I want to accomplish while I am here. I believe the best way to do so is to have a five year plan. Having an outline for what I want to accomplish allows me to fully invest in my schoolwork and relationships while I am away. Even though it is still difficult to leave, having a list of goals in front of me helps me to remember why I left.

Now, I don’t think it’s necessary to have a five-year plan. I think college is a great time to discover what potential career paths are interesting. I also know several people who choose to “live in the moment” and would be stressed trying to outline their future for the next several years. However, I do not think it is a bad thing to be thinking about the future, especially when you are paying so much money to be in class (you might as well make it worth your while). Although my personal five year plan is destined to change a little bit, for no one can predict the future, here is the basics of what I would like to be doing:

The first part of my plan is to finish undergrad at Adams State. I am currently majoring in Exercise Science. Thus far, I have not taken very many courses specifically geared toward my major (schools have far too many core classes in my opinion). Hopefully next year I will have completed all of my core requirements and can focus more on the classes I am interested in.

While I am in school, I also plan on continuing to compete with the women’s soccer program. This means that I want to pursue health and fitness and keep my body in tip-top shape while I am in college. Last year, I was able to stay in shape by signing up for a few half marathons during the off season to give me something to train for. I plan on making healthy habits now that will help me to continue to be physically fit after college is over.

I know after completing undergrad, I want to go to physical therapy school. Now, this part of the plan is a little fuzzy, for I have no idea where I would like to go. I know that I absolutely love living in Colorado and I could see myself residing here permanently; however, it would be nice to go to school elsewhere simply to experience a new environment. Also, a huge factor about choosing which school I want to go to depends on which schools want me. PT school is extremely competitive, not to mention expensive, so my choices will likely be limited depending on what schools I am accepted into. Therefore, I do not know exactly where I would like to go, but I know physical therapy school is a part of my five year plan.

So those are the basics of my academic five year plan. I want to finish school with good grades and good stories. I believe having a five year plan is an excellent way to stay on track and remind yourself why you are going to school in the first place. It also forces you to outline a specific plan for your life within a certain time frame. I will be interested to look back on this article in five years and see how many goals I have accomplished or how my life has changed since this point in time. For now, this is my five year plan.