People often say that your 20s are supposed to be the best years of your life. It’s a time when everything is exciting, new and full of opportunity. But at the same time, there’s also an unspoken pressure to have everything figured out.
Somehow, we’re expected to know what career we want, who we want to be and what our future should look like. If we don’t have those answers yet, it can feel like we’re already falling behind.
As a college student, that pressure can feel even stronger. You’re constantly surrounded by people who seem like they have a plan, whether it’s internships being posted on LinkedIn, career goals or even just knowing exactly what they want to do after graduation.
It’s easy to compare yourself and wonder if you’re doing enough or smart enough.
Social media only adds to that feeling. You see people posting about their accomplishments, their relationships and their “perfect” lives. It can make it seem like everyone else has everything together.
But we don’t always see the struggles behind the scenes.
The truth is, most people in their 20s don’t have everything figured out. Even the ones who look like they do are still learning, growing and changing every day. We all think that we need to have this figured out at once, but life isn’t something that you solve all at once.
It’s something that you figure out as you go.
There’s also this idea that you need to follow a perfect timeline. As an undergraduate, get internships starting junior year or even your sophomore year. Graduate from college, get a job right away, build a career, find the right relationship and have a clear direction for your future.
But life doesn’t always work like that. Honestly, it’s not supposed to.
Everyone’s journey in life is different. Some people change majors, switch careers or take time to figure out what they actually want. Others might have everything planned out and still realize later that it’s not what makes them happy.
And that’s okay.
Personally, I’ve realized that not having everything figured out doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong or falling behind. As someone who has two remote internships this summer and a job, it took me a lot to get there. I applied to countless internships on LinkedIn and only got a few responses back.
In the end, I didn’t get the result that I wanted. Even still, I’m waiting back on a couple of programs and internships, and that’s okay. Being in your 20s is about experiencing new things, making mistakes, and growing into the person you’re meant to be.
It’s also about figuring out what you like and what you don’t, what works for you and what doesn’t.
There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to all these experiences in life. People expect you to know what you want, what you deserve and what your future looks like.
But instead of feeling like you have to have everything figured out, maybe the goal should be to stay open. Open to new opportunities, new paths and even unexpected changes.
Because sometimes, the best opportunities come when you least expect them.
Your 20s aren’t about having all the answers. They’re about asking questions, taking chances and learning along the way, no matter if you make a mistake.
Maybe that’s the whole point.
At the end of the day, there’s no perfect timeline or one right way to do life. Everyone is moving at their own pace and in their own lane, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
So if you feel like you don’t have everything figured out yet, you’re not alone. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be at this exact moment.