For many of us, senior year of high school might have been a blur, or a nostalgic memory. Either way, it’s a pretty significant turning point in your life. The whole idea of “life after high school” can feel exciting and scary at the same time. Suddenly, there’s this expectation that you should have some idea of what you’re doing with your life. At least, that’s how I felt. Â
It felt like my childhood was coming to an end, and I was about to step into this much bigger world that I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for. I remember feeling like I was already behind, as if everyone else had their lives all figured out and was just waiting to throw their graduation caps in the air before getting started.
It wasn’t that I didn’t know where I wanted to go to school. I knew which college I wanted to attend. In fact, I had applied, gotten accepted, and committed. So, on paper, it probably looked like I had things figured out. But, in reality I felt like I had very little guidance when it came to making these huge decisions.Â
I grew up as an only child, and while both of my parents went to college, the process looked a little different for them back then. They could offer advice based on their own experience, but navigating college and career decisions in today’s world is a whole different thing. And while teachers and guidance counselors in high school can be helpful resources. They cannot always walk you through every single step along the way.Â
When it came to my life after high school, it sometimes felt like I was just being told to figure it out as time went on. I had no idea what that was supposed to look like for me. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know why. Why did I choose the school that I wanted to go to? What was I really passionate about? It felt like I was making choices just to get by and not for any good reason.
I ended up choosing a school that was way more expensive than I could realistically afford, and if I’m being honest, I wasn’t that passionate about going there in the first place. On top of that, I still hadn’t figured out my living situation, and the closer the start of the school year got, the more I realized just how many things I hadn’t thought through.
I realized the school I had committed to wasn’t the right fit for me. So, at the last minute, I decided to take more time figuring out what I really wanted. I didn’t end up at that school, and I eventually found my place here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Looking back, I wish I had done more research, asked more questions, and taken my time making these decisions. I had less guidance than I expected, and I could have easily made choices I would have regretted. If I could tell my high school self one thing, it would be this: You don’t have to rush into a decision just because you feel like you’re supposed to have everything figured out.