Not everyone has the same path or will be on the same path.
In High School I had my whole entire college career planned out. I knew what university I would attend, the clubs I would join, what dorm I would stay in, the internships I would work hard to get and everything else. However, I stumbled upon multiple obstacles on the way and altered the plans I made for myself. The first obstacle was that I didn’t get into my first choice. I was really bummed, but of course that didn’t stop me. Instead, I decided I would go to my second choice and transfer the following year. But once I was accepted into my second choice, I couldn’t afford it. At this point I was totally stressed out and had no idea what I was doing or where I’d be going to school in the fall. So many things ran through my mind. Should I take a gap year? Should I go to any school just so I can be enrolled? Do I really need to go to college? I was a complete mess.
Until one day Cincinnati State Technical and Community College started sending me things in the mail. It was as if they knew I was in a midlife crisis. I soon learned that if I attended Cincinnati State for a year then I would be able to attend the University of Cincinnati for free. So that’s what I did. You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to even think I would be attending a community college my first year of undergrad. Yet, this made me realize that everything happens for a reason and sometimes we have to take a certain path that’s different from everyone else’s.
It’s okay to change your major once, twice, or even three times!
Once again, I thought I had everything planned out, this time that I would be graduating with a Journalism degree. But things change, as I recently decided to change my major to Communication. I love writing, so I always thought Journalism would be the right move for me. However, as I continue to explore and go through my college journey, I’ve come to realize that I love doing a plethora of things and can’t be confined to just one. Being a Communication major allows me to explore all the career occupations I have an interest in. Never feel pressured to stick to one thing or feel that you are stagnant and can’t move forward; whether that be a job, your living situation, or your major!
Not Graduating on time isn’t the end of the world.
This goes back to the whole, “you are on your own path and only you can walk that path.” In college there is no shame if you don’t graduate on time because everyone is literally on their own time. So if you do decide to change your major, pick up another minor or certificate, or fail a class and need to take the class again, you shouldn’t feel like a failure. There are a lot of prominent people in the world who wouldn’t be who they are if they had given up because of time.