Ever since we were high school students on the verge of graduating, we have been asked about our plans for the future. Where would we be attending college? What would we be majoring in? What is our end career goal?
We have learned how to answer all of these questions with ease, hoping we can impress whoever is playing 20 Questions About The Future with us. The problem only arises when your plan doesn’t follow along the carefully carved paths society seems to point us towards.
When you start to stray from the traditional path, you learn a few things that you might not have had the opportunity to learn otherwise.
I can certainly say that I am not a traditional college student. Not only did I take a gap year between high school and college, but I also had my mom move across several states so we could continue being a big part in each other’s lives. Here’s another curveball: I am a journalism major, but ultimately want to attend medical school.
I used to hate being questioned about my future, but I have now learned that other people’s opinions about your plans don’t matter as long as you’re happy.
During my gap year, I constantly felt ashamed and embarrassed about taking a year off. I knew it was the absolute best decision to help me form California residency and avoid paying out-of-state tuition, but I constantly felt judgment from people who joked that I might get used to the time off and never go back to school.
It wasn’t until after I had committed to Cal Poly that I began to realize that I should have never felt ashamed for doing something that was going to benefit me in a huge way. As with much other criticism, it can only have an impact on you when you let it have one.
Many people can agree that “major-shaming” is apparent when speaking to adults about our future, but is also apparent when talking to other Cal Poly students. I have experienced this firsthand, especially during the first week of a predominantly science-majored course.
After hearing a wide variety of reactions to my choice in major and desired career goals, I have had to accept that their opinions didn’t have an impact on my success in that class, or in my life. A journalism major can study just as hard as a science major, and so can any other major!
Regardless of how other people view you or your plans, you should be proud of yourself for walking on the path that will lead you to your dream career. It may not be a typical path, but that is irrelevant as long as you are happy with where you are going.
Learning to love every decision you make that will bring you closer to your goals is the first step to being successful, and most importantly, to being happy.