I remember attending a presentation for incoming high school freshman on the topic of the fourt year plan. I vividly recall a slide popping up indicating that every student should have a designated career path, and area of study for university endeavors, chosen by their junior year. Looking back on this moment, I think that while it is ridiculous, the pressure truly is put on us at such a young age to decide our future.
Upon entering my freshman year at the University at Illinois, I had decided that I would like to attend law school. At that point, I thought I was ahead of the curve, knowing what I would do in college but also beyond. Little did I know, freshman me would create an account on LinkedIn and see that all of my political science peers had legal internships in high school. That being said, if you are or have been in the boat of scrambling to catch up, do not fret. Keep reading to hear about the normalcy of this feeling, and how my experiences may be able to shed a little light on how to combat these emotions.
Comparison is the theif of joy
Oftentimes, social media and professional networking websites can create unrealistic expectations of what college students should be doing or accomplishing. Of course, I am not preaching to delete all social media and don’t read others professional accomplishments, but utilize these media sources to celebrate, not to compare. I know it can be easy to do so, but keep in mind that even if you are in the same major, you likely have entirely different career aspirations. That also means that with different aspirations, comes different opportunities being of differing value for ones future.
Try it out
Having a career goal does not mean that you know what the career will actually look like. ne of the best ways to figure this out is to simply give it a try! Whether that means applying for an internship, joining a student organization, or even shadowing someone in your desired field, getting firsthand experience can make all the difference. You might discover that you absolutely love what you thought you would, or you might realize that it isn’t quite what you imagined. Either way, at least in most fields, any experience is good experience, even if technically unrelated. Showing that you are interested and willing to try something out says a lot about you already.
follow your own timeline
It can be easy to feel like you’re falling behind when everyone around you seems to have their lives figured out. However, there are a two big things I learned to make me feel a bit better about this. 1) there is no universal timeline for success and 2) Even the people who seem like they know it all, don’t! That being said, when starting your professional journey, follow your own timeline.
All of this being said, don’t feel bad if you are stressed out about your future career path. It is totally normal, but be sure keep these tips in mind if you’re ever feeling this way.