Spring Break is just around the corner, and if your’re going home there will be the inevitable questions from your probing relatives about what you’re going to do with your life. For the vast majority of us, that question is hard to answer. And that’s okay. Since coming to college I think I’ve had roughly four to six deeply existential crises that have made me question if anything I’m doing is even remotely correct. After the last one, I decided that maybe it was time to consult the professionals.
1. We’re here to grow.
College is unique in that it allows people to explore their interests without any real penalty. Most of us came in with some vague idea of what we want to do but are now seeing that change as we take relevant classes. Personal growth takes on many forms, but with every experience, good or bad, there is something to take away from it.
2. There is no finish line that fits everyone.
With the constant flood of pictures and status updates, it can make it seem like everyone has it planned out except for you. It’s important to remember that people put their best self on Instagram and Facebook. Most insta-models arn’t posting ugly double chin selfies and making money off them– if anyone you know is, please have them contact me. By comparing ourselves to the curated images of those around us, it can become easy to forget that you can’t live like that 24/7. So, don’t worry if it takes you longer to find that dream job or school isn’t working out quite like you hoped. Life is a heck of a lot longer than you’d think and there’s really no race to get to the end of it.
3. No one has it completely figured out
Earlier I posed a question to the most put-together woman I know: my mother. “How did you know that you had ‘made it’”? She laughed at me. Her response was something along the lines of “I don’t know, I think I’ve been winging it for about 40 years.” Yikes. I don’t know about y’all, but the fact that everyone else is flying just as blind is kind of comforting.
No matter where you are in life, there will always be that feeling that maybe what you’re doing isn’t right or that you have no idea what is supposed to be next. And that’s okay. So, when that pesky aunt or uncle inevitably asks that dreaded “What are you doing with your life?” question, the answer can be, “I don’t know,” or “I’m exploring my options.” Literally anything you want, because in the end you can get to where you want to go, but you don’t necessarily need to know all the details quite yet.