I’ve always been the type to plan ahead. When I was in elementary school, I would watch youtube videos of people in middle school and I would plan out exactly how I wanted it to go. When I was in middle school, I did the same thing with high school, and in high school, the same thing with college. I was always planning for the next step in my life. What my new vibe would be, what friends I would have, what things I would do for fun. But when you get to college, planning for the future becomes a bit different.
Being in college, I feel like every decision I make can affect the rest of my life. If I decided to take this class instead of another, if I join this club instead of that club, if I work here or I get an internship there. All of my decisions, all of the steps I take in my day-to-day life feel so much more daunting and important.
With that, I also feel like you can’t even plan ahead for college. No matter how much planning you think you’re getting done, everything can change in an instant. One bad grade affects your entire GPA, the school closes for a snow day so your presentation gets pushed back. You never know what’s going to happen in college.
So, if you never actually know what’s going on, how could you possibly have your life figured out. I’m 19 years old, almost 20. From freshman year of college to now, I feel like I am just figuring out who I am as a person. I’m figuring out what I like without outside opinions, what I believe in, how I want to present myself and my passions in life. If I’m just figuring all of this out now, I think it is pretty crazy to think that I should have my entire life all figured out already.
But in the long run, does anyone actually have their life figured out? Is any part of life different from the uncertainty of college? When I’m 50, will I still not have everything figured out? I think people (me included) really focus so much on having their life figured out that they miss out on actually living it. Make good decisions that will benefit you in the future but also make last minute dinner plans with your friends. Study hard for that test but also go to a basketball game with your family. I think the best thing that I can do for myself is to let go of the pressure of having everything figured out and just enjoy what I am experiencing in life, good and bad.