Applying for college was on of the scariest things I have ever had to do. Being a junior and senior in high school is already stressful enough, but add college tours and applications on top of that and life becomes a seesaw of emotions. I had originally thought that Journalism was my major of choice, but the minute before I submitted my Common Application I hesitantly switched to undeclared and submitted my application. I was anxiously sweating, but it was done with.
Fast forward and I committed to UMass Amherst and began my college career undecided, in the College of Natural Sciences because I had mentioned an interest in Biology and science. I took general education courses and cruised by without a clue of what the future had for me, or what I had to offer for it. The more classes I took, the more subjects I realized I had a lack of interest for. Once I took my first Journalism class, I instantly regretted coming in undeclared because I had an overwhelming sense of anxiety that I had wasted a year and a half of college taking what I deemed to be irrelevant classes. By my sophomore year, I was declared as a double major in Journalism and Communication.
Fast forward even more, and I am now a second semester senior finishing up both of my majors and alas, I still haven’t got a clue of what I am doing: and that’s okay. Being so young, we do not have to have it all figured out or even have an inkling of what career we want to bind ourselves to. Listen, we are all still figuring ourselves out and what we like I can guarantee you that. Coming into college, I wish I had someone who told me that rather than feeling like I had to get my act together and know everything that no 18-year-old should know.
Here’s a piece of advice: do not let the expected stress of college and the real world hinder you from living your life and simply experiencing everything there is to experience. These are four years of your life that you cannot get back, so enjoy it and relax and everything will fall into place. Focus on the subjects you genuinely enjoy rather than the ones you believe will pay you the most. Money is not worth more than happiness, and neither is stress.
As for the real world? Who knows! I don’t know what I am doing after graduation, barely any of my friends do, and that is 100% acceptable. Life is short and careers are long, so finding one you enjoy no matter how long it takes, it’s totally worth it. Take a deep breath, ease your mind, and definitely spend time with your close friends because that is something we take for granted far too much.