Great Expectations

I have one semester left before graduation and then it is either “Hello career,” or “Hello second degree.” Having to choose between leaving academia and continuing my education has me asking a question I have been asking for 4.5 years: Why is it expected for a young adult to choose a major/career so early in life? It’s true that some people grow up knowing what they are going to do or they figure it out somewhere along the way, but for those who don’t have the luxury of knowing, why must the world pressure then to choose?

At this point, the pressure from family and the University, through financial aid, to choose what I want to do for the rest of my life is overwhelming. I personally have not had enough exposure and experiences to make that decision. When I feel pressured to make a decision, I always say, “I’m only 22, I have the rest of my life to figure it out.” Usually the response is, “You are 22, and old enough to make the decision. Take the responsibility and make it.”

I think the journey in life is more important than the endpoint. I don’t understand how if you follow your heart and make good decisions, you can end up in a place you will not be happy. I have chosen to go into nursing because I believe it is the best fit for me with the exposure and experiences I have had. I have yet to start my nursing education, but I will have my zoology degree finished when I do begin. Finishing my zoology degree has been a nice midpoint between my family and I. As long as I have a degree in something, they seem to be happy.

Through my time in college, I have come to terms with the fact that I may never find that one career that will fit me perfectly. I have even come to understand that what I really want to do with my life is not actually something I can study, more, something that happens. I have come to realize that my time in college has been a way of connecting the dots in order to achieve my real goal. I guess my life after college will further connect the dots until I achieve my goals.