The Mycenaean

Every teenager gets asked a million questions about their future when they go over to their Aunt Marie’s house for Thanksgiving. You just want to enjoy a meal, but instead get bombarded with questions like: “What do you want to do after high school? Where are you going to college?” 

These questions can be quite upsetting for some who are still clueless. That smile on your aunt’s face might quickly switch into a fake smirk, as she tries to reassure you that it’s okay not to know what you want to do, but you can definitely smell the disappointment in the air. I know. Been there, done that.

I’ll spill you a secret, though: it IS completely normal not to know what you want to do. Actually, it might even be a good thing.

The Pressure

Ever since being kids, we are taught that the “only” path to success is college. We have to make these big decisions early on in life: what classes we want to take, how many fun classes we are not going to try out because AP credits are more important, what colleges and majors we are going to choose, and so on. 

Instead of just having fun, exploring, and feeding our curiosity, we feel stressed about our whole life that’s ahead of us. No one wants to be seen as a failure or disappoint their close ones.

“Fake It ‘Till You Make It” Does Not Apply Here

Some superficially find a career path and cling onto it, so they can avoid those awkward conversations about not having it figured out, and also to feel calmer and feed their own ego. I mean, don’t get me wrong – some people do find what they really want to do and are happily going down that path, but a lot of them don’t. That is much worse than just going with the stream of life and figuring it out along the way. 

For example, a person “decides” they want to become a doctor. They build their whole life, choose all their classes around the field, and limit themselves from exploring other careers, as they have it “all figured out.” That person could possibly be much happier, for instance, in finance, but because they never really tested those waters, they’ll never know, and might not fulfill their potential and joy in life.

That is exactly why I think it is better to explore your options, stay curious, and learn about different jobs, while you can.

Change

You are still growing, and so are your interests. Remember how different your leisure time was a couple of years ago? Exactly. You are likely not interested in a lot of things that you were absolutely in love with back then. So if you feel indecisive because you wanted to pursue journalism a year ago, computer science six months ago, and being a police officer now, do not worry. You. Are. Growing. 

Actually, I’d say, encourage the change. You will never know which Lay’s chips you love the most if you limit yourself only to the Salt & Vinegar ones. And the same goes with careers. Go out into the world and try as many different flavors as you can. Don’t limit yourself to one.

Careers change, too!

The job market is always changing alongside your interests. For example, 15 years ago careers, such as, e-sports coaching, social media managing, or mobile app development did not even exist yet, but now, especially social media jobs, are extremely popular and needed. 

Maybe your dream career is not even out there yet.

Additionally, many people change their careers several times in their life, so don’t worry if you find yourself in a path you don’t like. It is never too late to pursue something else. Not saying you should change your career over small inconveniences, though, be mindful. 

The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race

Don’t force yourself to go down a path you don’t like, just because other people think you should. At the end of the day, you are going to be the one facing unhappiness, and not them. Don’t rush the process, go out, explore. 

You can take a gap year, go volunteer in another part of the world, go on an exchange program, travel, whatever you think would make you happy. Just make sure you are using that time productively, and not just laying around in your parents’ house for a year, scrolling TikTok, “figuring it out.”

For example, I, myself, am on an exchange program right now in the United States. Part of what brought me here is broadening my horizons. Also to give myself time to find what makes me the happiest, what I’m good at, and what my talents are. All of these things can help me realise my dream future path. An extra year of high school will make me go into the job market older than others, but I’ll have more time to think and decide.

It is much better to stay off of college for your first year, than to switch your major later on, as it will cost money, time, energy and motivation. So if you are unsure about your major and or college, I’d recommend taking a break.

What You Could Do Instead

As I said earlier, explore, seek out into the world and get curious. Here are some summarised bullet points with your other options:

• Take a wider range of classes. Try out that class you’ve been looking funny at on the class registration form.
• Talk to other people. Ask your relatives, friends’ parents, or any other adults what they do for work, how they ended up there, what helped them figure it out. I’m sure most of your teachers did not think they would be teachers when they were in high school.
• Try volunteering, internships, job shadowing, or other tools out there provided by your communities and high schools. These opportunities show you real-life experiences to help you understand what a certain field is actually like.
• Think about what makes you happy, what you don’t like doing, what you are good or bad at, what are your special talents, strengths, weaknesses.
• Let yourself grow and change. Don’t cling onto certain careers. Allow yourself to change your mind.
• Speak to your counselor. I know you probably hear this all the time, but they are there for a reason – you. Ask, discuss, talk with them. They have likely been doing this for years and are ready to help you.

Finally

Go with the stream of life. Don’t stress about what you are going to be doing in 15 years. You are still young – enjoy it and live in the present. Don’t go to college just because someone else wants you to, do it because you want it. Or do anything else. No college, or trade school, will put you in your best path. Live, explore, be curious. High school is the start of your choices in life, not the finish line.

The next time you go over to your Aunt Marie’s house, just ignore that fake smile of hers and proudly tell her, “I’m still figuring it out”. Carry it with pride and be honest with yourself and others – that is much more powerful than you think.