I was like any other high school senior. Ready to be out and on my own. Not aware of how much college really cost. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to go for. Undecided had a certain connotation I wasn’t comfortable with. I didn’t have advisors telling me my best options.

I wish someone had told me that community college was a great way to transition into a four-year university. Not only is it way cheaper, it eases you into the college life. You can get your general education done first. You can even explore a couple of different fields before you decide what you want your major to be.

I wish someone had told me being undecided was okay. I changed majors five times. There isn’t anything wrong with changing, but I felt like I had to know right away. I kept picking majors for other people rather than what I wanted to do. I transferred after my first fall semester to be with my high school boyfriend. We both transferred after spring. I kept feeling like I had to know who I was and what I wanted to be that very instant. I listened to others more than myself. I bounced from identity to identity feeling like a failure.

I graduate in December and I’d love to be able to change my major, again. I love my English major, but I wish I would have known about women and gender study classes from the beginning. Those classes have changed my life. The most useful thing a person should know before going to college is to explore different areas. Try a class or two in different majors. They might change your whole outlook. Take a women and gender studies class. Even if they don’t change you, they are pretty easy credits if you feel like you need an excuse to take one. The chances of it not changing you in some way are pretty slim anyway.

I don’t regret the choices I’ve made because it’s made me who I am. I’m stronger because of the mistakes I’ve made. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t wish my college career had been different. I could live with all my other choices; I just honestly wish I had known about women and gender studies courses from the beginning. They teach you about history and the present. They teach you about yourself and those around you. I’ve made more progress in those classes than any others. I love creative writing, and I’ve met some awesome people because of it, but gender studies classes have allowed me to meet another side of myself that I didn’t know existed.

If there’s one thing I want a high school senior or college freshman to get from this, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid to just live. Don’t be so focus on the future that you forget about the present. You don’t have to have it all figured out the minute you get to college or before. You can explore your options and discover more about yourself before you make your final decision.