Ever since I was in elementary school, people have always asked “what do you want to do when you grow up?”. My answer changed about every week because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I wanted to do everything! I never could make up my mind. Then came high school. This is when it got tough because you had teachers, parents, guidance counselors, all asking the same question. And I still had no answer. It seriously felt like the Bee movie where they have to pick what they want to do for the rest of their lives right then and there. That’s a lot of stress.

In high school, at least at my high school, for your junior and senior year you had the opportunity to go off campus and take classes for specific careers, some giving college credit. They take you aside and talk to you—“what do you want to do in college?”. Because the answer to that question serves as the rule of what classes you should take.

Although this idea had good intentions, we need to stop for a minute. We’re asking seventeen and eighteen year olds to pick what they want to do. We give the idea that once they lock in their answer, that’s it. No going back or changing. Freshmen year in college the advisors were telling me exactly what classes to take for my major, and to take those classes only. I went all the way to the start of my senior year in college to decide to change my major.

So here’s a word of advice to all the high schoolers and even college freshmen (listen up parents because this is good for you to know too!) Stop. Stop taking the required classes only. Stop putting yourself into this little box of options based on what you think you want to do with your life. High school and college are your chances to take some chances. So take the random elective classes. When you’re in college, look at the class options that are outside of your “declared” major. And realize this: nothing is a waste of time. If you take a random geology class that doesn’t count for anything on your college major’s path, that isn’t a waste of time. It’s an opportunity to explore options in the world. Continue to encourage yourselves and others around you that the possibilities are endless. You might as well try out some of them to see what you really want. You may never know your passion about anthropology until you take that class.

It’s not a waste of time. Nothing is set in stone. Don’t ever forget that.