If You Don't Know What Your Path Is, It's Okay | The Odyssey Online
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If You Don't Know What Your Path Is, It's Okay

When it seems like you're being rushed to have your life figured out by 18.

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If You Don't Know What Your Path Is, It's Okay
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When you are about to graduate high school, it feels like the world is sort of... rushing you.

It makes you think that you have to have your life figured out. Like you should know, by 17 or 18 years old, what you want to commit thousands of dollars and hours into, at best, a lifetime career. And that pressure can ruin the what is supposed to be a joyous occasion - graduation. You end every milestone of senior year with panic, realizing that no matter how sure you think you are, you might end up regretting your choice of major.

I'm here to tell you that it's more than okay to not know what you wanna do with your life right now.

I rushed into a career path that I wasn't ready to commit to, and for that, I lost out on a lot of money, time, and many years of effort that I could have used towards something else that was actually of genuine, long-term interest to me.

With many people suggesting trade schools over traditional 4+ year degrees, it's no wonder that many people take time off after high school to ponder over what's right - and what's really worth going to school for. It can make you feel as if you're not keeping up when you look around and see your old high school friends going to colleges, getting into sororities, getting certifications. But once you're deep in your classes (and in debt) it can be hard to change your major. It all makes it seem as if you're stuck with whatever decision your 18 year old self made.

Most of the time, people fail their classes and drop out because they lose motivation. Usually, when you lose motivation, it's because something becomes hard and the effort isn't worth it. Everything in school is made to be understood, even your hardest chemistry class. Anyone is able to learn the fundamentals of most lessons - all it takes is time and effort. If you don't have the effort, you will have the time. If you let it, you'll probably look back and see that all you used is time, and with the little effort you put in, there won't be anything to show for it.

It's okay to not know your path right now. It's better to take some time to figure it out, rather than jump into a career that won't make you happy in the end.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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