As college students, the questions we’re most often faced with are the quintessential “what is your major?” or “what are you studying?” These questions are either met with inspiring affirmation and ease or panic and varying existential crises. A relatively small number of students begin their college journey with a set, concrete plan. For those who do, and who somehow manage to stick with it throughout four turbulent years, I commend you. *Queue applause* because it isn’t easy.
In my opinion, college students can be placed into three distinct categories when it comes to their plans for their major and their ever-approaching future. First, the “this is my 10-year plan, please observe as I pursue the future I’ve had scripted since birth.” This category is of course the smallest, most don’t make it that far. If you want proof that this type of mythical human exists, check out Elon Musk, the current face of Tesla. He has accomplished most of a 10-year plan he blogged about, you guessed it, 10 years ago. For all of you who manage to successfully fall into this category, more power to you. I’m not worried about you.
Now for the rest of us. We’re left with two categories: 1) I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing or 2) I also have absolutely no clue what I’m doing but this sounds like a solid plan, so I’ll just tell everyone I’m doing such and such, even if I’m utterly unsure. Both leave you in the same boat, a boat that feels like it’s slowly sinking from despair and lack of direction.
At face value, those who fall into the second category seem to have their lives more together, but they’re even more lost, because they refuse to admit their uncertainty and face it. For a solid year, I’ve been touting the societally accepted and parent-approved plan of a major in marketing. I don’t know what marketing even entails.I’ve been taking classes to get the pre-requisites for the business school out of the way and throw myself into my major as soon as possible. The problem is, I don’t know if I’m even suited for business at all. One person will tell me that my plan sounds good, and I feel good about it for a while. But then someone will tell me that maybe they don’t really see me in business, and I think about it and maybe they’re right.
Does this realization send me into an existential panic? Yes. Is it necessarily a bad thing? No. You’ve got to face the fear of not knowing and embrace it. So you don’t have an awe-inspiring Tesla-worthy plan, that’s okay. The only way you’ll understand yourself better is by putting yourself in that vulnerable position of doubt and uncertainty.
Admit that you don’t know what your future holds. Answer the question by stating your interests and real, viable options. Don’t pursue something for the sake of having something to pursue. Take classes you find interesting, go outside of your comfort zone and don’t force yourself onto a narrow path simply because you believe it will be lucrative or will gain the approval of others. You won’t make any major mistakes if you take the necessary time and the introspective approach that allows you to figure out what major is for you.
