Dear college student who does not have their life entirely figured out yet:

I know that the pressure to have your life figured out takes a toll on you, the stress, it becomes too much to handle. You're pushed to please your parents, but your lack of direction makes you feel inadequate, something you feel your parents can't take pride in. You're constantly questioned by family members and friends about your career goals, and ultimately, you begin to let these questions ring in your ears and become a nuisance. These begins to lead to panic and constant worrying as you begin to feel that you’re going to be stuck in this rut of uncertainty for the rest of your life.

Yet, this rut you believe is too deep to crawl out of, is non-existent, it's just the stress and anxiety toying with your mind. Life is inevitably going to take twists and turns, and there will be changes in your life, which should not be feared, but embraced.

Honestly, most college students, and even adults, have no idea what they want to do. They’re left clueless, because they have not found themselves. There's this unknown side that's just dying to be unearthed. And still, we fear dipping our feet into the unknown, despite giving us a better understanding of ourselves.

You believe that you have everything under control, until you finish your first year of college and the realization and disappointment comes crashing down on you, since you no longer believe your initial career goals are your endgame. You begin to struggle, as you feel like your life is slowly falling apart. But, I can assure you, it’s not. It’s not the end of the world, either. You're going to eventually find out what you want, and you won't be so conflicted or destroyed any longer.

Restrict yourself from being influenced to pursue career paths driven into you by your parents. Your lack of direction forces you to become vulnerable. And the desire to have your life figured out overtakes you, ever so slightly, so you feel the need to succumb to these parental influences. It's not their right to make the decision for you, especially when they are unable to understand you completely. It's your life, and you have every right to be picky about what you want to do with your life.

Letting yourself being afraid to explore your options is just as damaging as rushing into things. Take classes in subjects you know nothing about, join clubs outside your comfort zone, involve yourself with people you don't typically associate with. Let yourself become acquainted with a different side of yourself, a side you've never known before. You never know which directions this may lead you. Additionally, you're more likely to discover something you're truly passionate about and allow it to take you to new opportunities.

Allowing constant stress overtake your life will ruin you. You have to remember that you're still young, and you have a good part of your life to find the career that is meant for you. It's okay to be uncertain about what you want to do. Relax and take the time to grow as a person, and stop worrying so much about having your life perfectly planned and all figured out, it will eventually fall into place.

Sincerely,

The College Student, who also does not have their life completely figured out