Take Your Time

The "normal" idea is to graduate mandatory schooling and head straight into college with what you should know to be your life purpose. Some may know exactly what they want to do, and that’s perfectly fine, but there are those who need more time to decide what they want to do for the rest of their life. You don’t need to rush if you aren’t sure what you want. Life is complicated, and school is expensive. So you can work, intern somewhere, try new hobbies until you find something that really interests you.

There is no bad occupation. Cosmetology, art, culinary, engineering, etc. Don’t let anyone discourage you from what you want to do. There is nothing wrong with any job that you are passionate about and makes you happy. People may try to discourage you, saying your job has no future opportunities, or it takes a lot of time and hard work, etc. Follow what you feel is right, even if you make a mistake or change your mind about your future. It may take you a bit to find out what works for you.

You don’t need to look down on community colleges. You don’t need to start at expensive colleges if you are still iffy about your career choice. Or if depending on what you want to do, a community college may fit your needs just fine. It’s cheap and you can still get a quality education. Though every college is different, so every experience will have it’s up and downs. But you’re still getting an education, so enjoy the good times.

Whether you take six classes and keep a busy workload, or do one and two, you’re still taking steps toward a goal. There is no need to rush and push yourself too much if you don’t think you can handle it. Especially if you’re also trying to uphold a job and/or relationship. It may be harder for you to balance out all that and the school work. So think about yourself and find what works for you.

Basically, this is about not feeling any pressure to hurry and choose your future. I have a culinary associates, and am now pursuing a nutrition degree. But am regretting not pursuing writing or taking time to figure out what I wanted. I allowed my mother to pressure me right into college right after high school, and choose what I wanted and where to go. While I enjoyed the times I had at Lakes Region Community College, and the awesome friends I met there, and now the people and classes at NHTI, I wish I felt less hesitant and more sure about my choices and where my future was headed. I’m thankful LRCC was a community college and a little cheaper than other culinary schools. The knowledge I gained is still useful to my life, so it wasn’t a waste, I want to find what I feel passionate about. Feel confident and keep going everyone, best of luck!