What are you going to do when you get out of high school? Are you going to college? What college are you going to? What are you going to major in? What do you mean you don’t know? As a senior I have heard all of those questions so far, and I’m sure you have been asked at least one of these questions. Even people I don’t know seem to have a newfound interest in my life and what I plan to do after high school.
Although I love to be the center of attention at times, this conversation makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable because my answers to all the questions are the same.
“I don’t know.”
The questions I am being asked require so much depth that I am unable to provide at the time, which makes sense because I’m just a 17 year old. It’s crazy to think that 18 marks the age of a legal adult because I don’t even feel close to being one. With so much pressure to know who we are or what we want to be at such a young age, it leaves us feeling so lost and confused, but according to those around us, that is the complete opposite of where we’re supposed to be at this point of our lives.
So what now?
How do we navigate life as we’re heading towards some major milestones? Some of us will decide to continue our education further right after high school or do so after a gap year. Some of us will think that we know what we want to study in college but end up switching our major multiple times. Some of us will join the workforce without any interest in continuing our education. Some of us will join the workforce now to fund our education later in the future. Some of us will travel the world before even thinking about starting a career or continuing our education.
No matter what some of us will do, it’s important to understand that most of us have absolutely no idea what we’re doing after high school. Of course, we may have an idea, but we might change our minds and take a completely different route. We don’t have to have it all figured out by now–that is a completely unrealistic standard. Understand that we as seniors are not alone. Find community in those experiencing what we’re all going through. This could be by joining random clubs, sports, or activities that we would have never done before.
Life doesn’t have to be perfect, and it never will be. We will find peace when we accept that reality.
