I am going in to my junior year of high school this upcoming September and starting to think of my future plans. However, trying to figure out what I would want to do has always been a struggle. The things I love, the things that people think I should do, and realistic careers never truly lined up. I have a passion for movies, music, fashion and any other creative outlets (I have been dancing since I was 3. Being a stylist for a movie or tour would be a dream job. However, everyone in my life expects me to have a career of the stereotypical “smart person”(think doctor or lawyer). I have a 4.0 gpa and had very high PSAT scores (I will take the sat in the fall) but, I don’t know how much of an interest I have in these careers. I always enjoyed science, but recently I can’t picture myself in one of these fields. I know I’m not a genius, I am smart in a small school but compared to the next Einsteins and noble peace prize winners I’m average at best. I can’t decide where to start looking till I find out what I want, which right now changes everyday. If anyone has gone through this and can offer guidance it would be a huge help. Or even if you know of a career path that fits a compromise. Thank you in advance.
Here’s the good news, but based on your other posts you might not like it: you really, truly seriously do not need to be deciding this now. You are at least 3, and as many as 4, years away from making a decision about major- and a good 6 years from making a career decision.
It is completely appropriate that your thoughts on the subject “changes everyday”. Let your interests grow and evolve. When choosing colleges look for ones with relative low distribution requirements (aka General Education), so that you have as much room in choosing classes. That way you can taste-test classes at the college level, take a lot of classes or participate in a lot of dance or other creative classes and still complete a ‘serious’ major or grad school requirements if that is the direction you decide to go. Use your college classes and internships to shape your focus (including summers! start planning your summer after freshman year by Christmas of that year).
You don’t need to narrow your career focus yet, but you may need to narrow your EC focus a bit: Junior year is where the work load jumps up, and is typically the hardest year of HS academically. A lot of students sail through grades 9 & 10, and think that 11 will be more of the same- and get a nasty shock when their grades start to drop for the first time in their life. For just that reason, competitive colleges look extra hard at Junior year grades.
First of all, your current interests and career don’t have to match up perfectly. Lots of people love movies and music but don’t want to work in the industry or make those things. You can really enjoy certain things without making a career or a hobby out of it.
Your job - whether it’s your first career or your fourth - may be something you’ve never even heard of today. Maybe it doesn’t even exist yet.
It is totally fine for your interests to change every day in your junior year of high school. You’re still a long way off from needing to be settled on one thing - you don’t have to pick a major until some time between your first and second year in college, and even then, you only have to pick something you like well enough to study for four years and get you started in a career. It doesn’t determine what you do for the rest of your life.