<p>Well. I'm now a senior, and I'm feeling stressed about what to do with my life. I was considering journalism or public relations, but there's something that I'm not loving about either of those careers. I want a fun job that I won't mind waking up for in the morning, and the last thing I want is to be stuck at a desk all day.</p>
<p>My mom was trying to console me and was telling me to do what I love, but honestly, I don't know what that is. I love animals, but I'm not a big fan of science, and the two kind of go together...</p>
<p>And I'm feeling a lot of pressure because my parents have been telling me since I was young that they know I will do great things and make an impact on the world. I know every parent tells their kid that, but I just don't want to let them down.</p>
<p>On top of that, I now have no clue at all where I want to go to school.</p>
<p>So, any suggestions as to how I can straighten out my life?</p>
<p>What are some hobbies/interest that you enjoy? More than likely you can find a career in that field. If you like animals maybe you want to be a vet, animal trainer, animal rehabilitation, or something along those lines. There are careers that people don’t even know exist, look around. If you worried about a college major, then just apply to a school and decide later. Many people don’t know what to major in. You Might find something you didn’t like at first.</p>
<p>I don’t think you need to “straighten out your life”. Lots of people don’t know what they want to do when they start college. Both journalism and public relations would take you away from your desk to go out in the field. PR may only take you to other people’s desks, or it may put you in the world spotlight if you are lucky enough to be the PR person for a company which causes a major environmental disaster!</p>
<p>Maybe you’d become a fan of science if you learned in a college, and high school just was no fun. Maybe you want to become a journalist reporting on the condition of endangered animals! Maybe you want to become an animal psychologist and you don’t have to learn the physical sciences too much.</p>
<p>Don’t feel pressured by your parents’ words. If you have people who love you, you have made an impact on your part of the world. You are not required to be famous or rich. </p>
<p>Consider what various types of schools offer. Large schools, such as State U, will have enough classes and majors to cover whatever it is you want to do when you figure it out. Small liberal arts colleges will have more limited choices, but teachers who know you well and can help guide you. A year off working whatever job a high school grad can get will motivate you to pursue college.</p>
<p>Sure. Go to college. Trying new things and making discoveries about yourself is what college is for. When I went to Wake Forest, we weren’t even allowed to choose a major until our second year.</p>
<p>Frankly, I’m much more concerned about 17- and 18-year-olds who say they know exactly what they want to do with their lives. They know that based on what?!</p>
<p>Thank you so much everyone. You all have very valid points! I guess going to college and dabbling in different things is the only way to find out what I like. :)</p>
<p>So at this point, do you think I should just look at schools based on how I like them, and then just take it from there? </p>
<p>I’ll second gadad’s advice. The reason that most colleges have a requirement that you take classes in many different fields (usually referred to as general education, core, or distribution requirements) is so that you can get a taste of a lot of things and hopefully you will discover something that you fall in love with. Many colleges do not allow you to declare a major until after your first year so that you will have tried enough of these courses. College is a period of self discovery for most students, even if they start off thinking that they know what they want to do in life.</p>
<p>NO! In fact it may be a BLESSING. Go to college completely open minded. Embrace the core requirements/gen-ed requirements and just explore and soak it all in. You have two years to decide a major. And no major is a pair of cement shoes. Follow your heart. Do what you excel in and what you enjoy. If its business, fine. If its math, fine. If its Russian Lit, fine. You will figure it out in time…before you are 25. Relax and enjoy. And maybe an epiphany will occur in college…a particular professor who turns on your lightbulb. It happens all the time.</p>
<p>It is normal for high school students to be unsure of their major because many college level courses aren’t available at the high school level.</p>
<p>Fifty years ago, my cousin took a Russian class because of a young man. Who knows what happened to him, but she found work with the U.S. government.</p>
<p>Thirty-five years ago, the television show “Charlie’s Angels” was popular. My friend planned to become a detective and I was going to become a lawyer so that we could put the bad guys away (while looking beautiful and wearing fashionable clothes). I lost touch with my friend, decided corporate law was more interesting, and never appeared in a courtroom.</p>
<p>In your situation, just make sure that your chosen college offers enough variety for your possible majors, whatever they may be.</p>
<p>No, it’s not bad. TONS of current college students are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. I’ve finished my first year, and I’m still trying to figure out my life/career goals.</p>