Not sure what I want to do with my life

Career Opportunities & Internships
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<p>A lot of people are telling me that I shouldn't experience so much anxiety over what I want to do after college, but I know that there are many entry-level jobs and graduate schools out there that require at least a certain set of undergraduate classes. </p>

<p>My problem is, I have absolutely NO idea what I want to do. I have looked at pretty much every single possible job/career out there, and there's always something that turns me off about each of them. There's always competition, salaries, stress level, debt, shortage of jobs, lack of graduate schools, high academic standards, location of jobs (I want to be near my family), etc. to worry about. </p>

<p>I don't mean to sound like the ultimate CC underachiever, but I'm really not the type of person who enjoys going through a lot of stress. I've had enough of that during the past few years of my life. Sure, I got accepted to Cal for the upcoming fall and everyone says that it's one of the toughest schools to get into and that I should be proud of myself. Yet, that doesn't necessarily mean that I am intelligent. If anything, I'm probably going to be the below-average student. Then again, getting any career nowadays seems to be tough. </p>

<p>I've asked an experienced adult for advice, and he told me that I have the option of taking extra classes after college if I ever decide to change my mind about what I want to do. Only thing is, I really don't have the money to do that let alone go to grad school for another several years. I can always TRY to land a little job (and balance the rest of my hectic life), but I would hate to have to put my family through all of the financial stress of paying for my expensive education. I want to be able to take them on a nice well-deserved vacation, not have them stress out over having to pay my bills for me for the rest of my life. </p>

<p>My interests are mainly in the mental, exercise, and public health field. I know, it's kind of a broad range, but I love running. I love studying psychology. I love the idea of promoting health. I just don't know what I want to practice exactly! We all know that there's a big difference between wanting to study something, and actually doing it for the rest of your life. </p>

<p>By now, you're probably thinking: what the heck is wrong with this girl? I am just so afraid of not finding anything to do, and being stuck in an unsatisfactory career after all of the hard work I've been through. Yes, I do have four more years (or five) to prepare for the real world, but I can't just keep changing my mind like what I am doing now. Doing so would just be an absolute waste of time and money. </p>

<p>Sorry for the long post, but if anyone has any advice for me, please do share! Choosing a major is probably one of the hardest decisions of my life (at least, so far). It's probably only going to get worse. Any advice would be appreciated.</p>

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<p>You need to talk to a career counselor which I would think they have at your school.</p>

<p>However, one area that fits your interest is physical therapy. I don’t believe UCB has that major though you could start there.</p>

<p>Theses are schools that do</p>

<p>[Accredited</a> PT Programs - Physical Therapy Board of California](<a href=“http://www.ptbc.ca.gov/applicants/pt_schools.shtml]Accredited”>http://www.ptbc.ca.gov/applicants/pt_schools.shtml)</p>

<p>And iloverunning, every field has downsides. Make a list of the pros and cons and then see if the pros outweigh the cons.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for responding! You really did help. I was actually thinking about going into physical therapy (something that one of my school counselors had suggested to me), but I wasn’t so sure if all of the debt and stress at school would be worth it. It seems to me as if it’s a lot harder to get into PT school than it is to get accepted into medical schools. </p>

<p>You’re right, though. Every field DOES have its own downside.</p>

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<p>Do your research then and find out how difficult it is. You may be able to get many classes done at UCB and then apply. Sometimes out of state programs (I know this is true for nursing) may be easier to get into so don’t disregard them. You can always come back to Calif when you are done. Good luck!</p>