Do you know people who know exactly who they want to be when they grow up? There aren’t many of them, but their confidence is quite annoying. The majority of people have no idea about what they want to do with their lives and whether their abilities are enough to achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, no one is going to tell you what to do and where to start. This decision should be your personal responsibility, as your future belongs to you, not to your parents, your school adviser, or your mates.
Surprisingly, many young men and women understand how important their choices are, but they keep picking the wrong majors and careers. Have you seen those poor people on the internet? They complain about how awful their life is, tweet “write my essay please,” and use writing services that do boring assignments for them. If you want to know how it works click here.
Such students aren’t happy now, and they won’t be happy when they graduate. The only feeling they’ll have is the feeling of emptiness, because in real life, nobody will do your boring tasks and chores for you unless you have a significant amount of money.
So why do students keep making the wrong choices? And how do you avoid this trap? Let’s figure it out.
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Contents
Parents: mom knows what’s better
When it comes to sexual education or eating healthy, your mother might know better. But you don’t have to fulfill your parents’ desires unless they are relevant to your own dreams and plans.
There is no need to be a rebel and run away from home. As a rule, parents want their children to be happy, and that means to them more than proving their point of view. Pick reasonable arguments to turn the conversation about your future into a fruitful discussion, not into a fight with your parents.
In case your parents insist on their choice for you, then think of what is more important for you: happiness, or their approval.
Friends: BFF and lack of maturity
Childhood friendships are an important part of life. Some of them stay with us forever, and some of them not. Anyway, when you pick your college or your major, you shouldn’t be guided by the choices of your friends.
Yes, college life with your old friends may become a real adventure. But hey, you’ll have four years of fun, and then what? Your mate may become a biologist, as he’s always wanted, and you’ll have to mourn your dream of becoming a professional stylist or engineer.
Friends come and go, and you have only one life.
Indifference: I don’t really care
Some graduates send their applications to every college because they don’t really care where they’re going to spend four or five years of their lives. Moreover, they don’t even care about what is going to happen after graduation.
Others ignore the application process entirely. Perhaps, they want to work at McDonald’s forever.
Teenage apathy will pass by, but your choice will influence your whole life. Don’t let your indifference define your future. Regrets won’t help you to make everything right!
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Prestige: work is money
Of course, you have to think about how you’re going to make a living. But it shouldn’t be your only reason when you pick your major. As an adult, you’ll spend half of your life at work. Even if you earn gazillions of dollars, what’s the point if you hate what you do?
You might have temporary jobs that don’t make you happy or satisfied. However, you should look at this type of work as a stepping stone for greater things.
When you love your job, you have the opportunity not only to make money but also to fulfill your potential.
Labor market demand: they’ll need me
The fear of unemployment is common for graduates. You want to be sure that your major will guarantee you a well-paid job, and that you won’t have to look for a post in Australia. Many young people decide to become specialists who are needed in the labor market at the moment. But they forget about one small detail: when they graduate, this profession won’t be necessary anymore.
And then we have another problem – thousands of economists, lawyers, and psychologists don’t have a chance to get a job, as there are too many of them. Remember that the labor market boom shouldn’t be a decisive factor when you pick your major.
You just don’t know
You really want to go to college, and you’re highly motivated. Your parents and friends are supportive and are not going to get in your way. You don’t really care about money, and the crisis of a labor market doesn’t frighten you. So, what’s the problem?
The problem is that you actually don’t know what you want. You have a bunch of interests, but none of them can be entitled to your passion. Your heart doesn’t start beating faster when you’re watching movies about police, chefs, marketing specialists, politicians, or any other professionals.
In that case, you should take a gap year and give yourself some time to think. Maybe you should also find a few internships and try your hand at different fields. It’s better to spend a year looking for your dream than lose it forever.
How to Avoid the Wrong Choices
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There are many ways to deal with a professional crisis recommended by psychologists, HR managers, and career consultants. Not all of them are effective or original. Below, you can read about a few methods that really impress with their simplicity and, at the same time, with their originality.
1. Ask the right questions
Paul Graham, essayist and startup accelerator, has dedicated one of his essays to the problem of career choice. He tries to answer the question of how to do what you love. The author offers a range of questions that aren’t similar to the questions of the vocational assessment test. They aren’t aimed at defining your possibilities and interests. When you answer them, you’ll actually understand whether you’re satisfied with your job or not:
• Can you say “wow, that’s pretty cool” about the things you do?
• Would you do your job if you were not paid for it?
• Do you actually try to do your best even if you don’t like the job?
• Do you produce every day?
This method is better than many career tests, as they give you an answer based on your proclivities and skills, not your actual desires.
2. Be egoistic
Quite unexpected, right? But this advice is probably the best you can get. When you’re young, you don’t have any responsibilities (unless you’re the eldest child in a large family and have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters). Therefore, you have only one major goal – to live your life as happily as possible.
As mentioned earlier, adolescents frequently make the wrong choice because of their parents’ or friends’ influence. But you don’t have to please your parents or hang out with your friends until the end of your life. The same applies to your school sweetheart, by the way.
You have to live your life the way you want. And no one has a right to take it from you – even your religious parents or a prom queen.
3. Don’t think about inheritance
Some young people pick “serious” careers to leave a mark on history and make their children (who don’t exist at the moment) proud of them. Come on! Let’s say it one more time – your life belongs only to YOU! Not to your potential kids and future generations!
You don’t have to be someone who will change the course of history. If it’s your genuine dream then go for it. In any other case, forget about the world fame and eternal memory – these lofty ideals mustn’t define your future.
At the same time, you should also remember that you may become famous and significant in the most unexpected areas. You don’t have to become a president or a scientist to be remembered by millions of people! Coco Chanel, the McDonald brothers, Steve Jobs – these people are well-known around the world because they truly loved what they did.
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Conclusion
This article might not be a revelation for you. Perhaps, all of these smart ideas have already come to your mind once or twice. There is no 100% solution when it comes to picking your major. But there are a number of rules that you should follow, no matter what decision you make:
● You don’t owe anyone anything.
● Other people don’t know what is better for you, especially when you don’t know that either.
● Your youth is fleeting, and you shouldn’t waste your time on the job you hate.
● Your happiness is more important than the desires of other people.
● Your dreams will remain dreams if you make no effort to make them come true.
Go for it!
