When I'm older, I want to be...

When I was young, people asked me: what do you want to be when you grow up?  My answer at the time was a pirate. After just watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movie multiple times, it looked fun. For a while, I thought, if I was I pirate I obviously would be working with other pirates who looked exactly like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. I soon found out.. that is not the case.

 
Do you know what you want to do with the rest of your life? That is what guidance counselor ask you when you are usually a junior or senior. Most of my teachers throughout high school treated me like a kid, and now they want to think like an adult. Additionally, as an 18 year old, they expect me to know what I want to do for the rest of my life. Wow.


Deciding where to go for high school is hard; however, deciding where to go for college is even harder. There are more options and more opportunities. Deciding what major. Deciding whether you want to be in a rural, suburban or city. And we can't forget about Money. Definitely a lot to think about.

Picking a college or university is a major milestone. It where you are going to spend the next 4 years of your life. It will be the best and worst 4 years. Its important to pick the right school; however, it will not be the end of the world if it doesn't work out.

 

For example, when it came time for me to decide where to go to college, I made a list of what I loved and wanted to possibly pursue. I decided I wanted to play basketball in college, and major in outdoor education. After a lot of thinking and talking to my guidance counselor and parents, we decided the best fit for what I was looking for would probably be Johnson State College. However, that didn't work out.

I was involved in a lot at my first college. I was majoring in something that I loved. I was playing a sport I loved. I even had a job on campus I enjoyed. However, the turning point for me was definitely the atmosphere and lifestyle. I was not ready for the lifestyle change: coming from a suburb of Boston to the rural mountain range of Stowe, Vermont. Sometimes in life you just can't forecast things. Your fate will always reset you.

There are many people who pick a college or university not knowing what it is really going to be like. If you realize the place you picked isn't a good fit or doesn't work out, that's alright. If either or those are you case, follow these steps:
1. Don't Panic
2. Take a deep breathe
3. Say this out loud "Everything is going to be fine."

Picking what college or university you attend is just one part of a bigger picture. Another part of this bigger picture is deciding what you want to major in. What you major in is going to help you decide what job you want to do after you graduate. But Brooke, How am I supposed to know what I want to major in? Here are five helpful tips on how to pick your major:

All of this is can be intimidating. The idea of having to decide the rest of you life at age 18. But the truth is: you don't have to. You will realize throughout your college experience that everything is up in the air. Nothing is set in stone.

 

Sources:
- http://thriftylittlemom.com/2014/07/29/5-things-to-consider-picking-your-college-major/
- https://www.buzzfeed.com/megansweet57/the-harsh-truth-about-college-a0vf?utm_term=.ccXY4YrDR#.ev1R5RZBl