Overwhelmed, anxious, petrified, so many mixed emotions rushing through your body because you are starting a new chapter of your life: the beginning of your college experience. There are so many new things to get used to when you enter college. You become more independent and you realize that you are no longer a high schooler. There are so many new changes as well, such as meeting new people and getting involved in a whole new environment. The last month of high school feels like an open mic night, as you are constantly hearing people talk about acceptance letters, new dorming plans, new adventures, and most importantly, their career goals. The question becomes, what happens if you are stepping into a new world called “college" still not knowing what you want to pursue?

You feel so lost in so many ways- ways that you cannot even explain. Then, the questions start flooding in. “What do you want to do after high school? What are you majoring in? How do you want to pursue your career a few years from now?" All you want to do is run and scream “I DON’T KNOW!" The truth of the matter is that whoever is reading this right now and agreeing, you’re not alone. I am a junior in college and most of my friends have already graduated and that is all right. Although I finally declared my major, I was a lost soul my first year. I was confused, and for a minute I was shocked because I thought I had my whole life planned. Once I realized I was going to college, I noticed that I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. There were so many things I was interested in, such as sports management, fashion merchandising, and psychology. I had no idea what would be the right path to take. It was so much pressure to hear and see everyone so confident and ready to enter college. Was I the only one who didn’t know? Once summer vacation came, I dreaded each day that got closer to the first day of school. I felt as though I was a complete disappointment to my family, my friends, and worst of all, myself. I did not know what I was doing.

The day finally came, and I entered college feeling let down. Walking into my first class was nerve-racking, and I felt as if everyone was just staring at me like if I was supposed to feel guilty and they all somehow knew. Class began when the professor introduced herself, and once she was done, it was our turn. I felt insecure; my heart was beating so fast I wanted to run out of the classroom. Was I going to lie about my major? What should I say? I can’t possibly say that I have no idea what I want to do. With all these thoughts racing in my head, I finally started to listen to my peers and all I kept hearing was “undeclared, undeclared, undeclared!" I realized that this whole time I was worried about something that we all go through. The moral of this short story is that it’s okay to not know what you want to do right now as you enter college. There are millions of people who go in thinking they will graduate with one degree and come out graduating with something completely different. I feel that college gives you that push and experience you need to learn more about who you are as a person, including your likes, dislikes, and what you want to pursue. Don’t be afraid to not know- it’s sometimes better not knowing, and it is much more interesting to go through the experience and learn.