The Doctor Suess book leaves me wondering, which road should I follow? Robert Frost says to take the road less travelled, but will that road lead to a career at McDonald's?
I don't really remember many details about the Dr. Suess book, "Oh the Places You'll Go," except of course the wacky characters and the tripped-out colors. I do remember it sitting on Grandma and Grandma Smith's coffee table though; and although it meant little to me as a child, I now find myself think about that solitary book (or more specifically, its title) on a daily basis.
I love being in college, for the most part. If I could some how find a way to get paid to attend college, I'd do this for the rest of my life. I'm sure everyone would agree with me. I love spending my days on one of the most beautiful and interesting places in this country, using its amazing facilities, learning things I have never understood before, and growing into an adult by the day.
However, there's a very confusing aspect of college that I have yet to resolve, and I hope its generally "normal" to feel this way. Usually, I feel like its hard to pin down the direction I would like to steer the proverbial vessel of my life. It seems that each time I arrive up on a solid conclusion, "I will be a teacher," it changes within the following hour, week, month, well you get the idea.
The toughest part is that the requirements for each major are so strict and inflexible that once you've made a decision (especially in your Junior year of study) you're basically committed. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Then comes the advice from others. Everyone who seems to care about me (or who is paid to care about me) usually has a different idea about what the ideal college education should look like: "Study only what you're interested in!" "Study something practical!" "Major in a lucarative field!" "Find a area of study that has an exceptional employment outlook!" AHHHHH!!!
The hardest part is that I've seen this thing go both (or all) ways: I've seen people who have studied what their interested in, only to find themselves with a piece of paper worth approximately $50,000 working at the local restaurant; but I've also seen people who majored in something "practical" completely unsatisfied with their lives. I've heard, "Do what you like," but I've also heard, "The secret to life is not doing what you like, but liking what you do."
So it comes down to this: is my future really dependent on making the right decisions right now, or is it more about making the best decisions I can right now, and learning how to deal with the consequences in the best possible way in the future? Is it about planning, or more about adapting? Should I study what I want, or should I study something I know will produce a stable income and benefit package.
More importantly, where can I find reliable advice to these questions?
As always, comments are highly appreciated and welcomed!
Posted by smit3510 at December 7, 2005 3:55 PM