Dear Aunt Abby, - Grand Chute Gazette

I’m in my senior year of high school, and I feel like I’m on a fast-moving treadmill I can’t get off. My parents and my counselor keep asking me what my “major” will be, what “career” I’m aiming for, and what my 10-year plan is. I have no idea! I like a few different subjects, but I feel huge pressure to commit to a single path now, and I’m terrified of making the wrong choice and wasting money. Help!

—Major Meltdown

Dear Major Meltdown,

Take a deep breath. I’m giving you official permission to stop stressing about your 10-year plan. At your age, feeling uncertain about your career is normal and smart! The average college student changes their major at least three times. Your life’s trajectory is a vast river, not a narrow train track.

Here is what you need to focus on right now, instead of a lifelong commitment:

Explore, Don’t Commit: If you are attending college, you have two years of general education requirements (history, science, writing) built into your degree plan. Use this time to explore! Take that Introduction to Psychology course and that Creative Writing class. Think of your first year as “Undecided”—a major in itself.
Identify Your Skills: Instead of asking, “What job do I want?”, ask, “What skills do I enjoy using?” Do you love solving puzzles (logic/analysis)? Do you enjoy helping people with their problems (communication)? Focus on developing those transferable skills.
Talk to Grown-Ups: Schedule short, informational interviews (even just 15 minutes!) with adults you know who have jobs that sound remotely interesting—a lawyer, a nurse, a graphic designer. Ask them how they got there and what their day is actually like.

Your first “choice” doesn’t define your entire future; it just starts the journey. Pick a subject that interests you now, and trust that you will learn and adapt along the way. You have plenty of time.

Do you have a question for Aunt Abby? Email it to publisher@goodnewsfoundations.org, and it may be featured in an upcoming issue! Please keep in mind that Aunt Abby’s advice is for entertainment purposes only and should not be a substitute for professional counsel.