For many of us college students, we don't necessarily know who we are yet. You would think 21 or 22 years would be enough for us to figure it out. It's not.
Societal pressures tell us we should have our lives together — that we should have the next 10 years mapped out.
Sure, we know what jobs we want. Education has trained us to think about that our entire adolescent lives.
But have we really experienced enough to become who we will be for the next 50 years?
I don't think there's a set time for any of it. We are constantly changing as people. There will be change surrounding us our entire life.
So why do we feel the need to have it all figured out?
We are all different. Everybody doesn't need to be set to the same standard. What works for me might not work for you, and that's okay.
I would like to think I am close to becoming the person I will be for the rest of my life. I'm in my senior year with two majors and a minor. I know what kind of career I want to lead. I know I want to study abroad. But those are only a few details that will make me the person I am. Those things don't define who I am. They might help lead me into the next few years, but in the grand scheme of things, a few years is a short time.
I don't think we ever stop learning, so we won't ever stop changing. The older we get, the more the learning process slows, and we become more set in our ways. It becomes harder to change. But who said we need to have every detail planned now? No one.
You are the only person in control of who you are. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Growing up, my dad always said, "You can do anything you put your mind to," which has helped me this year.
One year ago, I probably didn't think I could do a lot of things. I just went along for the ride and thought I had to be confined to where I "fit in."
The truth is, you don't have to be placed in a certain group or place. Be yourself, and the rest will come.
Don't be afraid to reach for the stars, cliché I know, but if you don't try, you'll never succeed. Put yourself out there, and don't be afraid to speak your mind. Stand up for yourself. These are all things I've recently learned.
I have a lot more learning and figuring out to do, but don't we all? Here's a secret: The people who appear to have their life together, probably don't. So don't let those people intimidate you into thinking you're behind or you're not good enough.
You'll get there one day, and the journey is the more important part. Don't compare yourself to what somebody else's idea of perfect is. Just do you, and it will all fall into place.
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