I don’t think it needs defending, just letting you know how common it is.

We’ve all heard it before: College is the time to try new things, to seek out new experiences. It’s the perfect environment to figure yourself out. That all sounds great, until perhaps you feel like it’s the time when you must figure it out, because it’s the prelude to the rest of your life. Of course, that’s a big assumption, especially when you consider how unpredictable people’s career paths can be. Still, there’s this pressure to choose the right path. And what “right” means is different for everyone. Is it about money? Passion? Curiosity? Experience? Ideally, it’s a blend of all those things—but it’s never that simple, easy, or quick to figure out.

Some people end up in fields unrelated to their major, while others follow their lifelong dreams. For me, I often return to an Oscar Wilde quote that captures this uncertainty perfectly:

“If you want to be a [something], you will invariably become it; that is your punishment. If you never know what you want to be, if you live what some might call the dynamic life but what I will call the artistic life, if each day you are unsure of who you are and what you know, you will never become anything—and that is your reward.”

Despite the pressure to have a plan, to have things figured out, that sentiment is a constant in our daily lives, especially at a place like Columbia. If you have an idea of what you want, you can meet with a career specialist, apply for jobs, gain experience, build on that experience, search for your dream job, and hopefully graduate one step closer to your goals. But even that first step can be a challenge in itself.

As someone who has always considered myself “well-rounded,” I quickly took that to mean I’m not specialized in any one thing. Therefore, figuring out where to apply my skills has been a journey. Where can I make the most impact? Where do I want to apply them? That’s why I’m grateful for Columbia’s relatively chill major declaration timeline (though, of course, how chill it is also depends on your major). Not having to declare until the spring semester of sophomore year has given me the time to find a balance in my interests that feels fulfilling.

I started off as a STEM major and transitioned to the humanities (though I still have a STEM minor). I’ve had friends who’ve done the exact opposite. And I’m sure you’ve heard it before: “Nobody has it figured out, and everyone is just faking it.” Turns out, those cheesy sayings are clichés for a reason.

So if you ever feel uncertain or like you’re changing your mind a lot, just know that you’re not alone. It’s human to change your mind—it’s part of the process, and whether it is two years or 20 years down the road, it’s never too late. So be open to any opportunity that comes your way.

Books via Bwog Archives