A Reminder To Any Undergrad Students Who Feel Lost In Life

Maybe it’s your first year, maybe it’s your final year… The question, “What do you want to do after you graduate?” comes up. You panic. This is the question you always dread. You feel under-pressure to give an answer but you really just don’t know yet.

Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.

You are not alone in your confusion. There are many others in the same spot as you.

Truth be told, we are all trying to figure it out. Life is constantly changing, and is unpredictable. Whether you have a plan, or are starting with a blank canvas, things will change, embrace that.

Uncertainty can be scary. You begin to drown out any positivity with thoughts such as “what if I don’t pick the right grad program?” “what if I don’t even get into grad school?” “what if I’m unemployed after I graduate?” “what if I disappoint my family?”

What if? The answer, so what” Sure, you could not make in into your program. Maybe you do poorly on the LSAT. Maybe you accept a program, and it turns out you absolutely hate it. So what? You’ll figure it out. You’ll take a different path, you’ll find your next steps.

You start over. You try again. You don’t give up.

You have worked long and hard to get to where you are now. You have the tools inside of you to know what is best for you. There will be bumps in the road. There will be moments where you’ll have to dust yourself off and try again, keep trying. Trust that you will work it out. Maybe it takes you five years when you thought it’d take you three. Maybe you switch programs three or four times before you find something that makes you happy to wake up in the morning.

Never stop searching. Never stop trying. It’s not about how long it takes you. We all work at our own pace. It doesn’t matter if your friends are finished school, you’ll get there too. Your path is different than theirs, that doesn’t make it wrong.

Remind yourself that you are the only person you need to impress or make proud. Make yourself proud. Parental pressures can be tough, and can weigh you down. Rise above. You are the person that knows what’s best for you, and what’s going to make you the happiest, not me, not your family, you.

Create a life that you want to. A life that in ten years from now, you’ll thank yourself for.

Most importantly,

Allow yourself to make mistakes and grow. Whatever goes wrong, learn from it. Let it make you better. Trust that these obstacles will teach you something, something you’ll be grateful for.

Take your breaths. Take your time.

You’re right where you should be. You’ll get to where you’re going, believe in yourself. You’ve got this.