Loren
What do you do when you don't know what to do?
For the past few years, I've told family, friends, and members of the community that I am interested in medicine. I spent all of eleventh grade consuming chemistry and biology classes; I've had family members approach me and say that I simply fated to become a the cancer- and common-cold-curing doctor that envisioned me to be. I've already been accepted into a biology program at the institution I'm interested in.
No matter how 'smart,' 'brilliant,' or 'doctor-like' I'm told I am, though, I can't shake the feeling that that is the wrong profession for me. All the same, I don't want to disappoint the people who've invested their time in me. If everyone says that I am going to be a great physician, how can I doubt it? If not doctoring, what is there for me?
Long-winded stories aside, what might an indecisive student (with a lot of well-intended pressure behind them) do in their first months or years of college? #college #biology #undergraduate
4 answers
Lisa Milani
Lisa’s Answer
I don't think this question or type of questioning will ever leave our minds no matter what stage of life we are in! Many times, my internal dialogue will question my direction in life, seek answers, question if I should enter into the unknown and where I am going. However, my most sound advice comes from my own experience of always having a plan. I have created many plans to cover short term and long term goals and paths. The plans help me with a baseline and also a way to review decisions that lead me to each point of life. Without plans, I wander aimlessly and put myself in more of an "unknown" state. That said, I accept deviations from my original plan. I think of a road map that has a starting point and a destination. While I may deter off an original path, I still have a destination to get to. Sometimes, that destination may change due to unforeseen circumstances but I can accept change a lot better when I can measure my current state to my original starting point. In hindsight, some of my greatest starting points began with my deepest points of "not knowing" where to go. These "not knowing" points forced me into creating new plans and destinations.
jude christus
jude’s Answer
My advice to you would be to first find out what you are actually god at, suggestion: aptitude test, it will help you determine the best career path for you. second: I don't think your career should be decided by someone who is not actually going to pursue that path on your behalf. I am sure your friends and family are advising you based on what they think you are best at, this would also be rooted in how you have been performing in the choice of subject you have made, meaning, if you are able to master the subject you have chosen, it is natural for everyone around you to believe and support you with the same. but I think you should first find out what you really want.
Kim Igleheart
Kim’s Answer
Loren,
Ken gave you excellent advice. There is a difference in what you are good at and what you want to do. There are lots of different paths available to someone who is interested in science. So the first year and a half you are taking mostly basic classes: English, History, Government, Math, etc. with only a few classes in your major. That is the point where you really must commit: about a year and a half into school. If you keep going past that without really knowing, you might end up changing your major and having classes that you cannot use towards the degree.
It's hard to know what you want to do if you have not really done it. It's like Ken said, you have to try it on. Look at other science related occupations, and try to see what you can envision yourself doing: high school teacher? veterinarian? microbiologist? chemist at a food or drug production facility? pharmacist? lab manager? Also, understand that nowadays people often make career changes at some point in their lives. So you could start out in a hands-on position, and later go into management. Or go from "doing" science to teaching it. You will not be truly stuck, so long as you can show that your experience in the first field is transferable to the second position. For example, I went from being a police officer to being a job placement counselor.
You cannot let other people live your life for you, EVEN IF they are financing your plans. If they put conditions on the money, you need to have the strength to walk away from the money and do it on your own. It is your life!
best of luck!
Ken Simmons
Ken’s Answer
Hi Loren!
What you want to do really matters. Selecting a career/job is like buying a pair of shoes. You have to get to know them well, try them and walk in them for a while, and they have to feel well and fit well before you will buy them. Only you can tell how they feel, and it is very important that you select ones that fit and feel well, because you want them to last a long time.
Here is something that you can try. Make sure that you pay very close attention to how you feel as you go along:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/14-free-personality-tests-thatll-help-you-figure-yourself-out
Talk to you favorite teachers and see where they see you fitting. Talk to your school counselor about becoming involved in coop and intern and shadowing programs that might be available to allow you to experience various career/job situations.
Jobs may look one way on the outside, but look another way on the inside. It is like a closet. The closet looks great with the door closed. But when open the door, chaos could ensue. When I did college recruiting, the most frustration thing that I encountered was the graduate who came onto the job from college and found it was not what he/she had expected and found that it did not fit. Do not let this happen to you.
Pay attention to what you feel and do not let pressure from someone else put you in an uncomfortable situation.
Best of luck. Please keep me posted. I would like to follow your progress.