10 answers
Ryley
Student
14
Questions
Asked
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How to find my passion in highschool?
How is a junior in highschool suppose to know what they want to do for the rest of their life? I feel like I need to know so I can plan what college to go to but need advice please. I want to make at decent money but don’t know if I want to do something in the medical field or business field?
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10 answers
Matthew Connors
Attorney
11
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
Take a deep breath! You are only in high school and have plenty of time to figure our what it is that you want to do. The most important thing is to make sure that you do well enough in school so that you do not foreclose any options later in your academic career. If you are interested in medicine, take your chemistry/bio/anatomy classes. If you are interested in business, see if your school offers classes in accounting/management/marketing. The two fields that you have mentioned are quite varied; even if you knew that you were interested, broadly speaking, in medicine there are many specialties that you don't even know about yet. I can tell you that when I started in law school, I wanted to work in the UN and ended up as a local prosecutor instead. So there is plenty of time to choose your path.
Thank you so much for taking your time to respond to me :) I will definitely take a deep breath and use your advice!
Ryley
Frankie Lacy
Mortgage Underwriter
3
Answers
Southfield, Michigan
Updated
Frankie’s Answer
I'm going to share a secret with you, no one knows exactly what they want to do in high school! Even if you have a general idea of what field you would like to pursue, there are so many learning and experience opportunities ahead of you. You will define your field of choice naturally along the way. Many people make career changes or continue to define their career 10, 15, and 20 years in!
If you are seeking security and longevity (which may be why you're focused on business and healthcare) consider deep diving into those very broad fields to see what sparks your interest. For example, business encompasses accounting, finance, real-estate, law, and so much more! YouTube is an incredible resource to start getting an idea of what people do in their various careers.
Ultimately, focus on taking good care of yourself (get plenty of sleep, drink water, take walks, journal, spend quality time with friends and family, etc.). You'll find those things help manage the stress of trying to figure out the unknown. Also, learn as much as you can and really take advantage of your time in school to use the free research resources available to you. You can trust that, over time, the path will become clearer.
If you are seeking security and longevity (which may be why you're focused on business and healthcare) consider deep diving into those very broad fields to see what sparks your interest. For example, business encompasses accounting, finance, real-estate, law, and so much more! YouTube is an incredible resource to start getting an idea of what people do in their various careers.
Ultimately, focus on taking good care of yourself (get plenty of sleep, drink water, take walks, journal, spend quality time with friends and family, etc.). You'll find those things help manage the stress of trying to figure out the unknown. Also, learn as much as you can and really take advantage of your time in school to use the free research resources available to you. You can trust that, over time, the path will become clearer.
Thank you so much, Frankie!
Ryley
Puja Dubey
Student
2
Answers
Jharkhand, Jharkhand, India
Updated
Puja’s Answer
Enjoy your high school life its the best time ever, that never come back,right now not too much think or stresss yourself for carrierr and money.in your mind just make a small paln for future thats all .in medical or in businee , its upto your choice and intrest .your question how to know my passion and thn your option medical or business!so youjust think which work make you happy, which work you ready for doing in any situation and thats make you happy form bottom of your heart thats your passion and bestest option for your carrier and a gud job for future but if you choose only money then its upto whats the job for higher salary demand and then u go for it.i guess u get your answer .gud luck for your future .
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Ryley
Ailee Keenan
Marketing Manager
5
Answers
Columbia, South Carolina
Updated
Ailee’s Answer
Hi Ryley! Your question is exactly what I struggled with in high school, even down to making the decision between medical and business studies. I was considering biology and business and eventually decided on marketing management, but it took me 20 years to figure that out! Even as a junior in college, I still don't know exactly what I want to do when I graduate in a year. You are not expected to make such a huge decision at such a young age. It is only important to know which areas you are interested in and which you are not, but this doesn't need to be narrowed down to one field or even five! Take a deep dive into your personality and scan your strengths and weaknesses through personality tests and self-reflection. Do you enjoy working with others? Do you enjoy working more with numbers /science or literature? I realized that I did not have the ability to perform well in my business and chemistry classes, but marketing was so different; it's fun, it's interesting, and it inspires me every day. College is designed in a way that you will likely take lots of general education classes no matter what your major is. You have the ability to experience all types of classes, meet professionals, join organizations, and go through the process of elimination. You can also pursue a medical major with a business minor or concentration so that you have both under your belt. For example, you could be a public health or biology major with a business administration minor, which is a great crossover. I am even considering studying neuromarketing and consumer psychology in graduate school because business truly does apply to every sector. Continue asking awesome questions, and best of luck in your ventures!
Edison Briones
Executive Chef
20
Answers
Laguna Beach, California
Updated
Edison’s Answer
Ryley, the thing about work is finding what you love to do! What drives you, what will make you get up everyday and go to work! I speak for myself three degrees later! It took time and effort to find a job I would actually pay to work for!
Find what will make you get up everyday and get out of bed, something you will do even if they didn’t pay you! That is your driving force- it will take paying attention to yourself- what you love to do- maybe research, if you like filing and writing possibly law is great, if you don’t mind cutting a chicken in pieces and watching the parts, possibly a surgeon, Maybe cooking helping mom, are you creative is just a matter of paying attention to what you love! And if you find what you love, you’ll be amazing at it!
Write down what interest you.
Write down what makes you happy to do
Write down what motivates you.
What are you passionate about
Read a book about finding your passion, nothing new under the sun, someone has gone through the same you are now going through and write a book about it
Find what will make you get up everyday and get out of bed, something you will do even if they didn’t pay you! That is your driving force- it will take paying attention to yourself- what you love to do- maybe research, if you like filing and writing possibly law is great, if you don’t mind cutting a chicken in pieces and watching the parts, possibly a surgeon, Maybe cooking helping mom, are you creative is just a matter of paying attention to what you love! And if you find what you love, you’ll be amazing at it!
Edison recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much! I appreciate the time you took out of your day to respond :)
Ryley
Baljit Gill
Lawyer paralegal
127
Answers
Milpitas, California
Updated
Baljit’s Answer
Hi Ryley,
What are you interests- and compare notes on what is offered as far as college courses. The courses offered at colleges differ from college to college. Also ask you peers on what they are doing at colleges. This may be a deciding point for you to either doing something similar as your friends or doing something different. Applying for internships at local places would also help in deciding what to do. Volunteering is also an option. Try to apply to numerous volunteering positions as this would give you much more options.
What are you interests- and compare notes on what is offered as far as college courses. The courses offered at colleges differ from college to college. Also ask you peers on what they are doing at colleges. This may be a deciding point for you to either doing something similar as your friends or doing something different. Applying for internships at local places would also help in deciding what to do. Volunteering is also an option. Try to apply to numerous volunteering positions as this would give you much more options.
Kimanu Avent
Field service technician
26
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Kimanu’s Answer
One thing to ask yourself is what things do I currently have a passion in now. Make a list and see what career paths may be linked to these fields or interests you have. You may also realize that some of those paths in the future may have changed as well so don't worry. Also see if your school gives screenings for aptitude tests which are a non biased way where you truthfully pick things that you have interests in. Talk to family members about their jobs or neighbors. Always remember keep a broad horizon don t box yourself in and be willing to try and learn new things.
Abdoulie Cham
Stocker
6
Answers
Cincinnati, Ohio
Updated
Abdoulie’s Answer
Well one. Ask yourself. What do u want to be, how do u want your future life to be and then see what career u believe could really help u achieve that.
One thing u could do is if u are driven by money, look up the highest paying jobs in your state.
If u see one and believe it’s something u can see yourself doing , go online and look up people who are actually in that field opinions and reviews about it.
U can go on Reddit, discord, telegram and other platforms and find entire chat rooms of just people who are in that field and talk to a real person and have them answer your questions.
Also don’t limit yourself.
U said “medical field OR business”. Why the our. Ur a junior in high school you can do all those and more.
Just imagine yourself being in both the medical and business field, that alone if u play your cards right is over 200k a year.
Never limit yourself to “OR”s.
And if u feel u are passionate about both fields u can start one of them early, u could do business early and upon doing some research or even talking to some teachers u could find a way to get hands on experience in the field before u are even done with high school. No degree or certificate can match actual experience.
Or u can do the same with the medical field. U can like go online and see if u could find any shadowing that’s in the medical field and see what it’s like being in it and make a decision on if that’s what u want to pursue. And same for business see if u can find shadowing.
Also think about college cost/student debt. How much would it roughly cost u and how much would u be making after u graduate from college. Does it seem you’ll be in debt for a long time
Or will scholarships and what u make from the field quickly pay it off.
One thing u could do is if u are driven by money, look up the highest paying jobs in your state.
If u see one and believe it’s something u can see yourself doing , go online and look up people who are actually in that field opinions and reviews about it.
U can go on Reddit, discord, telegram and other platforms and find entire chat rooms of just people who are in that field and talk to a real person and have them answer your questions.
Also don’t limit yourself.
U said “medical field OR business”. Why the our. Ur a junior in high school you can do all those and more.
Just imagine yourself being in both the medical and business field, that alone if u play your cards right is over 200k a year.
Never limit yourself to “OR”s.
And if u feel u are passionate about both fields u can start one of them early, u could do business early and upon doing some research or even talking to some teachers u could find a way to get hands on experience in the field before u are even done with high school. No degree or certificate can match actual experience.
Or u can do the same with the medical field. U can like go online and see if u could find any shadowing that’s in the medical field and see what it’s like being in it and make a decision on if that’s what u want to pursue. And same for business see if u can find shadowing.
Also think about college cost/student debt. How much would it roughly cost u and how much would u be making after u graduate from college. Does it seem you’ll be in debt for a long time
Or will scholarships and what u make from the field quickly pay it off.
David Wu
Research Professional
6
Answers
Palo Alto, California
Updated
David’s Answer
It is rare to have life figured out in highschool. The most important advice I can give is to not be narrow-minded and decide on a field immediately. You mentioned your interest in both science and business, yet those are not mutually exclusive. Many fields are have overlap, and you can explore those by browsing online, joining clubs, or by applying to internships.
Reach out to people who have experience in those fields and ask for advice from somebody more experienced (a mentor, professor, or family friend).
I would say that the salary is not something to consider in highschool as it is important to experience as much as you can. In deciding college courses, there is a huge variety of courses and electives that one can choose from. Pick your main interest as your primary major, and pick elective courses based on things that you might be interested in. There is always opportunity to double major, or even switch if you decide to go another route.
College is designed with alot of flexibility as many students are still trying to decide what it is they want to pursue in the future.
Reach out to people who have experience in those fields and ask for advice from somebody more experienced (a mentor, professor, or family friend).
I would say that the salary is not something to consider in highschool as it is important to experience as much as you can. In deciding college courses, there is a huge variety of courses and electives that one can choose from. Pick your main interest as your primary major, and pick elective courses based on things that you might be interested in. There is always opportunity to double major, or even switch if you decide to go another route.
College is designed with alot of flexibility as many students are still trying to decide what it is they want to pursue in the future.
Megan Nerad, CPA
Consulting Manager at PwC
37
Answers
St. Louis, MO
Updated
Megan’s Answer
Hi! Enjoy high school and being a kid. You don't suddenly grow up when you hit age 18 and have everything figured out. It can be really scary to think about long-term plans and what to do for the rest of your life.
Consider the things that make you happy and the things you like. Consider the lifestyle you want and how much money (salary) you would need to afford it. Consider the current and future outlook on the job market and what opportunities there are.
Students are usually shocked to hear me say that I *like* my job but I don't *love* my job. It has a great salary and afford me opportunities to provide financial security for my family (including my baby--I can't even begin to think how much college might be for him one day when he's asking all the same questions as you are now).
I'm still trying to figure out how my passion fits in my day-to-day life, and I'm much older than you. When you figure out the secret, let me know, too!
Consider the things that make you happy and the things you like. Consider the lifestyle you want and how much money (salary) you would need to afford it. Consider the current and future outlook on the job market and what opportunities there are.
Students are usually shocked to hear me say that I *like* my job but I don't *love* my job. It has a great salary and afford me opportunities to provide financial security for my family (including my baby--I can't even begin to think how much college might be for him one day when he's asking all the same questions as you are now).
I'm still trying to figure out how my passion fits in my day-to-day life, and I'm much older than you. When you figure out the secret, let me know, too!
Your advice was so helpful!
Ryley