The Fear of Choosing the Wrong Future
By Savannah Beutler
What makes students so afraid of choosing the wrong future? A lot of individuals ask themselves and never have an answer. For many teenagers, thinking about the future can be stressful instead of exciting.
Throughout high school, students are expected to have a lot of their life planned out by the time they graduate. Some may have their plans, such as where they are going to college and what they are going to major in, while others have not a clue what they want to do. This can make students feel like they are behind.
School can also add to that pressure. Teachers, counselors, and conversations about college constantly remind students that their future is approaching very soon. Deadlines for applications and scholarships can make the decision for the future feel rushed and like there is no time to figure anything out.
Not only in school is that pressure is applied, the outside world has pressures too. Many individuals feel pressure to make their parents proud and meet their expectations.
“My biggest worry after graduation is picking a career that does not make me enough money and does not make me happy,” senior Alanna McKeown comments.
However, teachers have gone through this process so they often have a different perspective.
“I decided I wanted to be a teacher because I knew I loved helping people understand things,” high school instructor Brock Bretschneider says. “I chose social studies because I like to teach how the government works and how history shapes the world we live in today. I was initially nervous about choosing teaching until I went to college and was enthralled with the classes.”
While the pressure of choosing a future career can be overwhelming, students are not alone in feeling like they do not know what to do. Many people go through trial and error finding a career. Understanding that the future does not have to be perfectly planned out is something that may help students feel less afraid of making the wrong decision.
