For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known what was expected of me. This was especially true during my awkward high school years. Enjoying academics and study, I knew college was in my immediate future. The conversation was never whether or not I was going to college, but rather, which college I was going to.
However, looking back, I feel this conversation was not entirely productive. First, I had to wade through the nearly 50 different opinions thrown at me any day and not only was that confusing, but it was mentally exhausting. That was too much to handle to the point that I partly shut down and stall on college.
After getting past that, the conversation shifted to location, not what really drives me as an individual. Passion was never part of the plan. I excelled at biology, so it was expected that I would go into science. I was guided to sacrifice passion for practicality.
Looking back, I wish my parents had been able to cut through the noise. I wish they had helped me figure out a way to gain the skills necessary to earn a living doing what I love. That would have turned my stressful college years into years of purpose.
Have you talked to your children about college? What do they want to do? What is motivating them to pursue a particular career?