Pressures to Choose a Career in High School
Hello beautiful! I hope you are having an amazing day! I think that for a lot of us, school is already over; I finished classes this past week. But, for those of you that are still finishing up, you're almost there! For me, moving into the next grade of high school means I'm one step closer to college. I know I should be excited, but I feel like I have no solid idea of where I'm supposed to go and what I'm supposed to do with my life. That's what I'm going to talk about today. There's a lot of pressure on us as teenagers to make executive decisions that will affect the rest of our adult lives. It can feel really trapping to have to choose just one path and deal with the regret of not choosing another.
I feel like I've had my own journey on deciding what to do with my life, a journey that is still going on. If you guys don't really feel like reading a whole blurb about my life, this is your sign to scroll down.
My Personal Journey
The first career that I thought about when I was around 8 or 9 was teaching. I loved all of my teachers back then, and I loved the vibe of elementary school with the drawings taped on the walls and sidewalk chalk during recess. As I grew a little bit older, I started to love the idea of teaching more and more. I wanted to educate the youth, and I still love working with kids to this day.
But, when I was 11, my parents hit me with a reality check. Teachers don't make much money, and no matter how wrong I think that is, it didn't change the fact that my parents wanted me to have a job that came with financial benefits. To them, becoming a doctor was the only way stable career path for me. So, I accepted it and decided to become a pediatrician, so I could still work with kids. I was interested in science medicine anyway, so it wasn't like I was pursuing a career in something that I hated or didn't enjoy.
Fast forward to the start of my freshman year of high school at my new, private school in the city, and I'm still looking to become a pediatrician. Throughout the first few months of high school, I learn so much more about math, history, languages, but most importantly, english. I learned so much about writing and storytelling, which is part of why I started writing for this blog earlier this year!
It's not like my love for taking care of children disappeared; in fact, it got a lot stronger at my new school because of extracurricular opportunities with kids. But, I was passionate enough about writing and literature for it to make a change in how I envisioned my future.
I still love the idea of being a pediatrician or really any other field of work that involves caring for the youth, but if it means I can't pursue writing, I'm not sure if that opportunity is worth it. My goal right now is to make a life where I'll be happy with my profession, but as a teenager I don't know what that is yet.
It's not like my love for taking care of children disappeared; in fact, it got a lot stronger at my new school because of extracurricular opportunities with kids. But, I was passionate enough about writing and literature for it to make a change in how I envisioned my future.
I still love the idea of being a pediatrician or really any other field of work that involves caring for the youth, but if it means I can't pursue writing, I'm still deciding if that opportunity is worth it. My goal right now is to make a life where I'll be happy with my profession, but as a teenager I don't know what that is yet.
Why do I feel this pressure?
As someone who lives on the East Coast, getting into an Ivy League school is kind of a big thing over here. Of course, education is important, and if going to an Ivy League school is something that you really want, go for it! But, the idea that the entire high school experience has to be catered to look perfect on a college application can be suffocating for students that want to enjoy life in high school (no shade <3).
Another piece of this conversation that I want to point out is the way that the school system is constructed. We're expected to know what we want to do in high school, before we're even legal adults. So, when we're not quite sure what decision to make, we sometimes feel like we're falling behind.
In my opinion, this is a problem with the education system and not a problem with the high school or even college students that feel lost or stuck. So here's what I think you should remember from this post:
These years of our youth are for figuring out what we want to do, going into and going beyond college. When you feel like you're ready to make the executive decision, you should make it for yourself, not for your teacher, parents, colleges, but yourself. you're the one that will be affected by that decision for most of your life. Take your time if you feel that you need it.
That's all for today! If anyone has any ideas for upcoming posts, let me know in the comments or email me at girletmehelp@gmail.com. I have a lot more time this summer, so you can expect more consistent posts!
Remember, if you ever need a hand, girl, let me help!
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