We have all been asked the same question. That one question
that no matter how many times we’ve been asked, we aren’t quite sure what the
answer is. Yet, we have been asked this questions so many times, it would
assumed that we should have an answer by now – or what appears to be somewhat
of a direction to the answer at least. But, here we are, clueless once more. What
question is she referring to you might ask yourself…
What would you like to be when you grow up?
As a child this question seemed so certain. All my life I
thought I would grow up to be a Veterinarian. I love animals more than I love
most human beings, so this path makes since to pursue. However, as I grew up I
realized that I was not the best at science and I have a weak stomach prohibiting
me to be around blood. These both are factors that I have no control over
unfortunately so I needed to start thinking about a different future to pursue.
In high school I was extremely good at math. I graduated a year early from high
school which required me to double up on my math courses. Since I was so
passionate about the subject, this was a challenge I was willing to accept.
When I started looking at colleges, I began looking into the business field. Why
would I pick a degree in the business field when I loved math so much? Why
would I contradict my natural ability like this? Why can’t I have the best of
both worlds I thought to myself. Today, I am in college at Ohio Northern
University. I am pursuing a major in Risk Management and Insurance with a dual
minor in Management and Statistics and the question still remains.
What would you like to be when you grow up?
Almost seven years have gone by and I still do not have the
answer. I am currently a senior in my last semester of my undergraduate degree and
I could not answer the one question that has been haunting me for years. At ONU
I have found that there is a very limited population of students that can give
a definite answer to this question. What appears to be the worst part about
this redundant question is that the majority of the faculty and staff cannot
answer it themselves, let alone give you the answer to your future. I ask
myself so many times, why is this question so hard to answer? It may be because
as an undergraduate student in college I do not have the most experience in the
work force to know what I like and what I do not like. It might be because I am
not educated on the amount of jobs directly related to my degree, seeing that I
am obtaining a degree in a fairly new program. It might be that I haven’t taken
the time to really think about what I wanted to be when I grew up?
Just recently I discovered that not being able to rely on
others to give me this answer isn’t the worst part. The worst part about not
being able to answer this question is one of the many factors playing a part in
everyday life – time.
It feels like just yesterday I was in grade school learning
my alphabet and before I could blink I am a few months short of walking across
the stage to accept my diploma from ONU. Now, I have to take one of the biggest
steps on my life and decide what I want to do from here. Time has caught up to
me and I have to decide where I want to start my journey and what I want to be
(or at least start with). The only thing I know about my future is that I want
to be happy with a good job. A job that I don’t hate waking up for every
morning. Knowing that I want to be happy with a good job doesn’t seem to be
enough, especially now that I have to begin applying for jobs. Again I am stuck
here asking myself that one taunting question.
What would you like to be when you grow up?
I think one of the best things about this question is you can always change the answer. You hold the key for your future so if it isn't going as planned or you just want something different, change what you want to be when you grow up. We are constantly growing up and getting older. Yes, people in the 'real world' want an answer now but it is not the worse thing to not know. It means you haven't found it yet, but, you are looking. As long as you look for what will truly make you happy you don't have to answer what you want to be when you grow up. Heck I don't know what I want. Right now I want people to stop asking me that question.
ReplyDeleteI ask myself this same question almost daily. I originally wanted to be a veterinarian as well, but here I am at ONU working on a degree in Graphic Design. It truly is a hard question to answer, and as time goes by it doesn't seem to get much easier. I feel as though that if you are constantly aware of this question you will always be searching for the answer. That is not a bad thing either. Wanting to be happy and love what you is a great thing. We tend to want to know what is going to happen in our future, we want that security of having life planned. I think that if you continuously look for that answer to that question, when you are older you will look back on your life and say, "I became what I wanted to become."
ReplyDeleteI felt like the only person in the world that has no idea what I am going to do with my life. It makes me happy knowing that not many people know what they want to do right now either and that I shouldn't worry so much about it. I felt as though I needed to get my life together and figure everything out. I'm in my second year as a student and I was already panicking for no reason. I with you on knowing that all I know is that I want a job that I will love to go to. Hopefully time will help the both of us figure it out.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a common question asked to us confused college students. I remember when I was a kid, looking up to people in college and thinking wow, they have their life together, they are set to face the real world. Now that I am a college student I do not know what I was thinking. Personally, I also do not really know exactly what I plan to do when I graduate. The real world is a scary place. Im still waiting for the day when I feel like a real adult and that life is really all together. I wish you the best of luck always and I know that you will do great things!
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate to this! The second you tell someone you're in college, they ask you "what would you like to be when you grow up?" When I was little, I had a plan to be something when i grew up, and that has changed a million time since, and still is. When people ask what I want to do with a communications major, I honestly have no clue. So I know exactly where you are coming from and I wish you the best of luck as you enter into this different stage of your life!
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