Where do I go from here? That’s a question I’ve been finding myself asking lately. Since birth, my life has been planned out for me; go to school, graduate school, go to college and then graduate college. After that, you’re on your own kid.
Granted, I still have roughly a year and a half left till I’m at that point. It’s a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I’m glad I have structure in my life. Honestly, if I wasn’t in college, I don’t think I would know what to do with myself. On the other hand, I’m ready to move on. If you read my previous installment of college confession, you know that my college experience hasn’t been the best. But until I have that degree in my hand I will not be moving on.
So what do I do with myself? The answer to that is still unclear. I feel like I see everyone around me moving on with their life, but I’m stuck in the same cycle. I want to do more with my life and be content in the present, but I find myself dreaming of the future.
This may sound familiar to you. Maybe you’ve been here before or maybe you’re here now.
When I googled the phrase “feeling stuck in college,” the most common solution people provide is to drop out. The websites are littered with phrases like “you don’t need a degree” and “college is useless.” All of which are very unhelpful in this situation.
Ignoring the very obvious privilege surrounding those statements. Sometimes the best solution is not to make some drastic life change, sometimes even a small change can change your perception.
While I am still very much in that feeling of being stuck here are some things I’m doing to reduce that feeling.
Taking fun classes (or classes you’re interested in). In college, we get used to being told what we are supposed to take. This semester I stepped out of the box and decided to take a yoga and a video production class. These are brand new skills to me and while I might not be great at them it’s inspired me to try more.
Instead of being embarrassed by my feelings of being stuck and unmotivated, I shared them with my friends. What I found out is a surprising amount of people feel the same way. This just proves the point you are never truly alone.
The last thing I want to mention is to remember you are still young. A Lot of times the fear of being stuck is the fear that you’re not doing enough. If you’re in college you’re doing enough, which is something I have to remind myself.
At the end of the day, give yourself grace. Your time will come and eventually, these feelings dissipate. In the meantime, just remember that you are not alone. Signed your fellow stuck college student.
