I’ve have about two years left before I graduate high school, and I am scared out of my mind. I don’t know what I will do with my life afterwards. I can’t figure out what university to attend, or what job I would like to have, or anything of the sort. It’s overwhelming to the point where, even though I still have two years, I almost feel like shutting down completely. Any advice would be appreciated.

Anonymous,

You are far from the first person to have these fears. Many before you have felt exactly the same way you do.

It’s easy to understand why. This is a series of enormous decisions you will have to make. Being uncertain about all of them will make a person feel overwhelmed, as though you are massively behind the curve because of your uncertainty. I want to be the first to assure you: you are not.

Allow me to reconstruct this problem logically. You don’t know which university to attend yet. Before you make that decision, you will be putting in applications to universities. You only need narrow down your decision to a handful of options for this step. Subsequently, you will hear back from universities, who may accept you, reject you, or perhaps accept you with a scholarship.



This will make choosing between your finalists much easier. The decision won’t even approach the level of stress it feels like it will induce.

As for your career, I have pleasant news. There are institutions designed for helping students discern their career path. They are called “universities.” Remember, universities wish for their students to graduate and to be successful after graduation. You should expect to find plenty of resources at your university to help you with this decision.

A final point to consider: a staggering number of people change their majors in university, and far more choose an unexpected career after entering the work force. Those with a university degree frequently find that their degree qualifies them for jobs they never knew existed, or ones they didn’t expect. Put another way, you are not under nearly the level of pressure to commit to a career decision that you may think you are.

To summarize: you will be dealing with these problems in sequence. They don’t feel manageable when you think of them together, but each one, individually, will be much simpler when you arrive to it. Millions of people before you have discovered this for themselves.

One problem at a time. This approach will help you maintain a level head.

I wish you all the best in the meantime.

-Miles Edgeworth

