Career Paths

(credit?)

There are many people who go to college knowing exactly what they want to do. And then there are those lovely "undecided" students. I was "undecided" for two years and choose to get my A.A. degree in general education to buy me some time. After that things got a little more pressured. Thing is I love school, I loved being in the classroom, learning with my classmates, discussing the numerous topics, doing research papers, elaborating on ideas and expanding my horizons. I loved living on campus too. But I flourished in the scholastic dimensions, aka not a party girl. Don't misunderstand, I had a great social life, but I was focused on school.



The summer going into my Junior year I realized I had to decide on a major. I knew I could do well in any of the subjects because my passion for learning and knowledge would absorb any topic. But the after college world is where things would change.  Here's how the process went for me: I had spent a decade studying music already, the sciences offered I had already dabbled in during High School, they didn't offer Art, I have no flair for the stage (so no drama), and History and English seemed to only make for teachers (and it seems like there are too many teachers and not enough jobs). I could have done Psychology but didn't feel challenged by the profs for the courses I attended and my Sociology class was a joke. Which left me with Anthropology, Communications, Computer Sciences (didn't care about that), and Theology classes.To be perfectly frank, I would have done Anthropology, Communications and Theology if I had the means to attend an additional year. Instead I had to choose. I figured I needed to work on my communications skills so I'll be a Communications Major! Yeah, good way to decide something right?


Thing is, for me going to college wasn't a goal, it was assumed and not just by family, I knew that is what I was going to do. It was the after-college part that I had no clue about. And I still don't have a clue about this whole after-college life. I don't really know what I want or for those things I do want, how to get there. Everything seems a mess and only part of me seems to be getting anywhere and sadly, the part of me that is growing is my debt. The economy went out as I walked the stage to receive my diploma. No one prepares you for that kind of job market crash.

I don't know what to do. There are ideas that swim in my head like fish in the ocean. They're nice and all but don't really 'stick.' All I know is that I want to do something creative, preferably using my hands; to help others, to have a career that is meaningful to me and uses my talents and abilities and challenges me too. I want to be a full fledged artist with my own studio, painting, drawing, illustrating, designing, writing and so much more- but how do I get there?

Then there is that part of me that goes, "never gonna happen, so what then?" Maybe I'll go overseas again and teach English somewhere for a while to pay off my school loans. Maybe I'll become a nun.... shoot, I have no idea.