There are various pressures that come along with being a high school student, one of which is picking a future career. Many students spend many weeks and months figuring out what areas they excel at and what areas take more work for them. In many situations picking a career can be stressful because it is hard to figure out what you want to do with your life before you have even been out in the real world.

Guidance counselor, Ms. Space recently shared her opinions on students picking their careers.

These are five things to take into consideration while trying to find your passion:

– Do Not Compare Yourself to Others

Everyone works at their own pace and figures things out at their own pace. A common thing for many students is they think just because their friends figured something out it means that they must do it at the same way as their friends. This is an unhealthy way of thinking because again, everyone thinks and works at different rates of time. It is okay to take more time when figuring things out about yourself and there are no rights or wrongs to the process.

Ms. Space suggests: “I believe that everyone has their own path, and students shouldn’t compare themselves to other people.”

– Try Different Things Out Before Sticking to Just One Idea

It is vital to keep your options open. Many people, when trying to find out their passion, try out many different things before deciding. The best way to try different things out is to join clubs and activities during school and try things outside of school, such as independent projects and summer programs.

“It also helps to explore other electives and other programs in extremely important. I also think that by exploring these other classes and programs it gives students opportunities to discover different strengths. Things people may learn will help build their character as well” added Ms. Space.

– Talk to People in the Fields You are Interested In

The best way to get information about a career you are interested in is to talk to people who are well respected in the field. These individuals will have answers to all your questions. Take advantage of the time you have to talk to them and ask them what an average day in the job feels like and exactly what they do. This is a fantastic way to narrow down your ideas and figure out what you like versus what you dislike.

Ms. Space shared, “People who are living that career every day are able to share their opinions and experience with people, so it helps have a better understanding of what the expectations of the career are.”

– Strive to Have a Plan A and a Plan B

This is important because in life sometimes what we imagine does not always end up being possible in the future. There are many roadblocks and obstacles that may prevent someone from achieving their plan A and this may result in plan B.

Having a backup is always important even if you never end up using it. It is also helpful to take some classes relating to your plan B in college in addition to your major.

“It is extremely important to have a plan B, there are many teachers in this building that did not even start off as a teacher. It is important to have a backup plan just in case you change your mind.” suggested Ms. Space.

– Understand That You Still Have Time in College to Think About it

It is okay to not know for sure right now. Many people think that they all need to have it figured out by their senior year while this is not always true. There is time in college to investigate different electives and majors as well. The best way to succeed is to put in the work and do it at your own pace.

Ms. Space concludes: “Most colleges do not require choosing a major till the end of your sophomore year. This gives students time to change their major. I encourage students to take their time to change their major it gives them time to explore options.”

It is evident that although finding one’s passion can be a challenging process, there are many ways students can find what they are truly good at in and out of high school.