August 21 marks the first day of the 2024-2025 school year, along with being the first last day of school for me as an SLU student. This realization hit me as I saw the upcoming freshmen arrive for the new year and how I was in the same space not too long ago. 

One of the biggest worries related to being a college freshman is having no idea what you want to do with your life after you graduate. I knew what I wanted to do with my life when I was out of school, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about achieving it. As much as I had my worries about where to look to accomplish my goals, I know there are new students who have even less of an idea of what they want to major in or do after college. 

I understand why so many freshmen and upperclassmen are so preoccupied and stressed out with having every part of their journey and career mapped out. For a lot of people, the decision to go to college is one that comes from a feeling of obligation rather than active decision making. They feel like they have to go to college and get some degree because it is expected of them socially. 

In my eyes, this is one of the most important things you need to ask yourself before even thinking about pursuing college: your motivation. Having an understanding of whether what you want to do actually needs a college degree will save you from constantly bouncing back and forth between different majors. 

If college is your goal but you don’t know your major or your future career, understand that it is not the end of the world. I realize that those words coming from someone who is almost through school might not mean much, but they are true. Your first year of college is the best time to find out your major and plan out your future courses because many resources on campus do their best to help you out early, such as Freshman Academic Success courses and academic and career exploration resources.

This was something I realized late into my college journey when I reflected on my time at SLU. I never paid attention to the tools at my disposal when trying to find my way as a freshman until much later. I chose to do my own research on what opportunities I could find with the major I decided to pursue. With that being said, there is no shame in changing your major multiple times, as long as it leads to a clear vision of what you want. 

The last four years of my life have been a period where I got to reflect on who I am and what I want from life going forward. It’s important to note that no matter how much planning you do at this point in your life, things can always take a direction you didn’t expect. It’s always important to keep your possibilities open in life and to expect the unexpected.