I have no freakin clue what I'm doing

combatchameleon
Sat, 18 Nov 2017 19:25:52 +0000

This is going to be so ridiculously unhelpful, but I just got seriously freaked out by this post. I just posted a topic in this forum with almost the same title, and a really similar dilemma. I can’t really offer you any advice with a good conscience, as that would be hypocritical, but I do want to say that I feel exactly the same as you do. It’s so frustrating, the pressure to pick some career path that you know absolutely nothing about what your daily life will be like in that field. It’s scary to think you could be following your dreams one day, and then all of a sudden lose interest, or realize all of that work was for nothing. So many people keep telling me that I’ll find out what I want to do eventually, but how am I supposed to plan for now if I don’t know what I’m doing?

I can give you a bit of insight into the profession of nursing. My mother is currently finishing her degree in nursing, and she absolutely loves it. Don’t get me wrong, its crazy difficult, but life is hard. Don’t be afraid of hard work, some of the best careers require such a level of studiousness. It will be rewarding. Nursing is also extremely versatile, for someone like you with a need for variety. You not only see new people all of the time, new cases every day, but every place of employment can be different. In addition, each field of specialization can be an entirely new set of duties. To add to this, if you get really bored, you can also practice nursing overseas with programs such as Medecins Sans Frontiers, or even within the country. I met a lady once that would do jobs for a few months in one state, and then move on to the next. Of course, this is impractical if you plan on having a family, but i felt it was worth mentioning.

But, my mom, during her clinicals, has also found a lot of fellow nurses who have little empathy for their patients, nor passion for their work. They just aren’t right for the profession, and you may or may not be, but its important to acknowledge that different things work for different people, and I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually with trial and error!

I wish you the best of luck, and I promise you’re not alone in your frustrating, confusing college journey! Take it easy!