The road to success: why you don't have to be perfect to succeed

Kelsey Osborne - Sophomore | Features

It’s that time of year again -- the school year is coming to a close and the dreaded ACT and other major academic milestones are fast approaching. When I reflect on the past year, and my high school experience so far, I think it is best compared to being on a high speed train traveling through a thick fog! I can see the end of high school approaching, and I can’t decide if I want the train to slow down or speed up.

The pressure associated with the ACT is something that many students struggle with. It’s no secret that a good score is vital for students who want to go to college. Not only does the ACT impact which schools will consider admitting you, but the financial incentives that will be offered (if any at all).

For many of us, there is a larger stressor at play, which is that it can be terribly difficult to decide what you want to spend the rest of your life doing. The pressure to have a defined plan can be immensely overwhelming.

I decided to investigate the paths that different people have taken to get to their current profession. I asked working professionals to give insight into the world of college, workforce, and provide some words of wisdom based on their journey.

When asked about their dream occupation as children, I was not surprised that they responded with the usual suspects, lawyer, doctor, teacher, etc. However, none of them ended up working in those professions.

To get a better understanding of their journey, I asked about their high school experience regarding career readiness, and the results were quite varied. For example, one person did not focus on academics at all, one was fixated on their childhood dream career, and another just did whatever came naturally.

“Having received little to no guidance about what fields might be appropriate to pursue, my post-secondary choices and career opportunities were unplanned and somewhat random.” said an anonymous Government Affairs & Public relations worker. “However unlikely, they have delivered me to rewarding work and an incredibly satisfying career.”

All participants went to college directly following high school, with the exception of one.

“I joined the military, and took some random classes over the years. I left the military after 13 years and got a regular job. 16 years after graduating high school, I started college.” said Economic Development Planner Jill F. “I'm glad that I didn't go to college before I was ready. When I was in high school, I was lucky to get a C in my classes, but when I went to college as an adult I graduated with a 4.0 GPA.”

Finding what it is you want to do and what you want to be is a dilemma that almost every adolescent has struggled with, despite their financial, racial, or regional situation. One interviewee, Mark, put it well when he said, “Although I wish that I had been more self aware about following my passions earlier, I do know that any time spent thinking about the past eats up the present and future.”

I wrapped up each interview by asking their advice regarding higher education and career paths for those of us who are approaching graduation. My favorite response came from Mark D., a Public Historian whose dream it was to become a lawyer.

“I would advise you to seek out the thing that really interests you and follow that path, regardless of the advice others may give you. People who love you and want the very best for you can still give you bad advice. It's your life. At the end of the day, nobody knows how you should spend it better than you.”

This process has taught me that the road to success does not exist. Teachers, mentors, parents and even friends may try to convince you otherwise, but in reality, what works for one person might not work for another. It's not necessarily that important to stress yourself out over what major to choose in college, or what you plan to do after school, because life is a journey and you may find yourself in a profession that you were never expecting to fall into.