Finding Your Way: 'Career' is a scary word

Knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life is the most daunting thing ever.
Teachers start asking you to choose which direction you want to go in so early in life; like seriously, I was 15...how can I possibly know what I will want to be doing in ten, even twenty, years?

If it's one thing I know, it's that school doesn't make or break your life.

In high school I was quite academic, loving math, biology, psychology etc, and generally wanting to do really well. After pushing my limits all of year 11, when it got to half way through my final year...I crashed. Big time. And it sucked. I felt drained, tired, slow, lethargic and just really unmotivated to do any study.

So, here I was on track to getting a great ATAR (great in my books is like 70-85), and then I get mine, and it's in the 60's. I knew that would happen, and to be honest, by that point, I didn't care any more. I was spent.

BUT, I did make it into Deakin University, doing science with a double major in biology and mathematics. After 6 months, I was depressed. I was losing weight, not sleeping properly and was always stressed or in a bad mood.

A tip: when this is happening to you, stop doing whatever you're doing that is making you this way!

Deferring uni was the best decision I ever made.

I remember relatives saying "but if you just keep persisting you'll get it done quicker", but...why stay unhappy?
In a 6 month period, I had developed a love for beauty and makeup, and..on a whim I enrolled myself in a six month beauty services certificate.

THIS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY CAREER OUTLOOK!

This is a long-winded story, but what I'm trying to get at is:
1) Do what you love
2) Don't feel like there's a deadline on how quickly you need to start your career
3) Don't feel like you need a career at all - some people suit working at several different places across their worklife. Who says you can't do all different types of things?
4) Never feel stuck: if your not happy with what you're doing, get out. Start something new.

Just do things that keep you happy. No one should choose your career, and you should never feel pressured into getting into it quicker than your comfortable with.


I haven't even finished my studying yet, and who knows, I might change my mind again! And you know what? It's my choice, and no one else's.