Life Choices

The phrase “control the rest of your life” is one that is constantly banded about by grown-ups about basically every decision you make.

Spoiler: It’s bullshit.

The subjects you choose in any year of high school make literally no difference to what you will do with your life, so choose subjects you think you might enjoy. If you enjoy something, you’ll generally do well at it. The course you choose for university is unlikely to make any difference to what you will do with your life, so choose something you think you might enjoy, and don’t be afraid of switching it up (and don’t go to university if you don’t want to, it’s way too expensive to hate being there).

It’s ironic that you’re not allowed to smoke, drink, or vote, but for some reason you’re expected to know exactly what you want to do with your life. Next time a grown-up of any kind asks what you want to do with your life, try flipping it around on them:

Did they know what they were going to be at 15, 16, 17? Did their choices at that age lead them directly to where they are now? Or would they rather your goals stretched into the short term, and have you do things that you like to achieve that nebulous goal of *being happy*?

I sincerely doubt anyone plans to become a careers counsellor at age 16. Most grown-ups have gone through several career changes, or at the very least barely used the education that gave them certificates. The ones that haven’t are the minority.

Do what you want, and don’t let any adults try and tell you that the next choice will control the rest of your life. It will control the next bit of your life, so do your best to make it awesome.