{"id":13854,"date":"2026-02-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/?p=13854"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:28:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T22:28:36","slug":"deciding-the-rest-of-your-life-at-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/becomeatexan\/deciding-the-rest-of-your-life-at-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Deciding the Rest of Your Life at 18\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The question everyone keeps asking<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n

\u201cWhat colleges are you looking at?\u201d \u201cWhat major are you going to choose?\u201d <\/em>And the big one, \u201cWhat do you want to do for the rest of your life?\u201d<\/em> Sound familiar? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What an idea – that at age 18, usually even sooner, we are expected to choose the course of the rest of our lives.<\/strong><\/em> Some people have known from birth that they want to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a firefighter, but most often, this is not the case. It wasn\u2019t for me, and if you\u2019re reading this, there\u2019s a good chance it hasn’t been for you either. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have to have it all figured out<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n

I am here to put down the rumor that you have to know, right now<\/em>, what you want to do for the rest of your life. Don\u2019t have a lifelong dream of a future career? Neither did I. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was deciding what to do after high school, I wasn\u2019t even sure college was the right move. I considered joining the Peace Corps or becoming a full time missionary. When I did picture college, my ideas bounced between being a medical examiner, a forensic scientist, or an elementary school teacher. I knew I loved helping people, I enjoyed crime TV, and my mom was a teacher. Ultimately, I decided I would attend Tarleton State to become a teacher. Why did I choose this? Not sure<\/em>, maybe it felt familiar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s\u00a0okay if your plan changes<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n

Before stepping on campus, my mom encouraged me to think beyond teaching. So I went back to the drawing board<\/strong> and chose General Business. And why did I choose this? Well, I didn’t know that General Studies existed. I just knew I needed time and options.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halfway through college, I landed a graphic design internship simply because it sounded fun<\/strong><\/em>. I ended up loving it and added Art and Digital Media Studies minors to my degree plan. Today, I have been a full-time graphic designer for two years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At 18, I had no idea that my current career was even possible for me. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Majors that can lead to many career paths<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n

If you are unsure about your future career, choosing a broad or flexible major can give you time and options. These types of degrees focus on skills that transfer across industries, like communication, problem solving, and leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n