By Thomonique Moore
NSHSS Scholar, Howard University Class of 2016

As a high school student, you spend a lot of time thinking about graduation, what colleges will accept you, and which one you’ll be able to afford. Few of you know what your major and career might be. As a member of NSHSS and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, I’m here to reassure you that not having it all planned out is okay.

There are many things you will come to learn after graduation as you begin to matriculate through your college career – things I wish I had been told as a high school student. For starters, you will find out that who you believe you want to become will change once, sometimes twice a semester. The things you love in high school or as a child are not necessarily the things you will come to like or love as a young adult. You will also become exposed to new possibilities that may alter your goals and aspirations. Different opportunities will open themselves up to you as you begin to get involved with different organizations and network with people from diverse backgrounds.

Currently, I am entering into my third year of college at Howard University, and writing from the desk of my internship at Thermo Fisher Scientific. During my junior and senior years of high school I did not say to myself, “I want to intern and work for a biotechnology product development company.” The truth is, my major has changed twice since enrolling at Howard University. I began my career as an engineering major, and quickly switched to business administration. After spending freshman year, and half of my sophomore year involved with different organizations, I was exposed to a different side of business and I finally decided to switch my major to management information systems. And yet, through a series of interactions, I’ve found myself working on a human resources team at a biotechnology company.  However, it’s through this internship with Thermo Fisher Scientific that I will receive hands-on experience of what corporate business is like in an industry unfamiliar to me. They have afforded me the opportunity to gain better insight into and exposure to what I believe I want to do, as well as alternatives I didn’t know existed.

So what I’m saying is that even if you graduate from high school with honors or a 4.0 GPA, it is perfectly fine to not know exactly what you want to do with your future. The time you spend in college will expose you to new career and life options. While you are finishing up these last few chapters in high school, you can begin to work on soft skills that can be applied to any career choice, such as: time management, problem-solving, effective communication, self-confidence, and a positive attitude. It is best to create a rough draft plan, which can be easily changed and modified as you learn and grow. Remain open to all of the opportunities presented to you, and after some changes and switches, you’ll find yourself on the path to the career you truly love.