Nothing Is Set In Stone by Emma

Nothing Is Set In Stone by Emma - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Knowing what I know now, what is one piece of advice I would give to younger students? This question is pretty thought-provoking, because I have loads and loads of advice that I could give to younger students. I could fill a book with the tidbits of knowledge and painful (but necessary) truths about life that I have stumbled upon during my years in high school, things that I wish someone had told me before I found them out for myself. If there is one piece of advice that I could give to students that are younger then me, it would be that nothing is set in stone.
Allow me, if you will, to elaborate. I thought about being a baker, then changed my mind and wanted to be an artist. Soon I shifted from art to teaching, and from teaching to psychology. Whenever I changed my mind, people I knew would ask, “Why did you change from ____ to ____? (fill in the blank)”, to which I would respond, “I don't know, I just felt different now than I did two months ago.”
The reason for that is simple. I am a human being, I am fickle. I needed to search, learn, and, yes, change direction a few times to find something I truly love. If I get to college and find out that being a psychologist isn't for me, then I will find something else that I do love. Some of my friends are in the same boat, and some others aren't even going to college right away. Everyone makes choices differently, and that's fine.
Changing your mind isn't a bad thing. Some people might act like it is, but that is because they are letting fear of failure cloud their judgment. You have your whole life, say about 90 years left after high school. During those 90 years you are going to go to college (or maybe you won't), laugh, get a job, and make friends. You are also going to cry, storm out of your job after quitting, lose people you love, and change directions a few times. That is perfectly fine. If a relationship makes you miserable, leave. If you hate your job, quit. If your friends treat you poorly, kick them to the curb. You don't need to light yourself on fire to keep others warm. All you have to do is make the decisions that are beneficial to yourself and your well-being. If you hurt someone's feelings or lose a few friends in the process of trying to be happy, it will hurt, but it will also probably be worth it. Live without regrets or reservations. You're young, you can do whatever you want. That may sound fake, or cliché, but it's true. Go to college, or high school. Find your people, find what you love. And if in ten or twenty years your life isn't what you want it to be, then go back to college, or change jobs. And if anyone tries to tell you that you can't, don't listen.
Everything changes. It's scary, but it's also a bit of a relief. It isn't easy, but it is healthy. Yes, the decisions you make now will impact you later, but you can make different choices later on as well. Never worry about how people view you. Dress however you want, make friends with whomever you choose. Fall in love, break hearts, get your heart broken. Pick up the pieces and move on. The road is open to you. And in 90 years, look back happily and see how you've grown. After all, without change, we wouldn't have any butterflies, now would we?