Navigating a Student Identity Crisis
Whether you’re in undergrad or graduate school, it’s common to have doubts about your path. Having second thoughts about your major? Unsure if your school really aligns with your values? Questioning whether or not you like who you’re becoming? Wherever you may find yourself, here are some things to consider as you navigate this sometimes tumultuous inner territory.
1- Remember, self-doubt can be healthy!
As you get deeper into your field, it’s natural to come up against ideas, beliefs, and questions that push and pull you in various directions. That exposure can be destabilizing – after all, you’re confronting new things and grappling with them. The self-doubt you may experience in reaction to that can be a natural process of you figuring out where you stand in the midst of all that newness. If your self-doubt is really disorienting, though, it might be worth it to seek some outside help. Talking to a counselor or a friend to sort through your feelings can do a lot to help you organize your thoughts and get some clarity and peace of mind
2- You still have choices.
It’s easy to feel like you’re pigeon-holing yourself when you commit to a particular field. It’s a truism that when you commit to one path, you close off many others. This can be a daunting thought. Remember, though, that you likely made the choice you did for a reason. And just because you’re committing to this path for the next little while doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind later. Not to mention the fact that there is usually a lot of flexibility in how you apply the degree you’re getting!
3- Look at your schooling choices in the context of your five-year plan.
Some of the fears that arise for students in the midst of identity crises are long-term and amorphous: “What if I don’t like working as a business consultant?” “How will I support my future family with a political science degree?” While these are valid concerns, they put you in a bind because you likely can’t answer them with the data and experience you currently have. Instead, it can be helpful to look at your choices in the context of your five-year plan. You don’t have to have every little thing figured out now! Just thinking about some concrete goals you have and how schooling fits in it can allay many a worry. (Also, if you’ve never tried making a five-year plan, check out our post about it here! It’s a great exercise to help you organize your thoughts about your future.)
If you’d like to talk to someone about this issue or any other concern, book an appointment with one of our counselors today.
