With the constant momentum of taking on another year of school and the pressure to be the best that we can be, it feels like there is no time or room to second-guess ourselves. We are encouraged to follow our gut, but we are expected to make a decision before we can figure out which direction our instincts are pointing us toward.

Because of this pressure, sometimes we find ourselves making decisions that we discover were not the right ones after all down the road.

Among the people my age, I find this situation common when it comes to them picking their major.

Pressured to be wealthy and successful, people find themselves chasing money and validation from society rather than their own interests.

Pretending is easy at first, but you can only do that for so long. Whether the courses are too difficult or they just do not make you think, “This is it, this is what I meant to be doing with my life,” the façade becomes more and more transparent as time goes on.

The opinions of others outweighs personal judgement, and you find yourself stuck either continuing down a path that feels like it was paved for someone else or you find yourself at a complete standstill.

Throughout the past two years, many friends of mine have found themselves at this fork in the road. Instead of continuing down the path they already started walking or giving up entirely, they have chosen to go change direction completely.

Changing your major is scary. You do not want to feel like you wasted time and money. You do not want to feel like you are being looked down on by your peers. You do not want to feel like a failure.

The only way you could ever be a failure is if you are spending your life studying subjects that do not interest you, doing a job you do not love and being someone that you wish you were not.

When I see my friends who struggled with finding their paths now, I cannot remember them ever being lost.

They have found what they love to do and a way to make it a career.

They have found the confidence to change their paths, even though it may require them to take the longer route.

Whether they made the decision to leave school so they can finally give themselves the time to listen to their instincts or they changed their major, they are on step closer to finding out who they are and where they will be one day.

In my eyes, that is true strength: admitting that you are unhappy or unsure and making a change, no matter how scary and intimidating it may be.

In my eyes, that is true success and wealth that no dollar amount, fancy job title or validation from society can ever compare to.

Carole Hodorowicz is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or cdhodorowicz@eiu.edu.