Into the Unknown
How time, patience and self discovery in college empower students to overcome uncertainty.
Story by Jordan Stone
“You’ll figure it out when you get to college.”
I’ve been getting this answer for as long as I can remember. And each time I’ve expressed concern or worry about my future, this was the response given. It didn’t matter if it was from friends, parents, teachers or even counselors. The response has always been the same.
I didn’t believe them. It wasn’t until my journey of self-discovery that I learned they were right.
I didn’t even know where I was going to college until a few days before high school graduation. Knowing what exactly I wanted to study when I got there? That was something I hadn’t thought about.
According to Daniel Mai, a doctoral intern at Western Washington University’s counseling center, the feeling of uncertainty over one’s future is common.
“People are often stressed or pressured to decide what they want to do early on without really exploring what options interest them,” Mai said. “Other times, I think there is pressure placed from the family to go with a certain major because it is known to be financially stable, instead of the individual pursuing their own interest.”
I started my freshman year at Skagit Valley College. I played on their baseball team while taking almost exclusively English or communications classes. Not only did I enjoy these classes, but I excelled in them. I began to consider a career which involved writing.
As I was settling in at Skagit Valley and planning what classes I’d be taking sophomore year, a curveball was thrown my way. I was cut from the team. I found out shortly after I had been playing on a torn labrum in my hip that would require surgery.
I moved back home to Bellevue, Washington and took my sophomore year of classes at Bellevue College while recovering from surgery. There were many things still up in the air that year, like not being sure of what I wanted to study or what career I wanted to choose.
Thrown into the dilemma was another decision — whether or not to keep playing baseball. The uncertainty of it all made that year tough. On top of taking hard classes, I was burdened with making potentially life-altering decisions regarding my future.
“I think that with society’s pressure of knowing what we should do, and as soon as possible, leads people to decide on a path or major because it sounds good, while in actuality it is not something they personally feel interested or passionate in,” Mai said. “Uncertainty over one’s future is scary because it is unknown.”
Mai added that typical symptoms he sees in some cases are anxiety or depression as a result of the uncertainty. He typically encourages people to reflect on what led them to their original path and to take time to explore what things interest them. This is one of the coping methods that helped me relieve some of the stress I was feeling due to uncertainty.
I ended up forgoing a chance to continue my baseball career and instead decided to attend Western. My reasoning was that it was a good opportunity to explore different potential career fields relating to my passion for sports. At Western, I could try journalism and public relations, both of which could land me jobs in sports.
Within the first few weeks on campus, I knew I made the right choice. In fall quarter 2019, I worked under Jeff Evans, director of athletic communications at Western, and thoroughly enjoyed my time. In addition, I covered sports for The Western Front. This is when it all came together for me.
I realized that working in sports was no longer an abstract idea. Everything started to feel tangible and attainable.
With every story, interview or assignment, my confidence grew. Not only the confidence in myself and my ability, but confidence I was making the right choice, and finally becoming a little more certain over my future.
I’m not the only one who realized that their passion for sports could turn into a career. Ben Bagley, a senior at Western, had a similar realization to my own while working for Western Athletics. Bagley has done a variety of roles, but the one he’s settled into is broadcasting softball, basketball and volleyball games.
“Sports broadcasting was always something I was aware of, but never really saw myself pursuing until Western,” Bagley said in an email interview. “All I want to do in my free time is talk about sports, and being a broadcaster allows me to just sit back and talk sports.”
Once I found the job I wanted to do, I knew it instantly. When I was there, I felt like I belonged. For me, it was landing an internship with the Seattle Mariners in sports information.
When I arrived at my first day of work, I didn’t know what to expect. Nor did I know I would find solace I had been searching for. It didn’t help that I got lost finding the entrance that day.
It wasn’t until my second day of work that I had an epiphany. I remember the moment clearly. The game had just ended. I clicked send on the post-game stats and notes I had compiled throughout the game.
As I was walking to the copier, listening to the buzz of the fans leaving the stadium and the sound of the grounds crew preparing the field for the next day’s game, I came to a realization.
I discovered how much I enjoyed compiling notes and stats. I realized it was the perfect combination of my passions and my skill set. At that moment, all the uncertainty I carried with me was gone.
For Bagley, it wasn’t one singular moment, but rather an atmosphere that made him feel like he belonged.
“Working on the game day staff has really felt like I’ve finally found my niche of nerds that love the game as much as I do,” Bagley said. “I absolutely feel like I am right where I belong.”
Bagley’s experience goes to show how finding a career doesn’t always come all at once. For him, he always knew he wanted to work in sports, but didn’t know exactly what that would look like. Some people figure out early what they want to do and don’t have to suffer through the stress of being uncertain about their futures. They should consider themselves lucky.
I know there are times where it feels like rocket science has a simpler solution than what your future will hold. But I have come to realize that what everyone has been telling me all my life is the same advice I would choose to give other people going through the same uncertainty I dealt with.
“You’ll figure it out when you get to college.”