You don’t need to know what you want to do with your life at 18
If someone asked you at 17 or 18: “So, what do you want to do with your life?”
Would you have an answer? And if you don't, that's okay.
Because somehow, university applications have turned into a test of whether you've already figured out the next 40 years of your life.
You haven't. And you're not supposed to.
You are choosing a degree, not your entire future
One of the biggest misconceptions about university is that choosing a degree means choosing your career forever. It doesn't.
You might study economics and end up working in fashion. You might study history and go into consulting. You might study computer science and discover that you actually want to work in education.
Your first degree is a starting point, not a life contract.
What matters is choosing something that genuinely interests you, that you're capable of doing well in, and that gives you options for where you might want to go next.
“But what if my degree isn't practical?”
This is probably one of the biggest questions you'll hear from parents. And it's a fair question.
But “practical” doesn't simply mean “Will this degree give me one very specific job?”
Think about the skills you'll develop.
Can you analyse information?
Write clearly?
Solve problems?
Present an argument?
Work with other people?
Conduct research?
Understand data?
Think critically?
These skills travel with you. And if you already know you want to enter a profession with specific requirements, such as medicine, architecture, law, engineering, etc., then yes, your degree choice matters more directly.
But if you're still figuring things out? You have room to explore.
Don't choose a degree because it sounds impressive
This is where things can get complicated.
Maybe everyone around you is applying for business.
Maybe your parents think medicine is the safest option.
Maybe your friend is going to Amsterdam and suddenly Amsterdam is your dream too.
Maybe you found a degree with an incredibly impressive name and have no idea what you'll actually study.
Pause. Instead, ask yourself:
What subjects do I actually enjoy learning about?
What kind of problems do I enjoy solving?
What am I naturally curious about?
What kind of environment do I want to spend the next three years in?
Can I imagine being interested in this when it gets difficult?
Because university isn't just about whether a subject sounds interesting on an open day. You will have deadlines. Exams. Group projects. Readings you don't want to do. Choose something you can see yourself caring about even when it isn't fun.
And you are allowed to change your mind
You don't need to have your “passion” figured out before you apply.
You can be curious about several things.
You can be undecided.
You can discover something completely new at university.
You can realise that the subject you thought you loved isn't for you.
That's not failure. That's information.
The point of your late teens isn't to have your entire identity perfectly packaged.
It's to try things, pay attention to what interests you and gradually figure out what kind of life you want to build.
So when you're choosing between universities in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria or anywhere else, don't just ask:
“Which one will make me successful?”
Ask:
“Which one will help me become the person I want to be?”
You don't need to know exactly who that person is yet. You just need to start exploring.