I have no idea how often this question is asked in the hallways, classrooms and offices in American high schools. And, according to what is often reported, the response is very often the one in the title of this article — “I don’t know.” “Where are you going to college?” “I don’t know.” “What are your plans after you graduate?” “I don’t know.” “What are you interested in doing?” “I don’t know.” I’m not talking about conversations with freshmen . . . these are the talks that we are having with juniors and seniors! And who can blame them! There is so much uncertainty out there right now, and the messages that are being given to them are not helpful at all. Toss in the fact that things change at such a dramatic rate right now and we often find ourselves having a difficult time providing useful guidance. Let’s take a look at some of those messages out there that are being received by 16, 17, and 18-year olds that are trying to figure out where they go once they graduate from high school.
First and most important, this is not unusual. Even though it is very stressful for some students — and their parents — it is not unusual for graduating seniors to be undecided as to what they want to major in at college or pursue for a career. And it isn’t just high school students. According to various studies, somewhere between 50 and 80% of college students change their majors at least once! The National Center for Education Statistics published a report that states 85% of college students in the United States end up changing their major at least once and on average, college students change their major three times in their college career. A study out of Brigham Young University determined that an average of 85% of students change at least once. A more conservative result was reported by the University of LaVerne out of California where they determined that about 50% of incoming freshmen come in without a declared major, and between 50 and 70% of students change their’s at least once.
The most obvious reason for the uncertainty is the rapidly changing world that we live in, in most part due to constant changes in technology. What makes this more confusing is that when one follows current job market trends, those are changing at a rapid rate as well. In fact, some sources report that up to 60% of the jobs in the future do not even exist at this point! How is an 18-year old supposed to prepare for a future career that doesn’t even exist? In our history some types of jobs have disappeared. There is not a huge demand for coopers or wheelwrights any more, and blacksmiths have for the most part gone by the wayside as well. With this uncertain forecast, we also see about 50% of college graduates pursing careers that are not related to their majors. This is a discussion that could lend itself to a couple of articles, but the reality is that this generation of young people is headed into a future with more questions than answers, and there is no reason to be surprised that many do not have a clue what they want to do!
Angela Duckworth and other researchers will point out that this generation suffers from over-involved parents and a lack of grit. For many millennials their parents have paved their way by doing whatever needs to be done for them so that their have a smooth and easy life. This has been a huge disservice because many of these kids have been living in somewhat of a bubble world and have not had to think or depend on themselves. Then, at the age of 17, they are being asked, “What are you going to do with your life?” The honest answer for many is “I haven’t had to think about that!” A number of parents have made significant sacrifices so they could give their children whatever they want, and the result is that kids haven’t had to go without, or they have not had to sacrifice in order to obtain the “things” that are important to them. There is not an appreciation of hard work or overcoming obstacles on their own. Now they are faced with a decision and many of them realize that their parents cannot make if for them, even though some try!
On the other side of this issue is increased pressure by the Iowa Department of Education to have students identify a career path while still in high school. It is not fair to place this only on the their shoulders as they are responding to an immense amount of pressure from politicians who are reacting to pleas from business people in our state for skilled employees. I get it. For the economy and future of our state, we need a high quality work force. We cannot afford to see our best young people leave the state for opportunities elsewhere. And it is important that we look at opportunities through a clear lens rather than rose-colored glasses. Thus, here is the paradox. In Iowa right now there is a high demand for highly skilled workers in the manufacturing and tech world, as well as in the health care and service industry. And, jobs in those fields are starting to pay better and often include good benefit packages. At the same time, one cannot ignore the premise that people should follow their passion, whatever that may be, and if opportunity for that pursuit does not exist in Iowa, what is a person to do? That is one more dilemma faced by graduates that adds to their confusion about their future.
I know what it is like to have a child say “I don’t know,” and I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the future. I appease my worries by telling myself that they are bright kids and they will do fine, but that does not absolve me of all of my worries. When I switch from my parent mode to my educator mode I recognize that they are no different than the majority of their peers, and I stress that the value of education is to become an educated person. That may sound kind of stupid, but an educated populace is what our economy is based on, and as long as our students learn how to learn, and develop skills like problem solving, collaboration, and grit, they will make it in this world. It may not happen four years after they leave the halls of NFVHS, and most are going to have four or five careers over their lifetime. They have to make good choices! Following one’s passion is great, but they also have to be smart about this and recognize that there may not necessarily be a job that falls within that passion. At that point, they need to figure out how they can pursue that passion and at the same time earn a comfortable living. An educated individual will be able to do that.
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