An Argument Against Planning Ahead

From the instant a freshman first enters high school, teachers and advisors promote a need to think about the future and what comes after high school. This is a good mindset for a student to have for the most part. Also, by this point in the year any senior should have at least decided between going into the workforce or furthering their education. Furthermore, for the seniors who have decided that college is the best option for them, they should have an idea where they are going. That amount of planning is healthy, and will keep a student from stressing over many of the uncertainties that lie before them; however, the push to have a plan doesn’t stop there. Students are encouraged to pick a career that interests them and to plan on going to college to study that field. Again, this sounds like a good idea, but it can lead to a serious case of tunnel vision that negatively affects incoming college students.

The idea that you shouldn’t attempt to plan ahead as much as possible may sound controversial at first. One may ask themselves, “Why wouldn’t I want to lay out exactly where I’m going early so I can best prepare for the future?” I have asked myself that very question and went so far as to plan out what I wanted to do for the next several years of my education. As someone interested in law, I planned on going through my undergraduate years at the University of Louisville in the 3+3 program which would have allowed me to combine my senior year of college with my first year of law school. Then, I would remain at UofL, leaving with a law degree at the age of 23. For the entirety of my senior year, that has been my plan. I have known what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be and with each passing day that future has approached more and more rapidly.

Last Thursday, I went to UofL to speak with a law school professor to get more information on the 3+3 program. This encounter opened my eyes and lead me to a realization that the traditional narrative throughout high school would not have lead me to. I was planning ahead more than I should have been. At my meeting with the professor, the 3+3 program wasn’t discouraged, as it is a great program introduced to raise the falling number of law students; however, the professor did state that as an incoming freshman there is a good chance that UofL’s law program will not be my only option for graduate school.

Because most students will change their major at least twice throughout their college career, having your eyes set on one path could develop a kind of tunnel vision in their education leading a student to miss an opening to follow a new and exciting path towards a career they never knew they wanted.

So, at the end of the day, planning ahead is necessary and beneficial to a certain degree; however, your “plans” shouldn’t be plans. They should be ideas to explore further. I have been fortunate enough to take part in the Bluegrass Scholars Program offered at Owensboro High School for my senior year. This program has given me the opportunity to explore the legal field through two separate internships which have both done wonders to open my eyes up to new world views while expanding my interest in a career in law. Still, I now know that there is a good chance I will change my goals in life, and I realize that it is beneficial to avoid setting my eyes on one target and ignoring all other options.

For any seniors who have the rest of their lives laid out for themselves, taking a step back is encouraged, you never know if you are missing out on something great because you are so set on one path.