Getting out of the Comparison Game
Lauren Jones
“Hi my name is Lauren Jones, and I am a Communication major and Economics minor from Long Island, New York!” By this point in the school year I am sure you have had to share your introduction statement countless times. My script used to be a little different during my freshman year because I had not yet declared a major. I came into Villanova with no idea of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. However, I was excited to embark upon the opportunities that I knew awaited me. I remember feeling deflated once I discovered that most of my peers appeared to have a clear-cut path for the entirety of their professional careers. For a while I felt lost, overwhelmed, and behind. Now, as a junior with a declared major and minor, I am here to tell you that getting caught up in the comparison game will only deteriorate your personal growth.
I did not know who to turn to about this challenge since most of my friends had known what they wanted to do since high school. I remember the daunting experience I had during a meeting with my advisor when she handed me the list of majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and none of them called out to me. She had been a voice of reason and assured me that it was okay to not know yet. Although this was reassuring, it did not cancel out the impending angst I felt when discussing the future with my friends.
My advice is not to let other people’s paths influence your own. It is natural for people to be moving at different paces in all aspects of life and I believe that these differences should be celebrated. Sometimes the culture at Villanova is misleading because your peers appear to know what they are doing at all times. I will let you in on a little secret--they don’t! None of us really do, nor should we at this stage in our lives. How are we supposed to narrow down our interests into one vocation when we haven’t even experienced most of the “real world” yet?
Those around you may have specific career paths and alternative stages of progress compared to yourself. Do not waste these four years of your life constantly comparing your progress to your friends because not everything is a competition. Be happy when they succeed and be there for them when they fail because you would want the same things in return. If you catch yourself feeling behind or inadequate, remind yourself that you are not supposed to have all of the answers yet. You are at this university for a reason, and it is more than okay if it takes you longer than others to find out what that reason is. Embrace the uncertainty, and you will find yourself upon the precipice of greatness. The beauty of it is that we are all figuring it out together.
