[KathieK]

I have worked in a college for the last four years and many of our graduating students are graduating with no idea what they want to do with their lives (or their degrees) - it is not unusual any longer.

Many students switch majors more than once because they discover new areas of learning that were not presented to them while in high school. The downside to this is that they are no longer graduating in 4 years.

I went to college not having a clue what I wanted to do, took a class that interested me and discovered a career that I had never heard of, one that I ended up working in for 25 years. Along the way a whole new world opened up, that of the Internet (yes, I am prehistoric and existed before the World Wide Web), and I discovered another new career - one that didin't exist when I went to college. Keeping your options open to new ideas and new interests and new careers is what is important as you head off to college (or any other pursuit in life). Visit your college career center in your FRESHMAN year. Use their tools and experience to guide you.

Consider taking a year off between high school and college. Explore other things. It might help you focus on what you want to do with your life.

And finally, don't beat yourself up if college "isn't for you". The world still needs retail sales associates, mechanics, plumbers... (just ask my husband).