Nicole Rogers

As a kid, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up: A veterinarian.

Now that I’m older — 17 years old, almost 18 — I’ve decided that’s not for me. I still love animals, but I learned veterinarians don’t just get to hold cuddly kittens. They have to deal with things like blood, manure and messy surgeries. Gross! So my desire to be a veterinarian went out the window fast.

But I have been writing my own stories ever since I was little, and I’ve always been creative and artistic. As I’ve gotten older, writing and character creation has become my passion. Now, I feel the need for a career that will let me express this passion and share it with people.

I’m still unsure about what exactly it is that I want to do. I know it’s something creative, like working in movies as a scriptwriter, someone who makes characters, does makeup, or even a journalist and a freelance creative writer. I think I might like to attend some sort of cosmetology school, or attend classes that will better sharpen my writing skills so that I can maybe pursue scriptwriting for movies.

I dislike school and homework, but I’m very good at it and I get good grades. I love to have freedom and fun. I’m a very social person with my friends and love going out and spending time with them. I also love spending time with my family and parents, who are very important to me.

As I think about my future, college may help me reach some of my goals. But there are so many avenues available and things that interest me that it is difficult to decide where to go and what to study. It is wonderful that we have so many options, but at the same time it is scary. Society puts a lot of pressure on teenagers to make these decisions and this can cause major stress.

The decision of what college to attend has actually been quite easy for me.

My parents and I have always loved St. George, Utah, and would love to move there. Ever since my parents and I visited for a fun trip years ago, we all fell in love with the area. It’s beautiful and warm and has so much to do and — a major plus — it’s close to Las Vegas.

Another bonus is that St. George is home to Utah Tech, a college I would love to attend. Another great thing is a few close friends of mine live just a few hours away from there. My parents would also like to retire to St. George, which would be amazing for me because it’s important that they’re near me. The thought of them retiring there has helped me make my decision.

Figuring out my future and also moving away from my friends is something that is weighing heavy on my mind, but at the same time I want to move and am excited to see new things. It has created a lot of mixed feelings.

Sometimes the world can make teenagers feel pressured into figuring out what we want to do, and that we have to figure it out as soon as we graduate high school. It puts a lot of pressure on those who don’t know what they want to do, or if they even want to go to college.

This is something that is pushed onto teenagers so much. It’s always questions like “What do you wanna be when you grow up?” or “What college are you going to?”

I know for me there have been times where I have been stressed out trying to figure out my career path. And at the moment, I don’t know if I want to go to college — just because I dislike homework and I would like to be done with that once I graduate high school. Homework is extremely boring and I would rather be doing other things. And that’s okay, not everyone has to go to college. It’s not for everyone, and some don’t need it, depending on their career choice.

Choosing a college can be hard. You have to make sure it’s in the area you want to be and that it has what you want.

Not only that, but the fear of sharing a dorm with complete strangers is a big consideration. I don’t know what they’ll be like, if I’ll like them or if we’ll get along. There’s so much more to think about. I also have to worry about transportation, money and food. My dad has told me many times that Top Ramen, cheap pizza and macaroni and cheese are things that college kids eat a lot. Not that I mind that — I love those foods.

But I’m a very unsocial person at times and can be very scared of new people, so this adds on to the fear of attending a college. There will be so many people there that I won’t know!

I do know one thing for sure. I want to have fun and grow even more and see the world. I want new things to do, see, try and experience in my life. As scared as I am of becoming an adult, I am also so excited to accept the challenges that will come my way.