The Race to Nowhere

Inquiring minds want to know...

At what point did society start expecting college students to have life figured out? Locking in a future career, creating a 5-year plan, stable finances, maybe even throw in a penthouse and a sports car in the mix... How realistic is all this when most of us are still Googling how taxes work?

Growing up has been repackaged into a competition. Everyone's comparing accomplishments, comparing success, comparing bank accounts... Some people think they're winning, some people think they're falling behind. But behind what, exactly?

Who decides what people’s timeline should be?

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Here's a thought, UIC. You're not supposed to have it all together. I doubt anyone even really does. No matter if you're 18 or 81, life will always be a complex process of figuring things out as you go.

While it might look like someone else is cruising on a yacht while you're sitting in your dorm eating ramen, ask yourself: does the yacht really guarantee they're fulfilled?

What matters is that you're trying. That you're learning from your mistakes, making better decisions, challenging yourself, and becoming someone you're proud of. Corny but true.

With both the semester and the year coming to a close, it's easy to panic about everything you haven't accomplished yet. But remember, life doesn't have deadlines, there's no accomplishments you need to turn in by 11:59pm on December 31. We're all works in progress, and the progress will continue indefinitely.

The secret isn't having your life together; it's making sure you're still putting it together.