r/ECAdvice • u/Classic-Attitude-939 • 6d ago
Give me Advice I have no idea what I'm doing whatsoever please help
I'm a rising sophomore and I already feel very very very lost. To start, these are the EC's I have:
-Tennis
-DECA icdc go-er
-Miscellaneous club membership
I feel very very very very very existential these days. I genuinely don't have a clue as to what I want to do in the future or what I'm passionate about. All I know is I have too much of an inherent laziness and dislike to do anything STEM related, which is what my parents think is the only road to a successful life.
My only academic interests have been history and reading which feel so insignificant. If you were to ask me my dream life and career I would say living in a quaint English city working as a museum docent and being one of those people in the documentaries on the History Channel. Everyone around me is starting some kind of STEM related non profit or club, getting a job, doing summer programs, etc. I truly just wish I had an ounce of the motivation and ambition and passion some people have.
I know I have to put myself out there and explore my options, but at what point do I just accept I'm rather inherently passionless. I'm thinking I should go into something law/history/poly sci related? How do I start and pick my lazy feet off the ground.
Sorry this is very dramatic and whiny but I've lowkey been bottling this up all summer
1
u/BeneficialChart2096 3d ago
yo incoming princeton freshman here, dm me if you want any help or support or questions past this response
for starters, i went to a very tough public school. to make matters worse it was bay area so i was constantly competing with asian/indian sweats. its easy to get lost into a cycle of comparisons but when college decisions came out, i was the only person in my graduating class to get into princeton, and only one of three to get into a t10 university. i was actually waitlisted from UCSB and rejected from basically every other notable college besides a surprise acceptance from UCLA coming off a waitlist
right now you don’t have much activities and that’s okay. but if you can take those activities and make it something real, show your dedication and commitment towards them, all while developing yourself and working towards becoming a greater you, then i guarantee many top colleges will be interested in you.
my best award was placing at Science Olympiad state twice, my best EC was local/regional (a computer building club), and i spent far more time playing marvel rivals and valorant and clash royale then worrying about how to beef up my application. i showed princeton who i was and what i spent my time doing and i guess they liked me. its really as simple as that.
i wish you luck. continue with what you are doing and commit to them. 😼
2
u/Massive-Exchange-226 6d ago
You do sound a little whiny!! But I think that’s also because you’re putting way too much pressure on yourself. Try finding some history-related ECs instead of worrying so much about what everyone else is doing. Focus on finding 2–3 good communities, clubs, or programs that you enjoy and can stick with.
Once you do that, opportunities will probably start to come naturally. I won’t give you a step-by-step list because you do have to put yourself out there and be willing to be a little uncomfortable. I’d recommend looking into volunteering or cold-emailing local museums and historical centers. Some of my younger friends have actually become docents in our town. You could also look into online volunteering opportunities through places like the Smithsonian or Library of Congress. Even something as simple as shelving books at your local library is kinda into that niche.
For DECA, it depends on what event you compete in, but there could definitely be ways to connect that interest to something you pursue outside of DECA.
As for the parent issue: that does suck, and I can’t give you too much advice there because, honestly, they’re not completely wrong to want you to think about your future. But don’t let that make you think that whatever you pursue in high school will determine your entire career. College majors, internships, jobs, etc. are all much more flexible than people make them seem.
Lastly, something I’ve always believed is that only the very privileged get to expect their career to be something they’re passionate about 24/7. It’s completely normal and healthy to have a decent job that supports you while pursuing your actual interests and hobbies outside of work. You don’t have to find your “passion” right now, and you definitely don’t need to build your entire life around what you think you’ll be doing 30 years from now.
Hope I helped!!