If You’re Ambitious but Lost, Read This 🧭

A few days ago, I was streaming when a viewer asked me, "Hey Gohar, I'm a 6th grader torn between becoming a vet or a musician. What should I do?"

I was taken aback. Part of me thought the message was endearing: here we have a really young person thinking about their future. But part of me was also shocked: here we have a really young person thinking about their future.

Whether you're in 6th grade or a senior in college, here's some advice for those who are ambitious but lost.

Extend Your Horizon

If you're below ninth grade, don't worry about what you need to do with your life. Think about it, feel free to talk about it, but don't feel like you need an answer.

And for my older readers, this advice might apply to you as well. You won't have to declare your major until freshman or even sophomore year at most colleges. You too have more time than you think.

I saw this first-hand with one of my closest friends at MIT who chose biomedical engineering but ended up changing his major… twice. Although it took him a while, he finally found his calling: software engineering.

I think the younger generation has a skewed perception of success, largely because of what we see on social media. We feel like it needs to happen while we're young, and we feel like it needs to happen fast.

But here's one secret they don't tell you: it's never too late to find success. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Stan Lee: Created Spiderman at 39 years old

• Samuel Jackson: Became a Hollywood star at 46 years old

• Ray Kroc: Built McDonald's at 52 years old

If you extend your time horizon, you can find comfort in where you are right now. Remember, success isn't a destination. It's a journey.

"Perfect" is an Illusion

Do you chase the money? Or do you chase your passion? It always feels like these two are at odds.

Take Investment Banking for example. As an entry-level analyst, you're working 80-100 hours a week. You barely have time on the weekends. But you're raking in a cool $100K a year with a large potential bonus.

On the other end of the spectrum, let's consider the aspiring actor who moves to New York City to pursue their dream of Broadway. They forgo these high-paying jobs in a high-cost location and instead have to work several side jobs to make ends meet.

The point is: no path is perfect. Seldom will you find an option that checks off every single box.

Everything has its pros and cons, and it is up to you to decide which factors are more important.

You'll Change Your Mind, and That's Okay

Coming into MIT, I wasn't sure what career I wanted to pursue. My freshman year, I envisioned myself working at McKinsey. My sophomore year, I dreamed about being a PM at Google. My junior year, I settled on software engineering.

So then how in the world did I become a YouTuber my senior year?

COVID hit during my junior spring. Out of quarantine boredom, I downloaded TikTok and started posting short-form videos. Quickly, I became a college admissions account, which is around when my brother and I also co-founded Next Admit.

Thanks to your support, the accounts and the business started to grow to a point where I questioned the need for a traditional job. I made a complete 180 on my career right at the buzzer, and I'm beyond grateful I did.

So what's the takeaway? Your long-term decision isn't final. Life will present unexpected opportunities, exposing you to paths you never knew existed.

If you're feeling immense pressure to make the "right" choice, here's my advice: lean into something. But don't feel this something needs to be the thing.

You Won't Know Until You Try

As you explore what you want to do with your life, don't let stereotypes cloud your perception. Someone who feels they don't look, act, or talk like a computer science student might feel that CS isn't for them, and so they don't even give it a try.

What you often see in media or memes are caricatures; plenty of students defy the traditional "mold."

If you're young, I encourage you to dabble in two to four different areas to see what you like most. You can dabble in computer science by building a simple website. You can dabble in business by interning at a startup. You can dabble in English by writing short stories.

What's most important here is that you extend beyond your comfort zone. Yes, try what interests you but also look into subjects you never would've considered—the subjects you think are scary, complex, or even boring.

It's YOUR Decision

This one sounds a bit selfish, I know. And unfortunately, it's a privilege not all of us get to enjoy. Some of us have parents who have been pushing us towards a specific career since the day we were born.

Look, my point here isn't to tell you to disrespect your parents. I'm sure they have your best interest at heart. But rather, my point is that you should wield however much control you can over this pivotal life decision.

Yes, you’ll need to consider the opinions of your parents. But your friends? Your teachers? That random family friend? You need to let your own opinion take precedence.

As you sift through others' opinions, peel back the emotional veil. People love to form strong, emotionally-charged opinions.

"Computer science? Oh, the market is brutal. You're never ever going to find a job."

Don't let these sorts of dramatic remarks sway you right away. However, don't ignore them either. Behind that veil of exaggeration is probably some truth that you should consider.

Your final decision should be rooted in your own research and analysis. And trust me, if you stay curious and open-minded, you'll find your path.

Do you know what you want to do in the future? DM me on Instagram (@goharsguide) to let me know!

If you want study help, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. I’d love to see you there.

If you’re ready to level up next school year, check out Scholar OS. It’s the ultimate Notion template designed to help you organize your classes and life in one place.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar