Topic 2 

An international young people’s magazine is investigating the question: Do young people today really know what they want from life? Write a 500 word article for this magazine on this topic based on your own experience.

Do young people today really know what they want from life?

By Ajla Karajkić

Is being young and being a bit lost in life just a sign of the times? Is it something that has become a perquisite for our transition into adulthood? Well, whatever the case may be one thing is for sure – knowing what you want from life is far from being a simple and straight answer. 

From early childhood, we are imposed with the concept of having to choose a direction in life. “What do you want to be when you grow up”, adults would ask us and we would answer with “firefighter”, “teacher”, “singer”, and so on. I would say florist. Then, I replaced florist with teacher, teacher with lawyer, and lawyer was replaced with “I will figure it out later”. As I grew my aspirations changed in accordance with what I perceived as ‘successful.’ Growing older makes you realize that the world is harsh and that you should pursuit something that promises financial stability. I wanted to be a florist because I loved playing outside and picking flowers. I wanted to be a teacher because I had fun in school and saw teaching as a way to stay connected to that period of my life. Then, I wanted to be a lawyer because I figured that they make a lot of money and that would mean I wouldn’t have to struggle like so many all around the world. When my childhood dreams were replaced with serious ponderings of poverty and success, I started going down a path of confusion and self-doubt but also a path of realizing the harsh truths. I asked myself if I truly wanted to be a lawyer and after some time it became clear to me that I had only convinced myself of wanting to be a lawyer for the sake of having a purpose in life.

But, life is more than having an occupation. Like most teenagers, I had to balance my time between having an identity crisis and searching for what profession was my calling. Not having solved any of those issues, I moved on to college and entered early adulthood.  In college, I chose to study something I was good at in high school – that’s the sole reason. Not because I was passionate about it or because I though this degree would provide me with more opportunities in life. But, who can blame me or any other young person when they feel like they’re stuck in a maze because no one can ever know where life will take them. Times are uncertain. So much instability surrounds my peers and me. From social issues to social alienation, this life was never meant to be easy for us. Who hasn’t asked themselves if college is even worth it considering the fact that finding a decent job is a task in itself or that tomorrow a meteor might hit Earth and every worry is meaningless.  So at the end of the day when I ask myself what I want from this life - my answer is that I don’t know and that’s okay.

Young people don’t know what they want from life but they know that life is complex and unpredictable so it is alright to not know. Life is a bit meaningless but every day we live gives it meaning and that is all that matters. So, if someone asks me what do I want from life I will tell them that I just don’t know and go on about my day.