is it okay if I don’t know what I want to be?
“I didn’t always know I’d want to be a professor.”
So many students come to college with a predetermined sense of who they are and who they’ll be. And in some ways that's a very important starting place. Come as you are — we welcome you as you are.
But I love it when a student comes in not knowing what they want to be. That is a great opportunity to explore all the possibilities before you. They get to have new experiences and discover parts of themselves they never knew were there. In some ways there's an unlearning that has...
But I love it when a student comes in not knowing what they want to be. That is a great opportunity to explore all the possibilities before you. They get to have new experiences and discover parts of themselves they never knew were there. In some ways there's an unlearning that has...
Dave Roncolato
Director, Civic Engagement
As head of the Office of Civic Engagement, Dr. David Roncolato works with student leaders, community agencies, and College departments to plan projects, promote student involvement in the community, and encourage leadership, reflection, and learning.
is it okay if I don’t know what I want to be?
“Our system is essentially designed for students like that”
Something that’s unique to our university system in America is that we have two years of broad, general education. Our system is essentially designed for students like that, to let them not know what they want to be for a while, and instead to focus on learning how to think and learning how to solve problems.
Some students really want a plan, though. They tend to worry most about their major. We encourage them not to do that. Students often change their minds once they’re at s...
Some students really want a plan, though. They tend to worry most about their major. We encourage them not to do that. Students often change their minds once they’re at s...
Shannan Mattiace
Professor, Political Science and International Studies
Shannan Mattiace is a professor in the Political Science Department at Allegheny College and chair of the International Studies Program. She has published two books and many articles on ethnic identity and political mobilization in Latin America.
is it okay if I don’t know what I want to be?
“Sit in that uncertainty and the discomfort of not knowing”
Yes. Absolutely. Adulthood is a series of decisions and uncertainty. So sit in that uncertainty and the discomfort of not knowing. Talk to your friends, peers, and people you trust. They’ll be able to tell you their own feelings of uncertainty, too. It’s okay. That’s what college is for.
College is a knowledge buffet. And it won’t happen again, so take in as much as possible. Load up on all of the knowledge and experiences you can find. And if you make a mistake, that’s ...
College is a knowledge buffet. And it won’t happen again, so take in as much as possible. Load up on all of the knowledge and experiences you can find. And if you make a mistake, that’s ...
Kristin Dukes
Dean, Institutional Diversity
Dr. Kristin Dukes earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in social psychology from Tufts University with a research focus on stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rice University.
is it okay if I don’t know what I want to be?
“I didn’t always know I’d want to be a professor. ”
Dave Roncolato, Director
Civic Engagement
“Our system is essentially designed for students like that ”
Shannan Mattiace, Professor
Political Science and International Studies
“Sit in that uncertainty and the discomfort of not knowing ”
Kristin Dukes, Dean
Institutional Diversity
you can be anything you put your mind to. why put your mind to just one thing?
The future is wide open to you right now. There’s a world of things for you to learn. Why would a school teach you only one way to think? Prepare you for just one kind of job? You’re capable of more than that. So we’re going to ask more of you.
