Uncertainty

Although I am currently more knowledgeable about potential career paths and specific fields of study, I haven't come any closer to a solid decision about my own future. I was hoping to be able to confidently say that "I'd like to be a(n) ______ when I grow up" however that hasn't happened yet. I also feel that rushing to select a career would be a huge mistake on my part- dedicating years of study to a career that, whoops, I actually have no interest in. This actually reminds me of a post I've stumbled upon on Tumblr a few times:

“'You’re only 18, you’ll regret that tattoo when you’re older' my mom says as she hands me college applications so I can decide on the career I’ll have for the rest of my life."

On the bright side, I have several options I'd like to explore a little deeper before the time of college applications approaches. I still have some time to make my decision and there is still an option of switching majors once I'm in college. I'm actually very optimistic about my future and it'll take a lot of work to get there, but this is work that I'm willing to put in to achieve my goals. 

Psyche

   I believe during some time last year, I had wanted to major in psychology. Though I didn't know for certain what branch of psychology I would have wanted to study, I was thinking about either developmental or clinical psychology. As with many people, all things psychological interest and fascinate me, however I found that the field is crowded with hopefuls and that much competition does not interest me too much.
   Next year though, I am planning to take both AP Psychology and AP Chemistry to help me decide between choosing the path of a psychologist or a pharmacist, for I have not made a solid decision about my future yet. Actually, most sciences interest me, at least the ones that don't require me cutting someone open or seeing and excessive amount of blood...

日本語

With my my mom having been born in Japan, many of the things she says are in Japanese. I can understand and speak it (not quite fluently), but I have a lot to improve on with reading, writing, and grammar. In college I am hoping to study Japanese along with whichever major I end up settling on.
One opportunity I've heard of family friends doing in the past is learning a foreign language and teaching English in that particular country. If living in Japan would be too much of a hassle for me, there is always an opportunity of becoming a Japanese teacher or a translator for businesses, individuals, etc. Living in Japan does sound nice though, of the 7 or so times I've been there, I've loved every part of it.

Pharmacist.

   Now that the career presentations are coming around, I have decided to reconsider becoming a pharmacist. While browsing information about the process of becoming a pharmacist, the schooling is pretty difficult and very expensive, the starting salary is around 80k, which is one huge benefit. There is always demand for pharmacists and there is a growing average salary.
   I am still planning to research and consider other careers and professions, but becoming a pharmacist is one that has stuck out to me a little bit more than the rest. It will definitely be a difficult path, but the outcome is worth it.

Weight.

   With finals arriving faster than I had anticipated, I haven't been able to think too deeply about my future because I've been worrying about a sudden plummet of my borderline grades. How a certain day's performance affects 10% or more of a single grade defies my knowledge, for predicaments such as illness, family issues, or a death of a relative could severely damage a student's grade if one of the events happens to occur on a final day. I feel that what finals have come to is a measurement of how well a student can memorize and spit out information as instructed, which is not nearly a measure of intelligence.

   With that said and done, I'll go back to studying and reviewing, so good luck to everyone on their finals!

Considerations.

    It's often a nice thought to have a passion become a future career, however most times that's not the case. Availability, education, and salary typically end up being a major factor in this major decision.
Taking this into account, I have been interested in perhaps pursuing pharmaceutical science or some aspect of business. Both have great salaries and business always has availability in the work force.
    UC San Diego, a school I have been aiming for, has a pharmaceutical school within the university, so I've found that fact to be in my favor. I also have a friend at UCSD studying for the same major, so possible guidance would be available for me if I decide on this scientific field. I feel that if I do not find another career interest or possibility, pharmaceutical science would be my go-to major as college applications approach faster than I expect.

Genesis.

   Being raised surrounded by animals (and still living with pets I've known all my life) has given me an extremely large soft spot towards animals. I believe my first career interest was in the field of animal biology and to grow up to be like those in the Animal Planet documentaries who care for orphaned or injured animals, eventually releasing them. Over the years, however, the spontaneity of animals and naturally existing habitats were slowly replaced in my mind by the habitat of a crisp, structured corporate world and maybe even a commendable degree to display to the world.
   As a child, I also wanted to perhaps become a teacher. I would sit my little brother down and give him math problems, spelling tests, and I specifically remember teaching him to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? This is still an open option to me while I try and start to settle on a career pathway. For now though, I'll be labeled as undecided.