The Pressure of the “Five-Year Plan”: Why College Should Be About Exploration, Not Premature Planning

As a senior at St. Lawrence, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked about my “five-year plan.” At first, I thought it was a joke. But after the fifth, tenth, fifteenth time, it became clear that this was a serious question—one that professors, advisors, and even students were genuinely expecting me to answer. And honestly? It’s exhausting. I get it. College is supposed to prepare us for the future. A big part of that is making connections, building a career path, and figuring out where we fit in the world. But when you’re a first-year student just trying to find your classes, figuring out which dining hall serves the best coffee, and meeting new people, the idea of mapping out your entire future is a bit much. 

It’s not that I didn’t want to think about my future—it’s that I wasn’t ready to have it all figured out on day one. Yet, I couldn’t escape the constant stream of questions about my future, even as a first-year student. From orientation to office hours, everyone seemed to want to know what I wanted to do after graduation—before I’d even declared a major. As helpful as the Center for Career Excellence is, with its workshops on resumes, mock interviews, career fairs, and alumni mentorship programs, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an unspoken expectation hanging over me. While the Center is undeniably committed to helping students succeed, it also underscores a larger, pervasive pressure at places like St. Lawrence: the expectation that your career path should be mapped out from the very beginning. 

By the time you’re a sophomore, the expectation is that you should already be lining up internships, building a network, and thinking about life after graduation. For some students, this makes sense. But for a first-year, still adjusting to campus life, it can feel overwhelming. You’re expected to think about job opportunities and career goals before you’ve had the chance to explore your academic interests or even figure out what you’re passionate about. When everyone around you seems to have a clear idea of their next steps—talking about summer internships, grad school applications, and career goals—it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. The reality is that I wasn’t ready to talk about what I wanted to do five years from now, and I don’t think I should have been expected to. College is a time for exploration. It’s about figuring out what excites you, what you want to learn, and what you want to pursue. That takes time. But sometimes, it feels like the system is built to push students into making decisions about their careers too early. 

At St. Lawrence, where academic excellence and extracurricular involvement are integral to the campus culture, the pressure to “get ahead” can feel inescapable. While I understand the importance of being proactive and preparing for the future, I also believe there needs to be more room for first-year students to figure things out. College isn’t just about having everything planned out from day one—it’s about personal growth, trial and error, and discovering new interests along the way. As I navigated my first year, I found myself constantly asked about my career plans, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the conversation was moving faster than I was ready for. I wasn’t looking for a detailed career roadmap; I just needed time to breathe, time to explore my academic interests, and time to see how my college experience might unfold. The pressure to think about internships, job prospects, and life after graduation, before I had even begun to solidify my major or figure out what truly excited me, felt premature. 

It’s not that career planning isn’t important—it is. But timing matters. For many first-years, the idea of mapping out a career trajectory before they’ve even stepped into their second year can feel overwhelming. Instead of constantly looking ahead, we need time to reflect, explore, and be present in the moment. What if we gave ourselves permission to not have it all figured out? I do value the resources the Center for Career Excellence provides. They help students prepare for life after college, and for that, I’m grateful. But I also think it’s important to recognize that not everyone is ready to jump into career planning from day one. College is about self-discovery, and that process takes time. Career services need to understand that part of figuring out what you want to do with your life means allowing students to explore without the pressure of having it all mapped out ahead of time. 

So, for now, I’m not focused on a five-year plan. I’m focused on exploring different fields, finding what resonates with me, and taking the time to enjoy the experience of college without the constant pressure of planning my next decade. The future will come, but I’ll figure it out when I’m ready. And the next time someone asks me about my five-year plan? I’ll just say, “I’m working on it.”