ALEX LOPEZ

My first week of school was fun. I met my friends again. The professors are cool. We are back to learn and strive more. It's all rainbow and lilies, until I get home to realize a fact. It's the last year. My last year as a student. I am a college senior now. It's scary and challenging. I am both thrilled and terrified. It is the moment in life when I start thinking about my next step. Where am I heading?

To be honest, I never imagined that I would be where I am right now. When I was 5, I pictured my life a little different. My first dream was to become a teacher. I had fun learning at such a young age. I am curious about all things. I had many ideas that I wanted to share with the world. That's why I thought teaching was the best fit for me. When I was 11, I wanted to become a writer. I fell in love with writing, and at that point, I decided that no matter where life takes me, I'm going to keep writing and inspiring other people through my message. When I was 15 and faced with a big decision to enter college, I thought I could be a good architect. I wanted to learn architecture, but still, I had doubts.

And then life happened. Up to this point, I, still, am not sure how I have gotten to International Studies. I didn't like history in high school because we only memorized stuff that were written in the textbook. The lessons were interesting, but the approach was quite difficult. I thought learning foreign languages is cool, but it's not really necessary in life. I thought studying law and international relations was boring, and too much for a lazy kid like me. I and International Studies is like oil and water, we don't mix well, we can't come together.

I have never been so wrong in my life. Little by little, my course intrigued my inner self and my real interests. It showed me my strengths and the things that I am actually good at, that I wasn't aware before. Thanks to my professors and block mates, they made me realize the fun of learning International Studies. I can see things that are confusing before become clear now. Taking this course is part of God's plan for me. Meeting all those people is a part of it, too. I will forever be grateful.

How did I come to the realization that it's all part of a big plan? I don't know. Maybe because it's better than thinking that it's a mistake. I mean, haven't we all come to the point where we think about all the decisions that we've made? Are our choices right? And then we overthink things and it start stressing us. Questions keep coming. It's an endless mind battle with yourself. "What if I don't figure my life out? What if this is all that I am and all that I can become? What if 5 or 10 years from now I am still unsure of my direction in life?" No one knows the answers, and that's what scare us most. We are all making a big decision that's going to decide the rest of our lives.

Ask yourself this, "Why am I getting scared if the future is not even here yet?" You cannot take all huge steps at once. You can only take small steps, one at a time. But with will, determination and courage, those footsteps that you have taken will get you where you are headed. It might get sturdy and long, to the point of giving up, but if you keep walking ahead, eventually you will see the end of the road. The road that you have set for yourself. Taking the small step now is a good start, and that is enough.