As we enter college, we are faced with numerous surprises. The major that we chose may turn out to be nothing like we thought it would be and the career path that we dreamt of since first grade might have an ugly side that we weren’t expecting. For this reason, a lot of college freshmen struggle with choosing a career path, choosing what classes to take and making their four-year plan. However, this is extremely normal. It is very unlikely that an 18-year old overwhelmed by college applications knows exactly what they want to do with their life. As someone who has suffered throughout college because the major I chose was not my cup of tea, I would like to share my opinions on how to choose the right path before it is too late to make a change.

The first step is to get to know yourself. Think about what your strengths and weaknesses are, what you want from your job and what you absolutely want to avoid, what you value and what you want to achieve in life. This information will serve as your guide while researching career paths by narrowing down your options and directing you away from careers that are not for you. For instance, those who realize that they have terrible people skills will likely avoid jobs such as teaching, customer service, healthcare or business management. If you put high emphasis on financial stability, you should not get a job as a freelancer where your monthly pay fluctuates.

In my case, I chose a career in nursing because I liked the job security. I do not have to compete to make it up the corporate ladder. As a nurse, I use my medical skills and knowledge rather than office social skills. It is easy to find and keep a job and to have a stable income. Additionally, I came to realize that one should not work in healthcare fields simply for the money—you need patience, empathy and genuine passion for saving lives and making other people better. The job is demanding both physically and mentally and if money is the sole objective, there are many faster and easier ways to get it. Through a self assessment, people can also notice personal shortcomings in skills that are crucial for their dream job and evaluate whether pursuing that career path is worth putting in effort into in order to improve in those areas.

The second step is to know what you are getting yourself into. What we know about a certain major or a job is only a small fragment of what it actually is. For instance, when people see singers or actors, they see good-looking people in fancy outfits surrounded by fans and wish they could be like them. Very few acknowledge that behind the scenes, performers are always under pressure. They must perform well, they have to secure the public’s favor and they must not get on the bad side of those that they work with, all while maintaining enough popularity to keep working in the industry. When it comes to doctors, many people only see the money and respect that their profession garners. The fact that they went to school for over a decade, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, are under pressure to cure their patients, work more than 80 hours a week and are always at risk of losing their license often goes unnoticed.

When my parents first recommended nursing, I was apprehensive because of the conventional stereotypes about the field: having to confront rude patients and staff, working with gross things, becoming the physician’s servant and that it is physically demanding. It was after I enrolled in nursing school and worked with nurses that I learned that most of these claims were not true. Nurses are highly educated professionals capable of making independent decisions and their duties focus on technical skills, paperwork, documenting and communication rather than menial caregiver roles. I also learned that there are many people who help nurses, such as certified nursing assistants, and that patients and society tend to hold a lot of respect for registered nurses. This process helped me reevaluate my decision and redirect my career path, making me realize that I do not hate nursing as a whole but only certain aspects, such as dealing with people in their most vulnerable times in an environment filled with fear, anxiety, distrust and frustration. This process made it easier for me to take the next step, that is, to avoid what I truly dislike.

The third step is to look for alternatives if you know you chose the wrong path. Oftentimes, we come to realize that we made the wrong decision once a lot of time has passed. As freshmen, we can discuss changing our major with our advisors, however as upperclassmen, very few have the privilege to attend college longer or start all over again. A person is not stuck for their entire life in one career, and a single degree can open up numerous opportunities if we do a little bit of research. Instead of pursuing the career that you decided on when you were 18 and living in agony, always keep in mind that you can evaluate what you value more and shift gears to become more satisfied.

For instance, as I mentioned earlier, it turns out that I do not hate nursing, only the fact that I have to deal with rude patients and their concerned families. As I worked in the hospital, I would be hurt by the fact that people would treat me as their servant, tasking me with cleaning their room, resorting to childish behaviors, asking racist questions and showing distrust in my ability to take care of them, all while giving full respect to the nurses and physicians. However, there are many ways to avoid these situations. I can work as a night shift nurse or in fields such as the intensive care unit or the operating room where nurses mainly work with providers and where there is limited access to families. Also, other nonphysical jobs—such as nursing research, telehealth, outpatient or dialysis nursing—or non-patient care jobs—such as nursing management and case management—are also good alternatives.

Although this article focuses mostly on healthcare and nursing, the rules can apply to most professional fields, including IT, education, business, finance, law, natural science, journalism and more. It is crucial that we consider a broad range of factors—about ourselves, our priorities and what we want to avoid. Know that there are many options beyond what comes up on the top of our heads, and know what you are getting yourself into.