Autumn. The death of summer break. Chilly weather, leaves falling, the scent of pumpkin spice and a hint of something frightful in the air:

College Applications.

It’s that time of the year again, when seniors try to figure out who they are and what they’re going to do with their life. This year the class of 2023 steps up to the plate.

Here’s what some Argonauts are up to!

“I’ve always been interested in learning about the science behind the human body,” says Argo Senior Michelle Gomez. She plans on going to Loyola to earn her nursing degree.

Mary Villalobos also plans on becoming a nurse and is deciding between Loyola and UIUC. She says, “I’ve always wanted to work with babies and kids and being a postpartum nurse would allow me to do that.” When deciding on a career, your lifestyle is also an important factor. “I also like the work-life balance that working as a nurse would give me,” Villalobos adds.

Some students have known all their lives what they wanted to do. They spent their early years pretending to be doctors, nurses, or playing school.

“I’ve known since I was in kindergarten that I wanted to be a teacher,” Karen Flores, another senior at Argo, says. Flores has multiple colleges she is considering and is planning on majoring in Spanish and minoring in education. She wants to work as a Spanish teacher. Maybe she’ll even come back to Argo!

Isabel Fuentes is also considering multiple colleges, including UIUC, UMich, and UChicago. She plans on majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Korean. With her degrees she plans on applying to med school and later working as a dermatologist in Korea.

When asked if she was sure that this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, Fuentes responded, “I don’t, but I really enjoy it right now.”

Happiness should be a priority when deciding on a career. Daniel Fournier agrees with Fuentes, saying, “I don’t necessarily believe that I’ll know if what I end up doing is what I want to be doing. There are many things that can happen that will change the path I’m on and in the end, I think I’ll be looking for whatever feels right.”

Fournier is unsure of exactly what he wants to do but has been considering engineering. Like Fuentes and Villalobos, he plans on applying to UIUC along with the University of Iowa and EIU.

Not everyone has known their entire life what they want to do and it’s okay to use college as a way to figure that out.

Andres Fonseca is one of those seniors. All he knows is that he plans on getting his Master of Business Administration but is unsure of what he wants to do with that education. When asked about what college he wants to go to, Fonseca replied, “No clue. Somewhere sunny. California maybe.”

With college applications and thoughts of the future comes another thing: Stress.

“It’s finally hit me that it’s time, and there’s no stopping it,” says Fournier. “I find myself thinking about the reality of it all every day.”

As much as we might want to, we cannot stop the clock. It rings in the tune of adulthood whether we’re ready for it or not. “Growing up is inevitable,” says Gomez. “The best we can do is accept it.”

“When I first started filling out my common app I started crying to my counselor because I wasn’t sure if that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and everything seemed too difficult to do,” says Flores.

It’s fine to not be sure what you want. “I think I’ll be ok whatever I choose to do,” says Fuentes. Even if you choose the wrong path, it’s never too late to change course.

“Don’t compare yourself to others. You don’t have to ‘fulfill a potential’ others have set for you. Your true potential is defined by you. Do what you’re passionate about and what makes you happy in life. Don’t stress about things you won’t remember in a year. Live a life you will look back on and be proud of,” says Gomez.