18m here, starting my first year of college in the fall. I’ve never been someone who sticks with one thing for a long time, and with something as important as a degree and career path, I’m very lost.

Aside from a few mental and physical limitations, (small stature, squeamish, germophobe), I feel like I could do well in a handful of degrees and career paths, but I haven’t found one that “calls out” to me yet. I have a lot of interests but feel as if they wouldn’t make fulfilling careers, or that I wouldn’t be able to compete in them.

For example I really am interested in science, physics, research, astronomy, advanced topics like that but I always feel like I couldn’t be smart enough and don’t even know how I would get a career with a degree like that. I struggle from lacking confidence and being way too realistic, acknowledging that money DOES matter in this country (U.S.) and that I want to be able to exist and have a job without being buried under debt.

I also really like the prospect of a computer science degree (high-ish salary, many career paths, potential for a remote job), but don’t know if I could feel fulfilled in that either. I want to FEEL like I can make a difference.. I don’t want to be slugging away to a company with the only goal being “make more money” I want to make a difference in the world. At the very least with a cs degree Id like to feel helpful with my work, maybe even make games that people enjoy. I think too big. I think, “Maybe with a cs degree I could also get into robotics and improve the world” but I don’t know if it interests me.

For a while I wanted to go into environmental conservation because I know humans are destroying the planet, and thought maybe I could help that way, but the field has a.. pessimistic outlook? It seems to be more so trying to create small solutions to extend the time we have, we can’t fix everything. It hurts to think about, so I don’t think I can work in that field.

TLDR: I am inspired by the desire to answer complex questions, and do something good in the world, something meaningful, and I don’t know how to find a career or where to start, or what to do. I am also too realistic for my own good. I need any advice I can be given!