Doctor. Engineer. Astrophysicist. Ask any NA kid what they plan on after college and, chances are, that’s awfully likely what their response will be. According to NA students’ assertions, AP Bio and Pre-Calc classes are just teeming with future cardiologists and neuroscientists. So why is the World Health Organization predicting a major shortage of healthcare workers in the next decade?

Well, it’s because when NA students, or high school students in general, get to college, they realize that becoming a doctor, engineer, or astrophysicist is harder than just saying you’ll become one. This phenomenon raises the question: do students have unrealistic career goals or are colleges demanding too much of their young students?

Any high school student knows that holidays and family get-togethers mean one thing: questions about school. Seniors are particularly susceptible to these inquiries, which are often about applications, majors, transcripts, and career paths. Obviously, most high school students are entirely unsure of what they’d like to spend their life doing. Usually, teenagers will just choose something vaguely interesting to say so nosy relatives will leave them alone.

It’s thus understandable that students would select an impressive choice like doctor or engineer to avoid any further questions from their families. Yet, these declarations often seep into other casual conversations and eventually influence scheduling and educational decisions. It’s only a matter of time before telling grandma you want to major in Computer Engineering becomes registering for AP Computer Science and looking into MIT or CalTech as safety schools.

The U.S. Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics has reported that nearly 50% of undergraduate STEM majors eventually switch out of the field. Despite the lucrative opportunities in math or science careers, most optimistic freshmen leave their first year of higher education bruised from a particularly brutal OChem exam and ready to transfer into any class that doesn’t involve equations.

This change of heart isn’t because students are lacking in intellect or classes have become too difficult for beginners, though that may well be true. It’s because students choose their majors based on what they think will make them money rather than what will make them happy. That’s not to say students should completely disregard financial opportunity (the economy can’t be sustained on Ceramics or Musical Theatre majors alone), but passion and skill should be main factors in making academic decisions.

The affliction of undergraduates is unrealistic expectations, not want of talent. An avalanche of Calculus and Physics courses in a freshman year can be devastating for even the smartest of valedictorians.

Understanding the challenges of difficult careers and knowing your own limits are what really matter when choosing a path in life. The money you might get from being an anesthesiologist won’t buy back the time you spent wishing you could’ve taken a dance elective. The world needs people in highly skilled, highly specialized jobs, but it also needs history teachers and musicians and authors. Just because your mom wants you to be a lawyer or executive at a Fortune 500 company doesn’t mean those are the only choices you have. Your own expectations don’t have to be those of others.

If you know you want to be a doctor and have prepared to handle the work and stress that goes into becoming one, go for it. But just because you watch Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t mean you can perform brain surgery. Remember that high-paying jobs are high-paying for a reason; NA can prepare you for a lot, but, when it comes down to it, you need to prepare yourself because the decision is ultimately yours.

Teenagers are notorious for their lack of self awareness, but they don’t have to be. Are you sure you’re ready for this?