9:48am Friday 25th January 2008
In some ways I feel like I have it all figured out.
I'll finish school, go to university, find a job and meet my dream man on a walk in the park. Our two dogs will meet, have a sniff and it'll be just like in the movies. We'll go on to marry, have two darling cherubs for children and after retiring from our high-flying careers, spend the rest of our lives in some luxury villa in the South of France. Yes, you could say I have it all figured out.
The prospect of my future gives me butterflies but also sends me shuddering. I'm not one for my sense of composure and though I so desperately wish I was more spontaneous, I like to live a planned existence.
I like to look in my diary, know what I'm doing almost a week in advance and stick by my deadlines. Though it's exciting not knowing what the future holds, sometimes I wish I could have a sneak preview. I want to know where I'll be in ten years, twenty, thirty who I'll be with, what I'll be doing and if I'll be happy.
You don't realise how young you are before you are faced with difficult decisions.
Currently I'm taking my AS levels, and the choice of four subjects is limiting. Life-altering sounds dramatic, but within these subjects potential career choices are either found or flushed and it can be difficult at such a young age to even have a rough idea of what you want to be in life and where you want to go.
I'm one of the luckier ones. From a young age, I've always known what I've wanted to do in my life. I remember sitting in my room, which I'd made into a news set: a desk in front of me with pieces of paper strewn over the table and a token hairbrush in my hand, because at five I thought newsreaders needed microphones.
I've practised the line Lauren Fraser, BBC News, London' an infinite number of times because I've always had the aspiration to be a traditional yet cutting-edge reporter. My sister has always said to me I want to make the news, not break it'- I guess we've always been different in that way.
Difficult decisions await all of us. Which subject should I drop? What course should I take at university? What comes next?
I'd encourage young people everywhere to seriously research and look into their studies, talk to their career advisers and do some reading around anything they are interested in - even take that silly quiz which guarantees you suitable career choices at the end.
I don't want to look back ten years, twenty, thirty and regret what I've done in my life or not know what I'm doing or where I'm going.
We're all on different paths and though not everything's written out for us just yet, don't leave it to fate or destiny to get what you want.
Now I think I'll go and walk the dog.
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