Decision-Making Challenge
by Katherine Nguyen '27
There’s always a small pause before every choice I make — a hesitation that feels heavier than it should. As an international student, that pause followed me all the way from my home country to here. I often joke about being indecisive, but honestly, it has always been a quiet presence that’s shaped almost every part of my life.
When I first decided to study abroad, it wasn’t a single brave leap but a long series of hesitant steps. Was I ready to leave home? Would I fit in? Even after arriving, every decision felt like a test of independence. Choosing classes, picking a major, or figuring out how to find a lab that fit my future goals. All of it felt like navigating through fog. I feared the "what ifs" more than the actual outcomes. What if I chose wrong? What if I disappointed someone? What if I couldn’t fix my mistakes?
As classes got harder and life got busier, I started to see how much time I wasted being afraid of picking wrong. I’d delay decisions until the last minute, hoping that the "right answer" would somehow appear on its own. And spoiler: it never did. So of course, a big question appeared, "How does one overcome this?" For me, it didn’t take one big, life-changing moment. It happened slowly, through small choices and small risks. Saying yes to a class I thought would be too hard, trying out a new hobby even when I was scared of not doing well, or taking opportunities that felt uncertain. Each one taught me something valuable, even when it didn’t have a long-term result or didn’t lead exactly where I expected.
Now, I still hesitate sometimes, but I’ve learned to treat that as a pause, not a stop sign. It’s only worth a moment to think, not a reason to freeze. Decision-making is hard, but it isn’t about how good your problem-solving skills are, or how fearless you are; it’s about being willing to move forward, to try, even when you’re uncertain. Ultimately, we aren’t born to make perfect decisions, but to keep making them and learning from every single one.