It's funny how careful we get about buying a phone.
We watch reviews. Compare prices. Read comments from strangers. Check the camera, the battery, the storage, the color.
Then we pick a university. A career. A whole direction for a life.
On less research than we gave the phone.
That never made sense to me. The bigger the decision, the more information you need. Not less.
Before you choose a path, talk to someone already walking it. Ask questions. Look at what their life actually looks like, not what social media makes it look like.
I've lost count of the students who wanted a certain career right up until they spoke to somebody doing it every day. Some came away more interested. Some changed their mind completely.
Both are useful. Better to change your mind after a conversation than after five years.
You won't get perfect information. Nobody does. You just need enough to stop guessing.
Ask what the work actually feels like. What they enjoy. What's hard. What they wish they'd known before they started. What a normal Tuesday looks like.
Most bad decisions come from missing information, not from being stupid.
One honest conversation can save you years walking the wrong way.