u/BitNo1336

I’m 21F and about to start my last year of college (graduating August 2027) for wildlife biology. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I genuinely love it. I get to do some really cool things because of this path, and I feel fulfilled in a lot of ways.

That said, right now my life is basically just grinding—school, work, responsibilities. I’m someone who loves life. I notice little things, I’m super curious, and I like spontaneity when I can have it. I can be impulsive, but I’m also disciplined and hardworking when I need to be. I’m the kind of person who wakes up at 5am to workout before school and work.

Lately though, I’ve had this strong urge to just… drop everything and go live. Travel, disappear for a bit, do something unplanned with no destination. But everything is so expensive, and realistically I can’t just skip class or miss work because I need the money and I really care about my future.

I’m also getting married next year (which I’m so excited about), and we have big goals—saving for a house, building a life together and we are working hard to getting close to paying off most debt, and I am starting my career in a competitive field. And I know I want to be a mom someday (hopefully before 30) more than anything.

But at the same time, I feel like I’m running out of time to just live. I know I’m young, but it feels like life is already getting locked into this structure where spontaneity doesn’t really fit. I don’t want to wake up in my 30s and feel like I never did anything bold or out of the ordinary.

Sometimes it honestly gets me down, and I’m wondering if anyone else has felt this way or has advice. I also know being in school full-time and working at the same time doesn’t help—it doesn’t leave much room to just go explore. I’m hoping someday I’ll have more flexibility with weekends/PTO, but right now it feels really limited.

Has anyone figured out how to balance being responsible and actually living a fulfilling and spontaneous life? kinda feeling like Chris McCandless if you know who I’m talking about

Hey everyone!

I’m about to enter my final year of college for my B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation (21F) and I’ve been feeling both excited and honestly a little nervous about what comes next.

This field has been my passion since I was a kid—and not just because I love animals. I genuinely love everything about the outdoors, ecology, and conservation work (even the messy, unglamorous parts). I enjoy lab work, fieldwork, networking—all of it.

I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. I currently have a 3.5 GPA and have put myself through college completely independently, without moral or financial support from my family. It hasn’t been a straight path—I’ve had a lot of pivots and challenges—but I’ve pushed through and built as much experience as I can.

So far I’ve:

• Volunteered 250+ hours across 5 organizations
• Done entomology lab work at a botanical garden
• Worked in outdoor education
• Gained experience with my state conservation agency (naturalist work, herpetological animal care, job shadowing, attended conservation conferences)
• Conducted avian field research with the World Bird Sanctuary for over a year
• Worked at a state park since last October
• Done conservation data entry for a nonprofit
• Participated in stream monitoring (chemical + biological)

I also recently accepted a paid wildlife biologist internship with Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever (and had to choose between that, a community conservation internship, and a biodiversity research internship at WashU).

After graduation, I’m planning to get a GIS certificate to expand my skill set—especially for remote work or environmental consulting—and I’m also Wilderness First Aid certified with years of solo backpacking/outdoor experience.

Even with all of this, I’m still VERY nervous about landing a full-time job after graduation, which wont be until August 2027. I do plan to pursue a master’s eventually (after getting some work experience), and I understand this field isn’t high-paying. I’ve accepted that and planned my life accordingly, and I know I may need to take less-than-ideal jobs at first to build my career.

I’d really appreciate any advice, encouragement, or personal experiences from others in this field.

Also—if I don’t land a job right away after graduating, what kinds of work would you recommend doing in the meantime that would still build relevant experience or look good on a resume?

Thanks so much in advance :)