Trust Your Gut
October 27th, 2026
Writer: Nikki Kane
Editor: Sophia Wohl
Being a college student feels like standing in the middle of the life I know while trying to picture one I haven’t lived yet. There are classes to finish, jobs or graduate schools to apply for, relationships to heal from, and friendships I know will survive whatever comes after graduation. Everyone lately asks what my plan is. Sometimes, I wish I could tell them that I’m still trying to understand how I feel.
I have always looked at things from an emotional point of view before a logical one. Before I consider whether something makes sense, I notice how it makes me feel. I think about who might get hurt, what something meant to me, and what I hoped it could become. I can understand every practical reason to make a decision and still struggle to make it because my heart hasn’t caught up.
For a long time, I thought that meant I couldn’t trust myself. Now, I’m learning that being emotional doesn’t make my judgment worthless. It means I need to give myself enough space to understand what my feelings are telling me.
Gut intuition is a strange feeling to explain. Sometimes, it’s a knot in my stomach when someone says something that doesn’t feel sincere. Maybe it’s the hesitation before answering a text, or the heaviness I feel after spending time with someone I shouldn't. Other times, it’s a sense of calm; nothing is guaranteed, but I feel comfortable enough to take the next step.
The hardest part is that I can usually find a reason to ignore it.
In relationships, I can become attached to what something could be. I remember the good moments while making excuses for the confusing ones, and convince myself that caring enough will eventually make everything work. When I feel something deeply, walking away can feel like giving up on more than a person. It feels like giving up on the future I imagined with them.
But I’m learning to pay attention to how I feel throughout a relationship, including the ordinary days. Do I feel comfortable being myself? Can I say what bothers me? Am I happy, or am I spending most of my time hoping things will get better? Those questions can be difficult because sometimes I already know the answer.
I still believe people come into our lives for a reason. Some show us the kind of love we want. Others help us recognize what we can no longer accept. That doesn’t make the ending easy, but it helps me believe the time wasn’t wasted.
That same uncertainty follows me into the job search. As a senior, it’s easy to feel like every opportunity could determine the rest of my life. A rejection can feel personal, and someone else’s announcement can make me question whether I’m falling behind.
My emotional side wants reassurance that everything will work out. My logical side knows that finding a job takes time and that one decision rarely determines an entire career. Somewhere between those thoughts, I’m trying to listen to myself. I want to notice whether an opportunity makes me feel interested and supported, alongside considering the salary, responsibilities, and room to grow.
I may never know why one opportunity didn’t work out. Still, believing that everything happens for a reason helps me stay open to the next one. It reminds me that I haven’t read the whole story.
Academics can bring out a different kind of emotion. After years of assignments, exams, and expectations, it becomes easy to let a grade affect how I see myself. I can receive one disappointing result and forget all the work I’ve done.
Trusting myself academically means recognizing when I need help, when something interests me enough to pursue it, and when I’m making a choice mainly because I’m afraid of disappointing someone. It also means accepting that a difficult class or a change in direction doesn’t erase my progress. Sometimes, learning what doesn’t fit you is part of finding what does.
Friendships might be where trusting my gut feels the most bittersweet. College brings people into our lives so quickly, and by senior year, there is so much history attached to them. Shared routines, late nights, inside jokes, and memories can make it hard to admit when a friendship feels different.
Because I’m emotional, I hold on tightly. I remember how close we used to be and feel guilty for noticing that things have changed. But I’m learning to pay attention to how I feel after spending time with someone. Feeling heard, included, and comfortable matters. So I notice when I consistently leave questioning myself. A relationship with someone special to me can have been important even if it changes. I’m trying to let myself appreciate what we shared without expecting every connection to stay exactly the same.
Of course, every uncomfortable feeling isn’t a sign to leave; anxiety can be loud, especially when graduation is approaching and so much around us feels uncertain. Sometimes, I need to pause, trust the facts, and ask whether I’m sensing a pattern or simply feeling afraid of something new. Trusting my gut takes reflection too.
I don’t think I will ever become someone who approaches life without emotion. I care deeply, get attached, and imagine possibilities before I know whether they will happen. I’m learning how to bring that part of myself into decisions while still making room for honesty and perspective.
As graduation gets closer, I’m accepting that I won’t have a clear explanation for every ending, rejection, or change. Believing everything happens for a reason gives me room to keep moving before I understand it all.
For now, trusting my gut means listening when a feeling keeps coming back, asking myself the questions I’ve been avoiding, and taking my own answers seriously. I may still be figuring out where I’m going, but I want the life I choose to feel like mine.
