As you prepare for college, you’ll likely hear a lot about “reinventing yourself.” While it’s true that college is a time of growth, it’s less about becoming a brand-new person and more about refining and expanding who you already are. You don’t have to leave everything behind when you step onto campus. In fact, your high school experiences, interests, and values will serve as the foundation for the person you are becoming.
In high school, your identity was probably tied to your extracurricular activities—whether you were an athlete, a theater kid, or a band member. College, however, offers you the chance to explore your identity beyond these labels. Instead of being known by what you do, you can start to define yourself by what you value and what you’re passionate about. Are you passionate about social justice? Interested in exploring your faith more deeply? Excited about learning new skills? These are the things that will shape your identity in college.
This doesn’t mean you have to let go of everything from high school. In fact, college is a great place to continue growing in areas you already love while also trying new things. The challenge is finding a balance between holding onto the parts of yourself that matter and exploring new avenues for growth.
Tip: Before college, take time to reflect on the aspects of your high school identity that you want to keep and those that you might want to leave behind. Create a list of three traits or interests you’d like to carry forward and three new experiences you’d like to try.
Think about it: How do you want people to describe you by the end of your first year in college? What qualities or passions do you hope to develop that weren’t part of your high school experience?