At this point of your senior year, you’ve probably wrapped up your college applications and have carefully chosen the major you plan to declare in your first semester of college. Maybe you’ve been daydreaming about having summers off as a teacher since you turned 12, or perhaps your parents are determined that you becoming a doctor. Could it just be you’re looking for the express lane to graduation? Whatever it is, choosing the perfect major starts with self-thought, reflection, and personal discovery.
Understanding the plan God has for your life and what truly ignites your soul becomes the compass for your journey in and after college. It’s never too early to think about your major and future career! Taking the time now to learn about yourself and your desires will act as a building block for your future. Today, I want you to partake in an exercise from Dennis Stemmle’s book “Purpose, Passion, and College: How to Choose the Right College, Major and Dream Career!” and hopefully learn a little bit more about yourself than you knew before.
Exercise 1: What Is Important To You?
- Below is a list of thirty common core values. From this list, I want you to select three that matter the most to you. If you have a value that is not on that list, go ahead and list that value.
- For each value you have selected, I want you to reflect and write down why that value is important to you.
- Next, I want you to write about a time you demonstrated that value. Where were you? Who was there? What were the circumstances?
- Finally, I want you to pick a person you admire who most embodies each of the three core values you selected. This can be one person, two, or three different people. I want you to write down why you chose these individuals to represent the core value.
Achievement
Independence
Security
Community
Kindness
Self- Control
Creativity
Relationships
Spirituality
Enjoyment
Reputation
Tradition
Expertise
Responsibility
Vitality
Integrity
Honesty
Courage
Happiness
Humility
Accountability
Curiosity
Fariness
Leadership
Loyalty
Compassion
Empathy
Gratitude
Wealth/Success
Discipline
Health
Trustworthiness