This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Marymount chapter.
The thought of graduating may feel like the most daunting prospect in any collegiette’s life. Whether you had the time of your life at university or have a major case of senioritis and can’t wait to be free, the adult world is a challenging one. Most of us are full of questions about the future pertaining to our destiny and what we want in life in general. What kind of work should we take up? Do we want a family and children? Should we stay in our hometown, or travel and move elsewhere? There are so many possibilities that come to mind after getting your degree.
To help make things easier, and to find clarity in a sea of questions and opportunities, any collegiette can benefit from these self-help activities and playful exercises. Rather than overwhelming yourself with big questions like “who am I meant to be?” or “what should I do with my life?” it is helpful to narrow things down and asses your feelings based on specific subjects and where you are at this specific moment in time. Part of life is change and growth, and at this point in your life you may have different answers as to what your purpose may be then ten years down the road.
A first great step to begin with is to try assessing what your values are as a person, and what attributes make you feel the happiest and strongest in your life. Make a list of these values that are important to you, whether it be health, kindness, authenticity, education, or anything else you hold dear. Examine this list and keep it in mind when looking for jobs or post-grad opportunities. Will a job at a fashion magazine allow you to manifest and uphold these values, or would a few years in the peace corps allow you to feel more satisfied with your life and purposeful?
The next step is to make a mind-map and actually brainstorm other aspects of life that are important to you or things you wish to explore. Start with a question in the center of the mind-map, such as “What is my destiny after I graduate?”. Circle it, and then create branches that extend from that circle. Don’t think too hard, but write down anything that comes to mind. This could be travel, graduate school, volunteering, writing, etc. and from these topics branch out more topics. For travel you may put India, or Japan, or Sweden, and from those may branch specific things you wish to do there like explore the rainforest or climb Mt. Fuji. Let your imagination run wild and see what you come up with, and at the end, make note of the words or phrases that stand out to you most or speak to your heart.
Think about how you can incorporate these things into your life, and what direction they may help you take. Then ask yourself if these possibilities pertain to your core values (maybe your core values even appeared on the mind map!) and also make note of those that do.
During your life’s journey post-graduation, who you are and what you want to be will constantly be transforming, and you can always come back and re-asses your values or do another mind map to see where your heart wants you to go.
And last but not least, take some personality, astrology or storyweaving quizzes! Not only are these fun, but they may help you clarify your ideas and give you some insight into your own mind. The Meyers Briggs test is the most famous of the psychological personality tests, and assigns you a profile out of sixteen different personality types. This test can give you insight into what type of job you should have or what type of people you work best with.
An astrolabe chart can also provide you with insight into your habits and personality, and uses your birth date and time to access your sun and moon sign. You are then provided with an entire report on how these values affect your personality and emotions.
Storyweaving quizzes are also incredibly fun and can help you understand who you are or what your purpose is at this specific point in time. Try taking Dr. Carol Burbank’s quiz, where you discover what kind of hero you are and what character archetype(s) best fit you at this moment in your life.
Finally, remember that you are still young and have plenty of time to accomplish whatever it is you desire in life. Take things one step at a time, be playful and loving with yourself, and let your heart guide you in this great transitional period that is graduation.