Assessing Your Interests, Abilities and Values
The first step in the academic exploration process is assessing your interests, abilities and values.
If you're in this step in the process, you might be asking questions like:
- Who am I?
- Why am I attending college?
- What do I like?
- What am I good at?
- What is important to me?
Note: If you identify with the questions above, let your academic advisor know that, even though you may have a major declared, you're still in the process of exploring and learning about yourself.
What resources can help you navigate Step One?
Do some true self-assessment by asking yourself some questions like:
- What school subjects do I enjoy?
- What activities and hobbies do I enjoy?
- What am I good at, both in the classroom and outside?
- What things in life are important to me?
Talk to the people who care about you and know you well. See what they’ve observed about you, but don’t let them decide for you. You might ask them questions like:
- Where, in school and in life, have they seen you excel?
- When do you seem to be at your happiest?
- What have they observed about your values and what’s important to you in life?