Have you just entered college and are full of longing and expectations for the future? Do you want to know how you can plan your future so that you can realize your dreams? Do you want to listen to the advice of the great philosopher Kant and let him teach you how to plan your future?
If your answer is ‘yes’, then you need to continue reading because this article is for you. This article will tell you how to start with understanding yourself and plan your future step by step to make your college life more meaningful and valuable.
Start by knowing yourself
You may have heard the saying: “Know thyself.” This sentence was said by Socrates, a famous ancient Greek philosopher. He believes that only by truly knowing yourself can you find your nature, fulfill your mission, and become a moral person.
The same goes for our future plans. We must first get to know ourselves before we can find goals that suit us, and then we can use our own strengths and interests to realize our dreams. So, how do we know ourselves? We have to think about the following questions:
who I am?
This question seems simple, but it is actually very profound. It requires you to reflect on who you are as a person, what your strengths and weaknesses are, what your characteristics and personality are. If you find it difficult to answer, you can try to describe yourself in three words, such as ‘diligent, optimistic, curious’ or ’lazy, negative, shy’ and so on. Then, you can make separate lists of your strengths and weaknesses, such as:
- Strengths: Diligence, optimism, curiosity, kindness, creativity, etc.
- Disadvantages: laziness, negativity, shyness, stubbornness, lack of self-confidence, etc.
You can also take some personality tests to help you understand what kind of person you are. For example, the MBTI personality test and the Big Five personality test are useful tools that can let you know your personality type, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.
Relevant test recommendations:
MBTI personality test: www.psyctest.cn/t/nyGE8Ddj/
Big Five Personality Test: www.psyctest.cn/t/Bmd7Qm5V/
What do I want to do?
This question is about your interests and goals. You have to think clearly about what you like to do, what you want to do, and what your dream is. You can make a list of your interests, such as:
- Hobbies: reading, writing, painting, singing, traveling, etc.
You can also take some career interest tests to help you understand what kind of career is suitable for you. For example, the Holland Career Interest Test can let you know your types of interests and your career tendencies.
Relevant test recommendations:
Holland Career Interest Test: www.psyctest.cn/t/PqxDRKGv/
What can I do?
This question is about your abilities and potential. You have to think clearly about what knowledge and skills you have, what you can do, and what else you can do. You can make a list of your abilities, such as:
- Abilities: English, programming, speech, communication, teamwork, etc.
You can also improve your abilities and potential through learning and practice. You can choose some useful courses, books, and materials to increase your knowledge base. You can also participate in some meaningful activities, projects, and competitions to hone your skills and experience.
What does the environment support or allow me to do?
This question is about your external conditions. You need to think clearly about what resources and opportunities your environment provides you, as well as what limitations and challenges it has. You can analyze your environment inventory, for example:
- Resources: school courses, teachers, classmates, libraries, laboratories, clubs, etc.
- Opportunities: school scholarships, exchange students, internships, employment, entrepreneurship, etc.
- Restrictions: school rules and regulations, geographical location, major settings, credit requirements, etc.
- Challenges: pressure of study, cost of living, interpersonal relationships, competition for employment, etc.
You have to make full use of your resources and opportunities to achieve your goals. You also have to overcome your limitations and challenges to improve your abilities.
What is my ultimate career goal?
After answering the first four questions, you can determine your ultimate career goals based on your self-understanding and environmental analysis. Your ultimate career goal should be in line with your interests, abilities, potential, and values, as well as adapt to your environment, market, and society. You can describe your ultimate career goal in one sentence, such as:
-Ultimate career goal: to become an excellent software engineer and contribute to human life and progress.
You can also use a diagram to illustrate your ultimate career goals.
Set goals and plan ahead
With your ultimate career goals in mind, you need to develop a detailed plan to achieve your goals. Your plan should include the following areas:
- Short-term goals: Some specific tasks you want to complete while in college, such as which courses to take, which activities to participate in, which certificates to obtain, etc.
- Mid-term goals: Some specific fields you want to enter after graduation, such as which industries to choose, which companies to apply for, which positions to work in, etc.
- Long-term goals: Some specific achievements you want to achieve in your career, such as which positions you will be promoted to, which values you will create, and which dreams you will realize, etc.
Your plan should be SMART, which means your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, your short-term goals could be:
- In the first semester of freshman year, take courses such as ‘Computer Fundamentals’, ‘Programming’, and ‘Data Structure’ to master basic programming knowledge and skills.
- In the second semester of my freshman year, I participated in the school’s software development competition, won an excellence award, and was recommended by my tutor to join the laboratory and participate in scientific research projects.
- In the first semester of sophomore year, read books such as ‘Introduction to Algorithms’, ‘Operating Systems’, and ‘Database Systems’ to learn in depth the theories and methods of software engineering.
- In the second semester of your sophomore year, apply for an exchange student program abroad and study for a semester at a prestigious school in the United States to broaden your horizons and improve your English proficiency.
- In the first semester of my junior year, I participated in the school’s innovation and entrepreneurship project, formed a team, developed a software product with social value, and applied for patents and trademarks.
- In the second semester of your junior year, find a well-known software company for a three-month internship to accumulate work experience and build connections.
- In the first semester of senior year, prepare a graduation thesis, summarize your learning results, show your innovation ability, and strive for the honor of outstanding graduates.
- In the second semester of your senior year, take the professional qualification exam for software engineers and obtain a certificate. At the same time, submit your resume and attend interviews to try to get your favorite offer.
Your plan should be constantly adjusted and improved based on your actual situation to adapt to changes in your environment and your own growth. You should regularly check the implementation of your plan, evaluate the degree of completion of your goals, summarize your experiences and lessons, reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, and prepare for your next action.
Summarize
Planning your future is a very important and interesting thing. You have to start by knowing yourself, think about who you are, what you want to do, what you can do, what the environment supports or allows you to do, and then determine your ultimate career goals, formulate your detailed plan, and set your short-term, medium-term, and For long-term goals, follow the SMART principle to achieve your goals step by step and create your future.
Kant once said: ‘Living without a goal is like sailing without a compass.’ I hope you can always remember this sentence, cherish your college time, use your wisdom and courage to plan your future, ride the wind and waves, and move forward indomitably!
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