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When going to college should you try to re-create yourself?

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Ken’s Answer

When preparing for college, it is very helpful to get to know yourself better to determine which career path might be best suited for your personality traits and then talk to people who are doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can see what they do, how they got there, and what advice they might have. The continuation of your education and your career journey should be a fulfillment of your full potential.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Daniel’s Answer

It depends. If that is something you think that you need after taking a long hard honest inventory of yourself, then yes you should reinvent yourself to be a better more successful person. But, if you feel like you are on a good path right now, then you can certainly grow at college (most people do) but still keep the identity that makes you the unique person you are. A lot of people see disney channel movies and things like that and think they need to go there and pick up a new hobby or join a frat and become an entirely new person. But that is far from necessary and not as common as it looks.
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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Sally! I think some things may be recreated while others may be more permanent; it depends on who you are and what you want to do. For example, if you want to have better studying habits then maybe it's time to recreate your methods and focus on your studies more by reaching out to your professors more or detaching yourself from social media if that is a distraction. If you want to volunteer or meet new people you can search for organizations and events on campus; however you shouldn't ignore your past either. I think if you are happy with who you are you shouldn't try to recreate yourself, however we can change with time! I think in college you become more responsible and mature; you learn more than before, therefore embrace the changes that will occur but be proud of who you are as well.

I hope this helps!
Best of luck!
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