"Destiny" (1900) by John William Waterhouse
According to Lerner and Schlechter, “Understanding how our lives matter and make sense can serve as a guidepoints for almost all of actions” (249). Presumably, this includes choosing a major and a career. How important do you think it is to determine your purpose early in your college career? Do you feel like you are ahead of the curve or are you still exploring? Do you think there is any danger in declaring your purpose before you have done much exploring?
It is without a doubt important to find some sort of purpose early on in your college career and it doesn’t have to be just a major. Finding your college purpose can be your life purpose as well, “My purpose is to help others” “My purpose is to save lives” “My purpose is to be a forever learner.” Having some purpose can give you a sense of direction in a world of mazes. I know what my college purpose is, and it has given me my direction and path that I am going to follow, but it does not shut me out of exploring. There is a danger of declaring your purpose early but only if you fully lock on that purpose and not keep yourself open to other possibilities. I believe my purpose is to help others and while being in business I have kept open to other areas like psychology and law to help drive my purpose. Don’t fall into a trap of believing that you’re behind the curve because all your friends say they have a purpose, I say I have one but that can always change as I learn more each day. Your path is unique and whether you have a set purpose or not, always remain open to learn more and find new areas to dive into.
ReplyDeleteFor me, my purpose has always been pretty clear. My mother passed away when I was little because the hospital she went to didn't have the necessary means to save her life. Ever since then it was always clear to me that I wanted to go into the medical field and save lives. I chose to be a nursing major, and what makes that even more special for me is that my mother was going to receive her nursing degree a couple of months after she died, so in a way I get to continue on her goal of being a nurse. Having my purpose of wanting to make my mother proud and carry on her life goal makes me want to achieve my goals and makes the stressful moments just a little bit easier. Even though I've known for a while what I want to do with my life, I think exploring your options is so important to making career decisions. While I knew my major, I couldn't decide where I wanted to go to college until February. Between OK State and OU, I just couldn't decide where I wanted to go because neither of them felt like home. Then in February I decided to apply to my dad's alma mater and go on a tour. From the minute I stepped foot on East Central's campus, I knew it was the place I was meant to be. So, I definitely think exploring your options is extremely important.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it's that important to determine your purpose early in your college career because there is so much to explore in college, and you don’t want to miss out on opportunities to find your true purpose by settling for something you think is your purpose. It is never bad to have an idea of your purpose, but while in college you should take advantage of the many opportunities to explore other paths and see if there is anything else out there that makes you happy and gives you a sense of meaning.
ReplyDeleteI think you give a really solid answer to having a purpose in college. You say “It is never bad to have an idea of your purpose, but while in college you should take advantage of the many opportunities to explore other paths….” I have found myself in this exact situation. I agree that you should have a purpose (or goal) in mind, but it is wise to keep an open mind when it comes to your future. After all, no one has a clue about the events that will occur in the future. Well, maybe one person.
DeleteI think that it is important to establish some form of purpose during the start of your college career to keep motivations high, such as establishing a reason for why you want to graduate and a reason for pursuing your beginning major. However, I do not think that you should completely shut off over avenues of enjoyment and meaning because you have already planned out your entire life. Keeping an open mind will allow you to fully explore the many options college has to offer and think outside of the box to possibly find where your passions truly lie. I have not even begun classes yet, so I would say I’m still exploring with a general foundation of what type of career I wish to have and the type of people I wish to work with. I do not think it is dangerous for someone to have a clear set vision of their future from day one, but I do think it is not wise to not consider changing that purpose if you discover another major or career that fulfills you more than your original plan. Life is convoluted, so I believe it is essential to be able to roll with the punches and take opportunities where available.
ReplyDeleteI love your perspective on not shutting off other opportunities of enjoyment and meaning. That is something that can often be overlooked because so much focus can be on one single plan for your life. I think if there is no grown or development in a plan you had years ago to where that plan is now, that's not a good thing. There needs to be enjoyment, growth, and meaning as you said.
DeleteI do not feel that you must figure out your major right away, but I feel that it is always good to have some sort of plan before stepping into anything. Everyone is different. I have known for many years that I want to be a nurse. Then others still have no idea what to do, but it is okay if they are actively exploring options and trying to create a plan. I feel that declaring your purpose before exploring it and other options can be dangerous, for the fact of you not liking it, then getting far into and feeling trapped. Before making any life choices it is a good idea to investigate it and explore all options in the career path.
ReplyDeleteAllie Brown
I believe that you shouldn't rush into finding your purpose early in your college career and just let it happen naturally instead. Coming into college as a freshman, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. However, I have slowly started to discover my passions. I believe that it is different for everyone and that everyone's journey is different. Some people know right away what it is that they want to do. For example, I know many people who say that they have always known that wanted to be nurse. For these people, their purpose is clear and obvious. For others, like me, it may not be that clear and obvious and it may take some more time to find that "purpose." It can be dangerous to declare your purpose without exploring it, but like I mentioned, some people have always known what their purpose is in life. Overall, I believe it is best not to rush yourself and let life take its course and you will learn to find your purpose as you go.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important to know your purpose, but it's not the end of the world if you don't know what you want to do. I think a big thing college is for is finding your purpose. That's why we are assigned different classes so we can get the feel of other stuff. I think I am ahead of the curve on my purpose. Since I was a little kid of always wanted to own my own business and I still plan on doing that. I don't think there is a whole lot of danger in declaring your purpose before you are done exploring. You can always find other things or something else may catch your eye and I think that's ok. Just as long as you find something that makes you happy.
ReplyDeleteI think that when you begin college, it is essential to have at least an idea of what your purpose is in life or what you are pursuing overall. This helps me keep myself on track and focused. Although I believe you should have a sense of direction starting off in college, I believe you also must stay open minded and curious. College presents you with a wide variety of cultures and practices, and staying curious allows you to explore new ideas and learn about things you may not have been interested in otherwise. While following your path of education through the years, I believe that it is necessary to have a direction you start working towards, but throughout your journey, always remember to never stop exploring and learning. Adapting and evolving as a person is unavoidable, whether you choose to stick to a specific path or go out on a few branches. For me, I feel like right now I am ahead of the curve because I have a certain future envisioned in my head (although there is a chance it could change as I progress through college). While keeping in mind of the possible alternate routes as you venture, I don't believe there is a definite danger in declaring your purpose early.
ReplyDelete-Charlie Rogers
DeleteI feel like there's no shame in going to college not knowing what you want to do. There's ample opportunity to just take classes until you gravitate towards something that interests you. That being said, if you set your sights on something, and don't leave any room for you to change your mind, you could find yourself halfway to a degree that you hate. It's important to keep an open mind even while you are pursuing something you enjoy, or thought you enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, deciding my major and minor early have made a monumental impact on the structure of my college career. From this, I was able to tailor my own college course of action, allowing me to graduate early to pursue my doctorate in biochem. I could not be more happy with my decision, as this allows me to begin working on what I am truly interested in at a quicker pace than what I would be able to do if I had not chosen so early. However, although I am set in my academic career for the foreseeable future, I still have not committed to a “purpose” in the way it is conventionally seen. I believe that there is a sense of danger in committing to a purpose so early on, especially with the notion that the major that I choose is that purpose. While it is important to determine academics as early as possible to make the most out of your money and your education, determining what to devote your life to requires wisdom that can only be obtained through exploring your options later on.
ReplyDeleteBailey Howe