The first thing to do when thinking about college is think about what you want– not just in your college experience but in your life. College is a huge purchase, a choice of a life direction, and it is all about you being you.

College affects a few key things about your life path:
– Your career (including income, purpose, flexibility, stress, locations)
– Your connections, both friends and career networks
– Your ability to “test drive” things about yourself as your create your path
– Your current finances (it’s a reality)

Some of us know right away what we want (looking at you, future doctors). Some really don’t know, so it’s good to do some exploring and ask yourself some questions. Here are 3 things to do to start, all of which can be done in less than a hour, or over the course of a few weeks. But don’t put it off, DO IT:

1. One place I started was with this free personality test: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. It can give you some really great clues and direction.
2. Another good thing to do is ask your family and friends what you are best at and what you seem to like. Sometimes it helps to get a perspective outside of your own! Write them down.
3. Do a short exercise to write down a column of things you like to do and then another column of things you are good at. Looks at things that cross-over or combine well.
4. Think hard about your “life vibe:” how much you want to work, how much you want to make, what/with whom you want to spend your days, and your purpose with it all. Want to provide a really nice life for your family and are okay working long hours and handling stress? Like working with kids and are okay with a simpler path? Okay living on the edge with the thrill of being a creator/artist? It’s a big Rubik’s Cube and you get to make the choices.
5. P.S. You aren’t expected to know all of life’s paths! Feel free to Google anything, like “top earning professions without math” or “jobs with writing” or “jobs in demand in the future,” or “can I earn a living as an actor?” or “great jobs in small towns in Colorado.” Cruise blog posts and news articles about professions you’ve heard of or are curious about. Get ideas.
   

Okay, scribble down notes of all of this and some possible paths. If you think you have your path, you’re ready to think about which colleges make sense for you. If you’re not there yet, go back over the steps, Google more, talk it through with someone, ping me to talk, or join my monthly call for some feedback. It’s a process, but no one can do it for you.

When you’re ready, go to How to Start Your College List.