In the first phase, you will use various self-assessments and other resources to learn about who you are as a person. As a result of completing this phase, you will be able to answer most, if not all, of the following questions: What are my interests and hobbies? What do I enjoy learning about or doing in my spare time? What are my talents or strengths? What am I good at doing? What are my values and morals? What are my weaknesses or challenges? What else do I know about myself at this point in my life? Can I be authentic or sincere in all my answers to these questions? What do I know about self-doubt and self-trust?
Keep in Mind:
We believe students should grow as individuals as well as members of society by learning through methods and styles that are meaningful to them. We affirm there are many ways of knowing as well as alternative kinds of information that are important in decision-making that have not been traditionally acknowledged or prioritized in higher education. With this in mind, we encourage students to gather information through not only the resources we share on this website, but also from the important sources of knowledge present in their life, whether it be trusted loved ones, their communities, or cultural and spiritual resources. Additionally, we draw from the concept of self-definition (Okello, 2018) on meaning-making for underrepresented students to help us all in this exploration process. We want all students to know:
- You know yourself best and are valid sources of knowledge along with other sources of information important to you
- You should accept and love all parts of yourself despite what is accepted by society
- You possess the ability to define yourself and choose a path to follow
- Your identity is a combination of what you know about yourself with how society perceives you and how you show up in the world
- You can have radical hope there are opportunities, dreams, and goals waiting for you, even if you do not yet know or see them
From Self-Authorship to Self-Definition
Okello, W. K. (2018). From Self-Authorship to Self-Definition: Remapping Theoretical Assumptions Through Black Feminism. Journal of College Student Development, 59(5), 528-544. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2018.0051
Please make sure you record your assessment results, save your Wandering Map, and document any other thoughts/reflections from this phase to use later on in the process.
When you complete these steps, you can move on to Phase 2: Major Exploration!
