Try to reflect on your learning over a period of time. What is the cumulative effect of what you’ve learned this semester? This year? Over the course of your collegiate career? What courses or experiences stood out for you? Why?

Pausing to reflect on these kinds of questions will force you to think outside of the day-to-day, here’s-what-I-need-to-get-done-now type of thinking and help you expand your understanding of what you’re doing. Examine the patterns that form in the experiences and opportunities you’re really passionate about pursuing. From there, you can think intentionally about these patterns and better understand the path you’re taking in your life. I encourage you to worry less about the destination of that path and more about making sure it’s one you enjoy walking along.

BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE:
Push yourself outside your comfort zone in a safe, but significant way. We tend not to examine the things about ourselves that we accept implicitly until they’re challenged. Be open to such challenges and prepared to define and refine your understanding of yourself. This shouldn’t be an effort in hardening your thoughts on a subject, but a chance to grow in your perspective.