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L
EARNING
TO
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EARN
: B
ECOMING
A
S
ELF
-G
ROWER
53
E
XPERIENCE
3: Y
OUR
P
AST
D
OESN
’
T
D
EFINE
Y
OUR
F
UTURE
READING
Who Are You Now?
In Experience 1, you were asked to assess yourself as a learner. Who you are as a college student, however,
is a sum of many factors, including who you are as a person and how you see yourself as part of a college
community—in other words, your identity. To continue our map metaphor, reflecting on your journey
along the road that has brought you to this point is helpful. This experience will help you with that
reflection and give you some additional suggestions on how to map out what lies ahead.
Of course, life never goes exactly as planned; it would not be very exciting if it did. Developing a Life
Vision, however, will allow you to adjust your vision to the successes, changes, and challenges of your
life. Having a vision promotes action: “If you have a vision, do something with it,” Anthony J. D’Angelo
(author,
Chicken Soup for the College Soul
, and educational leader) recommends in
The College
Blue
Book
.
John is in the second semester of his first year in college. John tried college for a few
weeks right after high school, but he didn’t have any clear idea of what he wanted
to do. He left while he could still get some of his tuition back. John’s
parents have been saddened by his decision. As Hmong immigrants
who had spent many years in refugee camps, they felt that a college
education was the ticket to a better life for their children. John worked
for a computer trouble-shooting company for two years before he went
back to school. He also did some work detailing cars at a family friend’s
shop. John knows his parents want him to go into something connected
with computers, but he has also found that he loves graphic design and
history. He knows he needs to make some decisions on whether or not
he’ll be doing a two-year degree at this college, majoring in graphic
design or information technology. Or does he want to do a four-year
degree in history? That would mean taking college transfer courses
now. John knows he’ll need to talk to a teacher or advisor before he
makes these decisions. After that, he’ll talk with his parents.
What is a Life Vision?
A life vision involves looking forward and establishing a map for your life. Because John is the oldest
child in his family and a first-generation college student, he has not seen a brother or sister struggle with
the decisions he now has to make. Though he’s thought about what he wants to do with and in his life, he’s
not had the benefit of seeing how a strong life vision can help with the challenges he’s facing. He’s unsure
about where to turn for advice about his future. He talked with his graphic design instructor about how
she decided on her career. She talked about how she had always had a passion for drawing. By the time
she was in middle school, she had designed birthday party invitations for her family and friends. John’s
instructor didn’t know what kind of career would let her draw for a living, though. She was lucky to go on
a college tour while she was still in high school; there she learned about the graphic design field. She also
knew she liked to teach others. Her career as a graphics design instructor suits her perfectly. She suggested
that John reflect on his passions, among other things, in a Life Vision Portfolio.