High school is a time to explore. It is the place where you gain an understanding of who you are and what you hope to become. This is the time to try different clubs, activities, and electives in order to find your passion and your talents. Believe it or not, the short years you spend in high school help determine who you will be as an adult. Let’s talk about how to use your time in high school to ensure your success as an adult.
Examine Your Passions
Is there something that you feel driven to do? This may be something you think about constantly. You always have new ideas about it or insist on reworking old ideas in an effort to improve it. No matter how hard it is to perfect, you just have to keep working at it. Does anything come to mind? Perhaps there are multiple things or even just a few budding interests. Write them down. If you have multiple passions, do you notice any connections or similarities between them?
Examine Your Talents
Now I want you to think about what you are effortlessly good at? This is a tough question. Sometimes the things we are naturally good at may not be the things that we are passionate about. Here is another way of thinking through it. Have you ever received a compliment for something you did that you weren’t really into? Those are areas of natural ability, whether they are big or small. It is always a good idea to write those down.
Use Your Current Platform
You should talk with your counselor about the different classes, activities, or clubs on campus that will allow you to explore any areas of interest you may have. You should also look for opportunities to continue building on your talents. You may be surprised to learn what your school offers. These can help you find careers that may be a good fit, or at least rule out any options you were indifferent about. These activities can also provide valuable resume building experiences. Besides that, teachers and activity leaders write the best recommendation letters.
Bridging the Gap
Be sure to use the time you have in high school wisely. That way you don’t use expensive years in college to figure out what you could have found out in high school. Coaches are passionate about helping each of our students understand their interests (passions) and aptitudes (natural talents). Identifying these areas is important, and Right C3 offers the Career Assessment and other tools on our website to help students along the way.
If you are in the 8th or 9th grade and entering high school in August, contact us so we can review your plans and discuss how you can make the most out of high school.
