Scottish students have got the results of their Highers and next week the A level results will be in the news.  I’m currently revisiting my services to young people and creating a booklet of helpful tips for parents.
So over these next two weeks my articles will focus on help for students and their parents.

Students … Are You Ready for University?

Take this short quiz to find out.
Being ready for University means getting great grades, right? Not entirely. We have found that  the most important preparation involves figuring out the most essential things about yourself and what you see yourself doing in life.
Use the following scale to describe how these statements describe you. Write the number of your response in the blank at the beginning of the statement.
Not at all                   Not very much               Sometimes yes,          A little         A lot
like me                           like me                       sometimes no           like me        like me
1                                  2                                             3                                 4                5

____ I have some fairly specific interests that I would like to pursue in University.
____ I have a picture of the role I want to play in my career in the next 10 years.
____ I have a picture of the lifestyle I want to be living in the next 10 years.
____ I have a general picture of the kind of work I would really love doing.
____ I have a general picture of the kind of work I would really be good at.
____ I have some pretty clear goals that I would like to get out of University.
____ If my plan for my career doesn’t work out, I have some other ideas.
____ I have a pretty good idea how I could best use my talents in my career.

Now, total all the number you have inserted: _______

What your results mean

Here are the answers

35-40 – You seem to have a very clear vision for your future, what you want to do after University, how you want to live your life, what roles you would be good at and why. You have thought about alternative plans in case your original ones do not work out as expected. When you go to University with this kind of preparation, you are almost always more successful … and much happier.
28-34 – You have looked at some facts about life and work after University. As you can be more clear and more specific with yourself about your talents, your interests, what you really want to do in your career, and what you feel would be worth putting your time and energy into, you can gain an increasingly powerful Personal Vision. This is a tool you can use throughout your career.
20-27 – You may have some ideas about the future. However, doing some work on your natural abilities and what roles are easy for you to perform can go a long way to helping you start to get a clear picture of what you would like to do with your life. You can also help yourself by paying attention to what interests you. This can be the source of a great deal of energy and enjoyment in your career.
Less than 20 – The place to start in creating a Personal Vision is with your natural abilities. They tell you where you natural talents lie. Your natural abilities make it easy for you to do some things. Other roles are naturally more difficult for you. By learning objectively about your natural talents, you can have the basic groundwork of a Personal Vision  … one of the most powerful predictors of both success and enjoyment in University

Denise Taylor is a double award winning career coach and Chartered Psychologist with Amazing People, established in 1998. When you are unsure of your career future, need help with job search or seek to improve your presence in an online world, Denise can help. Denise is the author of 7 books including How To Get A Job In A Recession, Now You’ve Been Shortlisted and Fat to Fantastic

 

Published On: August 9th, 2012 / Categories: Students and Graduates /

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