College search resembles the hero’s journey:
| A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.[2] |
In this case, the hero is seeking out a college or university that will help him or her shine, a place to realise one’s potential. In each Hero’s journey comes a mentor: Obi Wan to to Luke in Star Wars, Freddie Laker to Richard Branson in business, Aristotle to Alexander the Great in leadership. To find this place, I recommend asking others about their college experiences. Who are these others? Your teachers, your parent’s friends and their business associates and the people doing exactly the job you want. They have been down the road we will go. These allies can offer you a wealth of information if you ask them the right questions:
- Where did you go to college?
- Why did you choose that place? What were your key considerations?
- What did you love about it?
- What do you wish you had known going into that college?
- What sort of person does well there?
What strikes me as funny is that many families I work with insist that you have to go to a “top” college if you are to be successful. Yet when asked if they are successful, they indicate they are. When asked where they went to college, more often than not, they did not go to a highly ranked college. And yet they turned out great. And almost everyone one of them loved their college experiences.
Truth be told, humans love to give advice to the next generation. They have a need to be a mentor. So help them fulfill their need.
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