Six Hacks to Unlocking What Truly Excites You

By: Miguel La Torre , March 15, 2024

The purpose of a higher education is not just about earning a degree; it's an opportunity to discover your passions and align them with your academic and career pursuits too. 

For most incoming college freshmen, the challenge lies in identifying what their heart really desires. Here are a few key tips for unveiling your passions and setting the stage for a fruitful college experience. 

1. Reflect on Your Interests

 Like all self-discovery journeys, taking some time for self-reflection is necessary. Consider the activities, subjects, or hobbies that have consistently captured your attention and made you lose track of time. These interests often provide clues about what genuinely excites you. 

A passion for public speaking may lead to a successful career in the field of Broadcasting

 

2. Explore New Experiences

You are just at the tip of the iceberg. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things! Engage in various activities, both within and outside your usual interests. This can help you discover hidden talents and broaden your perspective on the world.  

Pursuing a career path in the Tourism field may embark you on a journey to the ends of the earth

 

3. Pay Attention to Your Emotions

As much as logic is crucial in self-discovery, it’s the heart that really tells you what to do. Take note of your emotional responses to different activities. What makes you feel enthusiastic, fulfilled, or energized? Pay attention to moments of genuine joy and satisfaction, as these emotional reactions can be key indicators of who you’re meant to be.  

 

Do you love cooking as much as eating? Then the kitchen might just be your playground

 

4. Look Back on Your Childhood Dreams

You were once a child ready to take on the world on any given day. Reflecting on your childhood aspirations and dreams often unearths clues to your true passions that root from when you were so much younger. Revisiting these childhood dreams can help you reconnect with activities that bring you genuine excitement, but you’ve somehow lost along the way. 

 

Your love for Voltes V, Gundam, and other robotic characters may be a foreshadowing that you have a future in Computer Science

 

5. Seek Advice from People Close to You

A man is never an island. As much as you are on a journey to discovering yourself, input and opinions from other people might be crucial too. They offer unique perspectives based on their understanding of who you are. Their support and encouragement may also serve as validation and reassurance in uncovering aspects that you may not have realized on your own. 

As a fledgling making your way around the world, approaching experienced people can give a better angle to your future

 

6. Take Online Assessments

Online assessments provide objective insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.  

The STI Student’s Career Opportunity & Personality Evaluator or SCOPE does just that! It may help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, guiding you towards making informed decisions about your personal and professional development, and empowering you to maximize your potential and pursue paths that align with your true self. 

Aside from the fact that it is FREE, the STI SCOPE is just one click away at the convenience of your mobile phone. Just drop by scope.sti.edu to take the assessment! 

Experts say that knowing yourself will help you make better career choices. Find out what career path is best suited for you when you take the SCOPE for FREE!