ASSESSING YOUR GOALS Why do you want to go to college? What do you hope to attain through your undergraduate education? What are your career goals? How fixed are these goals? Are you likely to pursue graduate studies at some point in time?
In answering these questions, Milton students tend to fall into one of three categories:
One category includes those students who have a well-developed plan for their future. An example would be the student who says, “I want to major in engineering, work 3-5 years, and then get a business degree and start my own company.” Another example is the student who says, “I want to be a professional musician.” Or, “I want to major in film studies and then move to LA and see if I can break into the film industry.” Another category includes those students who can answer these questions with vague ideas but who are still uncertain about the direction their futures will take. An example would be the student who says, “I’d like to eventually go to law school or maybe get an MBA and work in international business.” The largest category includes those students who are truly undecided. In fact, those students are going to college with an open mind and the desire to broaden their education before narrowing their focus on any particular career. Throughout the world, the colleges and universities of the United States are respected for the opportunity they afford students to do exactly what those in the two latter categories wish to do — explore their interests in college BEFORE deciding upon a major and a career. This is common and perfectly acceptable. In fact, even those students who think they belong in the first category often change their minds once faced with more information and other choices. Most Milton students are seeking a liberal arts education — even though they may not know exactly what that means (see p.17). Students will want to understand the meaning of liberal arts as they progress through the process, since they will be asked about their academic interests many times.
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