Prompt 1:

Be yourself! Everyone else is taken…

I think that this article is very useful to juniors since some people are still trying to find
themselves. I agree that your age has nothing to do with understanding yourself and that younger
people could understand themselves better than an adult. I also agree that knowing yourself is
you knowing your entire potential as a person. I also liked that the author added details on how
to know when you know yourself. Two questions that I have are, Are there mindset exercises or
thinking exercises that improve knowing yourself quicker(since it doesn't just happen
overnight)? Can being confident in yourself affect you being yourself? This article was very
inspiring and eye-opening but I think it lacked facts. I would add research such as how much
more successful people are in life when they know themselves and have faith in what they can
do. This could inspire the reader to make a change or think about themselves and their future.

Prompt 2:

What is your gut reaction when you think about having a job someday? What excites you about
getting out of school and into the workforce? What is intimidating? What kinds of jobs have you
had? If you have a job now, do you like it? Why? What is the difference between a career and a
job?

My gut reaction when thinking about having a job someday is nervous. Iḿ nervous
because I want to find a job that I will like doing every single day. I don't like thinking about a
job as doing the same thing everyday and just wasting your life away doing something boring.
What I am excited for when I get out of school and into the workforce is the amount of
independence Iĺl have and I will be making my own decisions. It is intimidating because Iĺl
probably dealing with a lot of people who might take advantage of how hard I work. I have not
had any jobs yet since I don't have time for it. The difference between a job and a career is that a
career is what you want to do in the long term while a job is just something you do part-time. A
career you also get a salary while a job you get paid by the hour.

Prompt 3:

What is the characteristic that you hope to show in your essay? You will want to demonstrate
(show, don’t tell) that you are “the real deal”. What is the powerful story that will let you do just
that? How will you “keep it simple, be yourself, talk and write about things you know and love”?

The characteristic that I hope to show in my essay is how hardworking I am and how I
am motivated to do things. Also, I would like to show and tell a story about how when I make
goals for myself I try so hard to reach them and how willing I am to practice constantly. I will
talk about my evolution of running and how the goals I made for myself changed my mindset.
Also I am going to compare running to life. I will keep it simple, be myself, talk and write about
things I know and love by writing a real story about myself and use empowering words.
Prompt 4:

What is the author’s argument? The article was written in 2011, do you believe that the
sentiment holds true in 2019? What have you heard (from parents, teachers, coaches, friends)
about posting online and how it can affect your future? Do you believe the hype? Provide an
example of a positive AND negative post and explain how it affected that person.

The author's argument is that everyone trying to get into college should have an online presence
since people look more up online on you than anything else. Even though the article was written
in 2011 this article still holds true and probably even more true because of the evolution of more
and smarter technology. I have heard from everyone (coaches, parents, teachers, and friends) to
not post anything that I don't want everyone to see because one stupid post could lead me to the
fall of a potential career. I believe this is true. When you post something there is no such thing as
taking it back or starting over because people might have already seen it and taken screenshots of
it. Negative posts would consist of doing reckless stuff like drinking, taking a photo while
driving, drugs etc. Positive posts would be posting your accomplishments like varsity on a sports
team or helping society with the club¨interact¨.

Prompt 5 (for the end of class):

Consider what you learned today. Please write a reflection that includes the following
information.

What is ONE thing you learned when viewing Markus and Tommy’s pages?

I learned to not post things you do not want colleges to see because it can be an easy no.

What are TWO things you included in your website as a result of the article you read?

Extracurricular activities and what you are looking to do in the future.

What are THREE things you need to accomplish for this class before the end of the this cycle?
Job shadow contact, website update, linked in profile, college essay revision

LinkedIn profile, Job shadow contact, do website

Prompt 6

How might SMART goals be helpful moving forward?

It will help me move forward since there are steps I can take to reach them. They are specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely which will direct me to achieve these goals.

What are systems you can put in place to check your progress?

I can use a notebook to track what I have done so far and what else I can do to achieve these
goals. Sticky notes, electronic reminders, etc. can also help.

What can you be doing RIGHT NOW to make progress on these goals?

I can be researching and working hard and planning out the steps I will take to achieve these
goals.

Prompt 7

”A slightly macabre way of identifying your personal values (but a very compelling one) is to
imagine your own funeral.” Take this writer’s notebook to detail what you hope your obituary
will read. Make sure to include the values and characteristics that are more important to you.
Write 8+ sentences for full credit.

I hope my obituary will state the values and characteristics that made me, me. It will state
how hard-working and compassionate I am with everything I do even if I do not enjoy doing it. It
will also say how motivated I am to do well and how I thrive with the feedback and results I get.
If I don´t do something well enough, I try to correct myself and work extra hard to achieve what
is necessary. I like being in control of my life by keeping track and being on top of work and my
other activities. I also would want it to include some of my passions such as running and fitness
overall, and how it has helped my mindset grow. Lastly, it would be cool if my obituary stated
how open-minded I am going into my future and exploring new things. That happiness is the
most important.

Prompt 8

1. Please be able to answer what an informational interview is and is not.

a. An informational interview is a one-on-one conversation with someone who has a
job you might be interested in, who works within an industry you might want to
enter or is employed by a specific company that you are interested in learning
 about.
b. An informational interview is not just an interview you get information from. You
need to do your own research and have an understanding before you ask questions
that aren’t that into depth.
2. In a couple of sentences, talk about how an informational interview might be able to help
you professionally.

I think an informational interview will help me get insight on what people do in

the field I am interested in. It might help me get a better perspective on what I might do if
I work in that field so that I have a definite answer to if I still want to be doing it.

3. Write at least 3 questions you would like to ask someone in the field of your dreams.
a. How much freedom do you have to do what you want in your field?
b. What do you like best about your job and what don’t you like?
c. What is one thing you wish you knew before working in this field?

Prompt 9

Look at the chart below and answer the questions on your website.

1. What are the three largest cost categories for families?

a. Housing, Transportation, Food
2. Roughly what percentage of their expenditures do families spend on entertainment?
a. Roughly 75%
3. What percentage of a typical family’s expenditures would you consider needs and compared
 to wants?
a. 80% and higher are wants
4. What expenses would you expect to stay the same month after month? What would vary
most month to month?
a. Housing, healthcare, and food are likely to stay the same
b. Transportation, apparel and services, etc. are likely to vary most
5. You overhear a friend discuss how Americans are frivolous in their spending and waste lots of
money. Use this data on family budgets to argue against his position.
a. I can use this data by pointing out that food and healthcare cost more than the ü seless
stuff¨ families buy. I will make sure to give the person facts and show them this chart
indicating how well families actually spend their money.

Prompt 10

1. Did you talk with your parents about whether they plan to help you for college?
a. Yes I talked to them a week ago and they plan to pay for my college and have a
savings for it

2. Was the conversation easier or more difficult than you anticipated?

a. The conversation was relatively easy. I talked with my parents and they do not want
me to start my life straddled with debt from education loans.

3. What was the hardest part of the conversation? Easiest?

a. The conversation was not hard at all. It was easy because my parents have already
thought about it and they have it all taken care of.

4. List 3 questions that were answered and list 3 questions that remain about how you will pay
for college.

Questions Answered
 a. Who is paying
i. Parents
b. Where is the money coming from?
i. 529 plan
c. When did money start getting invested in 529 plan?
i. Right when I was born

Questions that Remain

d. What do I need to look out for when coming to money?

e. Will I be paying for anything at all?
f. What college am I going to? (Most amount of money?)

5. Please list at least 3 scholarships you can apply for to help you pay
a. Federal Grant Scholarship
b. Athletic Scholarship
c. National Honors Society Scholarship

Prompt 11

1. What do you look for in a student's application?

2. How does this school stand out? (What is different?)
3. Do you have an honors college?