[KC]: Exploring Key Concepts Activity

What’s Next After High School

Activity 3: Exploring Key Concepts

Words are more than lists to memorize for a test; they are concepts, the ideas that allow us to distinguish ourselves from one another. Some of us feel “courageous,” others feel “cautious,” and yet others may feel “indifferent” or “unconcerned.” The task here is (1) to find the words that best match ideas about who you think you are at this stage of your life; and (2) to begin to unpack these words for the information they provide about your attitudes and assumptions, skills and abilities, plans and goals. The more language you have to describe yourself and what you are bringing to the next stage of your life, the more opportunities you have to represent yourself accurately.

What follows is a rather brief list of words, certainly not a comprehensive list, that will help you find words that name the values and abilities you are bringing to the next stage of your life.

Look through the list, and choose 10 words that best fit your sense of self. Write them down in your notebook in the section you have titled “What’s Next?”

absent-minded active adventurous analytical angry appreciative artistic book smart complicated cool curious dependable determined developed devoted disciplined respectful responsible scientific

self-aware self-promoter self-reliant self-starter selfish serious shine at work shy person small steps enterprising enthusiastic family person fearful goal-setter habitual happy helpful hungry impatient

Inarticulate indispensable influential inquisitive intellectual kind social person street smart stressed talkative trustworthy truthful underachiever valiant warrior wishful worrier leader life of the mind

light-hearted low self esteem mindful motivated optimistic organized outgoing passionate patient persuasive pessimistic positive self esteem procrastinator realistic

Now, think of ten words of your own, and add to the list.  Then, in your notebooks, rank your 20 words from most important to least important in describing who you are right now.

Since these are things that describe "the values and abilities that you are bringing to the next stage of your life," rank them in the order of what YOU think is most important in making up who you are, meaning which words describe you BEST to LEAST. Obviously, they all describe you, which is why you chose them. Of the 20, which best describes you (#1) and so on.