There are a number of activities we've gathered for you from various sources. We hope that these activities will help you to better understand yourself. Check them out!

You may wish to complete some, and then print them out. Keep them together, update periodically and you'll have your very own personal Quest Journal. Begin to "Know Thyself" with these activities:

1. What stands out for you in your life over the past few years?
   What kinds of things have been important?
   What stays with you?

2. Describe what your life is like right now.
   What do you care about?

3. How would you describe yourself to yourself?

4. Is the way you see yourself now different from the way you saw yourself in the past?
   What led to the changes?
   Have there been any turning points?

5. How do you see yourself changing in the future?

6. What does being a woman mean to you?
   Do you think that there are any important differences between men and women?

7. Looking back, what relationships have been really important to you?

8. Have the relationships changed?
   How do you account for the change?

9. Who helped you shape shaped yourself into the person you have become?

10. How would you describe your mother? Father? Primary care giver?
    Has your view of them been changing?

1. Everyone has had the experience of being in situations where they had to make a decision but weren't sure what was the right thing to do. Think back to a situation in which you weren't sure what the right decision was. What was the situation? What was the conflict in the situation?

2. In thinking about what to do, what did you consider? Why?
   Were there other things involved in trying to figure out what to do?
   How did you weigh each alternative?

3. What did you decide to do? Why? What happened?

4. Looking back on it now, did you make the best choice?
   Why or why not?

5. Thinking back on the whole event, what did you learn from it?

1. What do you think that you'll remember the most about your experience in learning so far? (Think of specific academic and nonacademic experiences, good and bad teachers, usefull and useless assignments, various learning situations both in and off campus)

2. List the most important things you would like to learn. How do you know that they are the most important things?

3. In learning something that you really want to know, how much can you rely on experts?
   The Importance of Math

   You probably know many young women who lose interest in math. They enjoyed it in grade school and were very good at it, but gradually they lost the motivation to learn it. It has nothing to do with ability. The ability is still there. Somehow the girls just aquired the notion that math is "unfeminine", "too hard" or chose to believe that brains are "uncool". These are some of the many excuses that we've heard.

   However we want you to know the facts. You need to take math. Did you know that three years of high school math will give you more career options than almost any other subject? A great array of clerical jobs in banking, insurance, business, and government need workers with math skills. Not to mention engineers, scientists and technicians.

   If you are planning to go to college, taking some math classes in high school is essential. If you have an interest in science or engineering, you need to take precalculus (math analysis) and possibly calculus. You also need to score well on the math section of the SAT. Many colleges will not admit you without a solid math foundation. It is true that various majors will require different levels of mathmatical knowledge. Hovever, all of them require an ability to think analytically. Your mastery of math gaurantees your good analytic skills.

   Think about your own mathematical experience. How important is it for you to learn math?

   If not what is your excuse?

   Knowing What You Want Out Of Life
   Envisioning Your Future

   What about you? Do you have a vision for your future? You should use the steps that you've completed in your Quest Journal so far to give you ideas for a vision. Try to imagine a positive future for yourself. What you expect usually turns into what you get.

   Imagine your ideal career. What kind of setting are you in? What tasks are you doing? Are you working alone or with others? How do you feel about yourself? Describe it to yourself in as much detail as possible.

   Defining Success

   What does success mean to you? What would you have to be doing to feel that you are a sucessful person? Everybody has their own opinons, here are some listed below. Indicate whether you strongly agree, agree, are not sure, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following opinions.

   Money, achievement, fame and success are important, but they are bought too dearly when aquired at the cost of health
   -Anonymous

   It's great to be great, but it's better to be human.
   -Will Rogers

   Nothing succeeds like excess.
   -Oscar Wilde

   Success is a journey, not a destination.
   -Ben Sweetland

   The fastest way to succeed is to look as if your playing by other people's rules, while quietly playing by your own.
   -Michael Korda

   She could not separate success from peace of mind--the two must go together...
   -Daphne Du Maurier, Mary Anne

   All of us are born with a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.
   -Danny Thomas

   I've never sought success in order to get fame and money: it's the talent and the passion that count in success.
   -Ingrid Bergman

   The two leading formulas for success are building a better mousetrap and finding a bigger loophole.
   -Edgar A. Shoaff

   Success is something to enjoy to flaunt! Otherwise why work so hard to get it?
   -Isobel Lennart, Funny Girl

   Success is knowing what your values are and living in a way that is consistant with your values.
   -Danny Cox

   Success can only be measured in the terms of distance traveled...
   -Mavis Gallant

   If at first you don't succeed, you are running about average.
   -Jean Kerr

   Success can make you one of two ways. it can make you a prima donna, or it can smooth out the edges, take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out.
   -Barbara Walters

   Six essential qualities that are key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.
   -Dr. William Menninger

   The people who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
   -Lloyd Jones

   The wealthy man is the man who is much, not the one who has much.
   -Karl Marx

   Winning isn't everything--it's the only thing.
   -Vince Lombardi

   Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
   -Robert F. Kennedy

   If at first you can't succeed try, try again. Then give up--there's no use being a fool about it.
   -W.C Fields

   I'm opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.
   -Mark Twain

   Write up your own definition of success:

   Your definition:
   ______________________________________
   ______________________________________
   ______________________________________

   Your name:__________________

   Identifying Your Passions, Strengths and Values

   Try to complete the following statements. Do not worry if you are not sure of the answers. More ideas may come to you in time and as you finish your Quest Journal

   Passions

   My heart pounds with excitement when...

   I feel especially good about myself when...

   I get a lump in my throat when...

   I lose track of time whenever I am...

   If I could be any person in history , I would be...

   When I dream about the future I see myself...

   If I could change one thing it would be...

   Strengths

   Mark as many of the following words with which you identify yourself.

   forthright adventurous forceful sharp decisive risk taker demanding authoritative direct curious competitive self-sufficient

   enthusiastic expressive influencing emotional inventive spontaneous trusting outgoing unselfish self-assured charming inspiring

   steady amible predictable supportive loyal methodical team player calm thorough dependable self-composed possessive

   analytical controlling perfectionist systematic conventional respectful meticulous well-disciplined diplomatic precise sensitive accurate

   Values

   Before you can achieve any goals in life you have to know how to set them. Before you can set your goals you need to decide what is important to you, what your values are. There are no right or wrong values, They can be anything that you consider important or maybe something that you couldn't imagine living without. Just make sure that the values you choose to define yourself are truly your own values and not someone else's. Look at the following categories try to decide what is the most important to you now, and what maybe the most important value in your future.

   Family Family can mean many things. It can be people that you are related to or just a group of people that you are close to. If family is a very important value to you, you might want to consider a career that lets you stay close to home with consistant hours that will let you keep the commitment to your family and close friends	Adventure Adventure may take you many places and put you on an irregular, spontaneous schedule. It is possible to enjoy family life and adventure by weighing your priorities. Remember you can have a little of everything in moderation.
   Knowledge If you value knowledge you should structure a lifestyle where you are constantly learning. You can chose a job where you do research. Remember that "living is learning"--you just have to keep an open mind.	Power It's hard to find an entry-level job with a lot of power. If power is an important value you should always keep that in mind and keep your sights high. You should take a lot of leadership roles that will help you gain the skills necessary to be in charge.
   Moral Judgment and Personal Consistency If this value is important it means that you are proud of yourself and your values, no matter how they look in sombody else's eyes. You should choose a career and life that you feel is worthwhile.	Money If money is your top priority you should be prepared to spend long hours at work. you should remember to look at the salary that a job offers before accepting the position, It may be hard to make money right away but if you keep your sights high then everything will come in time.
   Recognition If recognition is what you want, you first have to choose what you want to be recognized for. Remember to choose something that you have a talent in. If you don't seek world wide recognition then you may try to assert yourself in a small community.	Aesthetics If you love to be surrounded by beauty. Open your eyes to the beauty all arround you. You may also want to take a job that would take you into more pleasures for the eyes.

   
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