Explore Your Purpose Project

Part Three:
Future You Plan
What is the Future You Plan?
Keeping in mind Part One and Part
Two of your Explore Your Purpose
Project, this assignment was created
to get you thinking about what’s
ahead and then develop multiple
plans for your time at DePaul. The
plans you create will be unique to
you, your values, your interests,
your circumstances, and all the
things that matter to you as you
think about your DePaul experience.
What’s the purpose?
You have numerous decisions to
make about your DePaul
experience: major/minor, career,
finances, on/off campus jobs,
involvement on campus, wellness,
friends/community connections.
Even if you are certain of your major
there are decisions you will need to
make about how you explore and
learn about your field during your
time at DePaul. Many things may
influence your decisions; this might
include family, supporters, financial
constraints, responsibilities outside
of DePaul, and other things that are
unique to you and your experience.
Often the unexpected comes up and
that can also influence your
decisions. The idea of all these
decisions combined with your
responsibility to own your
experience can feel different from
being in high school. At times this
can feel exciting and other times it
may be a bit daunting or
overwhelming. To help your
prepare for some of these decisions
this assignment will challenge you
to consider these decisions by
creating 3 realistic, but different
plans for your DePaul experience.
Assignment Details
Design 3 detailed versions of your DePaul experience along with the first year after
graduation. Ideally these plans will have 3 different majors or career paths.
To complete this assignment you will need the following:
A Reflective Essay on Your Plans
In a six paragraph reflective essay reflect on your plans using the following format:
Paragraph One: Introduction & Overview
Paragraph Two: Explain Plan One
Paragraph Three: Explain Plan Two
Paragraph Four: Explain Plan Three
Paragraph Five: Consider the items below in reference to ONE of your plans:

1. Assess the following elements and features of your plan:
a. Resources (Can you do this at DePaul? Do you have the objective
resources – time, money, skills, and contacts – to pursue this plan?)
b. Likability (how hot or cold are you about this plan?)
c. Confidence (how sure are you that you can do this?)
d. Coherence (Does this plan make sense within itself? Is it consistent
with your values, interests, and personality?)
2. Other considerations to examine/imagine:
a. What learning and experience will you gain in this plan?
b. What are the impacts/results of choosing this plan?
c. What will life look like?
d. Geography – where do you live?
Paragraph Six: Wrap Up & Conclusion
All parts of the Explore Your Purpose Project, including your Future You Plan are due
by the last Common Hour.
Important Considerations
As you work on this assignment it is important to acknowledge that people often
struggle with creating these types of plans because they try to decide on the best plan
possible; this can be difficult because in reality there is not one plan that is best.
There are many possible plans that could great. Don’t think of these as plan A, Plan B
& Plan C, where each is less desirable than the previous plan. Each should be thought
of as a viable Plan A.
If you are having trouble creating distinct plans, consider these as an example:
Plan 1: The plan you already have in mind
Plan 2: The plan you would pursue if Plan 1 was no longer an option
Plan 3: The plan you would pursue if money or image were no object
“The conclusion is that if your mind starts with multiple ideas in parallel, it is not
prematurely committed to one path and stays more open and able to receive and conceive
more novel innovations. Designers have known this all along – you don’t want to start with
just one idea, or you’re likely to get stuck with it.”
Adapted from: Designing your life: How to build a well-lived, joyful life. B. Burnett & D.
Evans (2016) pp 87-105