Find your 'why'

Whether you're a planner setting five-year milestones or an adventurer looking for your next mountain to climb, it's important to know why you do what you do.

This page asks you to identify your 'why,' the personal values that orient you through the changes in your life.

At university, your major, degree, or career options may change (and that's okay!). The important thing is that you'll be able to negotiate these changes more effectively if you reflect on the values you bring with you. By reflecting on your values across your time at university, you will be able to make informed choices about your future.

Graduate Stories: In this video, University of Sydney alumni share advice for students taking their first steps toward their professional futures.

Remember, you've come so far

• Be proud of your story. Your journey to university may be different, but it's what got you here, so own it!

Reach out

• Attend career fairs, presentations, and workshops during the year.
• Find a mentor who is ahead of you in your degree or career. Find a mentor on a University peer mentoring program.
• Talk with family, peers, mentors, or tutors about what options are open to you.

Explore

• Get involved in volunteer or paid experience in your field as soon as you can.
• Don't leave your passions in the classroom! Join clubs and societies that connect to your 'why'. You'll gain amazing life experiences and meet like-minded people.
• Take advantage of flexible degree options to follow your interests, talk to students in different degrees, and engage in extra-curricular activities.
• Try not to think about your future as a distant career pathway or just a way to earn money. Instead, look for what will make you feel truly passionate and fulfilled, and what you could actually start doing (in some form) whilst still studying.

While I've always dreamed of building the fastest cars and the tallest buildings, I also chose to study engineering to gain the ability to support my family and put a smile on their dial.

Robert 3rd year Civil Engineering

My university journey has always been as much for my community as it has been for myself. It always reminded me of the proverb: 'It takes a village to raise a child.' I feel as if it's my turn to pay it back and develop the skills needed to help bridge the gap for Indigenous Australians.

Matilda 2nd year Arts/Law

We'd like you to reflect on the reasons why you do what you do. By doing so, you'll have a clearer sense of the connection between your current work and/or study, and your personal values. 

The short writing activity below asks you a few questions about what connects your values and your current work and study. If you are unsure about your values, don't worry - there will be a number of examples in the worksheet.

The worksheet will also ask you to complete the second section in six months time. We'd like you to come back to your reflections to continue to connect your time at university with a developing sense of purpose. To help with this, you can create a recurring six-month reminder in your calendar (e.g. Google Calendar Links to an external site., Microsoft To Do Links to an external site., and so on) to prompt you to come back to the worksheet.

You may encounter similar activities at university. If you do, adapt and expand on your reflections with new focuses on your chosen area of study! Your results are not fixed or final: you will continue to grow and develop through new learning experiences.