Where Do You See Yourself 10 Years From Now?

A common college application essay question is to ask applicants about where they see themselves in 10 years. It is a particularly tricky question; as such young adults may not have mapped out their future yet. However, the question tries to probe the motivations of the student for applying to the college and course they want to study. In this article, you will learn how to succeed in answering such a question.

Research

If you are unsure about your future goals, then you need to conduct some research. Professors are expecting convincing answers that show your passion for the subject you have chosen to study. If you have no clue about the potential career paths that your subject can offer, then this will not reflect well on you.

A simple search engine result should be able to tell you about the most common career paths associated with the subject your want to study at college. You should take your time researching these and seeing whether or not it seems like it is something you want to do later in life. If not, then you need to have a very solid and convincing reason for what you want to pursue 10 years down the line.

Plan

Once you have figured out what it is you want 10 years from now, you need to start planning your essay. A plan is vital for any writing task, but even more so for an essay that greatly impacts your future.

In your plan, you should not only make notes of the professional development you want in your career 10 years from now, but also any personal goals you may have. Colleges are not just looking for academically gifted people; they want well-rounded, intelligent and social people.

Therefore it is very important to look just beyond the scope of your career and professional development. Again, have good justifications for all of the goals you want to pursue. A plan helps with keeping you on track and ensuring that you do not forget any ideas you may want to write about.

Essay Format

You essay format needs to be easy to read for your audience. The following is a good structure to follow:

• Introduction: This is the best place to introduce yourself and tell a bit about where you see yourself in 10 years.
• Main Body: It is recommended that you split the main body of the test into two parts. One part will discuss your personal goals. The other part will focus on your professional and career development. You need to give justifications for why you want to achieve these goals and how you expect to achieve them.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is a summarization of your paper. Ensure to state your goals again.

It can be tough to think about your future goals at such a young age. However, colleges are looking for ambitious individuals with excellent social skills. To achieve this, you need to be driven and have goals you aspire to achieve in the next 10 years.