Plans

At Bennington College, students organize their course of study through the Plan Process. Each student writes a Plan, an academic course of study that he will pursue during his time in college, and evaluates his progress with this Plan at several points in his career. Plans are not written alone; Plans must be read over by the faculty advisor and approved by a faculty Plan Committee. This is to ensure rigor in a very open assignment that can vary between really solid and clear to vague and unfocused.

The Plan process is taking what is done elsewhere and placing it in an academic setting--businesses, for example, have their board of directors that they report to. Elsewhere, I have received the suggestion of creating a "Mastermind Network" (pardon me, I can't remember the exact term). These are a group of people with whom you can work through your goals in a secure and constructive manner.

While this isn't the only feature of Bennington College's educational system, it's the one I'm working on as I look to the future. Without the structure of college and seemingly without the requirements to obtain my dream jobs, how can I progress forward? By building my own set of advisors who can provide feedback as I make choices in my life. Through my network of advisors, I gain access to information I would not otherwise have had. This includes both awareness of specific skills to acquire and opportunities to pursue.

In order for meetings with my advisors to be productive, I must first have my plan ready, of course. Thus, I have decided that for my post-college life, I will mirror the Bennington Plan Process as a structure that will guide me to obtain my goals. I am taking this first year to fully explore the options I find and be comfortable with make choices in the short-term. Then, I will put together a more long-term vision of where I am headed and seek the feedback from my advisors. Then, I will focus in toward my goal armed with the know-how to achieve it, occassionally checking in with advisors as I refine my work.

I am confident that working in this structure will organize my work in the future. As a reminder to myself, though, I have posted my Senior Reflection Essay from Bennington College below. I regard graduating from Bennington College as my first real accomplishment. Attending Bennington College was the first goal I've had where I really felt ownership over the entire process. However, upon graduation, I did not regard my Plan as entirely successful. My Senior Reflection Essay contains my assessment of the situation. This is my second time Planning. I know that I will not make the same mistakes twice.

View My Senior Reflection Essay