# My College Roadmap — AI Interview Prompt

I want you to help me think intentionally about my college experience and the first few years after graduation.

Your job is to interview me and then create a document called **My College Roadmap**.

I am a college student, and I may not know what career I want yet. Do not assume that I should already have my future figured out.

Answers such as these are completely acceptable:

- I don't know.
- I'm not sure.
- I'm considering several possibilities.
- I haven't experienced that yet.
- I want to explore that.
- Pass.

Treat uncertainty as useful information rather than something that has to be immediately resolved.

## How to Interview Me

Ask me questions **one at a time**.

Keep the interview focused enough that it can be completed in approximately 10–15 minutes.

Ask approximately 10–12 main questions, but use brief follow-up questions when my answer is vague or when additional detail would significantly improve the roadmap.

Challenge me to be specific.

For example, if I say:

"I want to be successful,"

ask what success means to me.

If I say:

"I want a good job,"

ask what would make a job good for me.

If I say that I am interested in something, ask what experiences led me to that interest.

If something I say seems inconsistent with another answer, respectfully point that out and ask me to think about it.

Do not simply agree with everything I say.

Help me think.

However, do not pressure me to discuss highly personal or emotionally sensitive subjects.

If a potentially sensitive question would be useful, clearly identify it as **optional** and remind me that I can skip it.

Stay focused primarily on my college education, skills, experiences, academic choices, exploration, and preparation for life after college.

## Areas You Should Explore

Use these areas to guide the interview. You do not need to ask every question exactly as written.

### My Starting Point

Ask about:

- what year of college I am in,
- my major or possible majors,
- why I chose them,
- subjects that interest me,
- subjects that do not interest me,
- what I currently think I might want to do after college,
- and what I am still uncertain about.

### What I Want From College

Explore what I want college to provide.

Possible areas include:

- knowledge,
- career preparation,
- independence,
- confidence,
- experiences,
- friendships and professional connections,
- creative opportunities,
- leadership,
- technical skills,
- communication skills,
- discovering what I am good at,
- discovering what I care about,
- or something else.

Ask me to prioritize rather than simply saying everything is important.

### Strengths

Explore:

- what I think I am good at,
- subjects that come naturally to me,
- things other people ask me for help with,
- accomplishments I am proud of,
- skills I already possess,
- and strengths I may not be using enough.

Ask for examples when useful.

### Interests and Curiosity

Explore:

- subjects I voluntarily learn about,
- activities I enjoy,
- problems I like solving,
- things that make me curious,
- industries or professions that seem interesting,
- and experiences I would like to try even if I do not know whether they will become a career.

Do not assume every interest needs to become a profession.

### Skills I Want to Develop

Ask what I would like to become significantly better at during college.

Consider areas such as:

- writing,
- speaking,
- research,
- technology,
- AI,
- creativity,
- video,
- design,
- data,
- leadership,
- teamwork,
- organization,
- networking,
- problem-solving,
- professional communication,
- or skills specific to my academic field.

Help me distinguish between skills I already have and skills I need to develop.

### How I Currently Approach College

Explore:

- how I manage my time,
- how I study,
- whether I ask for help when I need it,
- whether I tend to start things early or late,
- whether I participate in class,
- how willing I am to try unfamiliar things,
- and whether there are habits that could either help or limit my success.

Keep this practical rather than judgmental.

### Experiences Worth Pursuing

Ask which kinds of experiences interest me.

Possibilities include:

- internships,
- campus organizations,
- research,
- student media,
- performances,
- creative projects,
- competitions,
- part-time work,
- volunteering,
- leadership,
- study away,
- conferences,
- certifications,
- portfolio projects,
- mentoring,
- networking,
- or other opportunities.

Help me identify experiences that might allow me to **test possible futures**, not merely build a résumé.

### Challenges and Friction

Ask what could interfere with the college experience I want.

Possible examples include:

- procrastination,
- uncertainty,
- overcommitting,
- being reluctant to ask for help,
- poor organization,
- fear of failure,
- avoiding unfamiliar experiences,
- difficulty maintaining motivation,
- or simply not knowing what opportunities exist.

Focus on manageable behaviors and circumstances.

Do not diagnose me or turn this into a mental-health interview.

### Resources

Explore resources I may already have access to, including:

- professors,
- advisors,
- classmates,
- campus organizations,
- career services,
- alumni,
- facilities,
- laboratories,
- equipment,
- software,
- libraries,
- workshops,
- tutors,
- professional organizations,
- or people who could serve as mentors.

Help me notice useful resources I may be overlooking.

### Future Possibilities

Ask me to imagine possibilities without demanding certainty.

Explore:

- what I might like to be doing when I graduate,
- possibilities for the first 2–3 years after college,
- careers or industries worth exploring,
- experiences that could help me decide,
- skills future opportunities may require,
- and what I would try if I were less worried about being bad at it initially.

### Success

Ask me:

What would make me reach graduation and think:

> "I used my college experience well."

Push me beyond answers such as "get good grades" or "get a good job."

Grades and employment can certainly matter, but help me identify what else might define a successful college experience.

## Optional Reflection

Near the end, you may offer **one or two optional deeper questions**.

Clearly label them OPTIONAL.

Examples might include:

- Is there something you would really like to attempt during college but are afraid you might fail at?
- Are you pursuing something primarily because you genuinely want it, or because you think you are supposed to want it?
- If you could graduate with one capability that you do not currently possess, what would it be?

I may answer or skip these.

Do not press me if I skip them.

# Creating My College Roadmap

When the interview is complete, synthesize what you learned into a document titled:

# My College Roadmap

Do not merely repeat my answers.

Analyze them.

Look for patterns, connections, contradictions, opportunities, and unanswered questions.

Include these sections:

## 1. Where I Am Now

Summarize my current academic situation, interests, strengths, uncertainties, and priorities.

## 2. What I Want From College

Identify the most important outcomes I appear to want from my college experience.

Prioritize them.

## 3. Areas Worth Exploring

Identify academic fields, activities, industries, careers, skills, or experiences that seem worth investigating.

Do not pretend these are final career choices.

## 4. Strengths I Can Build On

Identify demonstrated or likely strengths supported by things I actually told you.

Do not invent strengths simply to be encouraging.

## 5. Skills I Should Develop

Identify approximately 3–6 skills that would substantially improve my ability to achieve the goals I described.

Explain why each matters.

## 6. Experiences I Should Seek

Recommend experiences that would help me learn, build skills, meet people, create work, or test potential career directions.

Distinguish between:

**Explore** — experiences that help me figure out what I like.

**Develop** — experiences that build capability.

**Demonstrate** — experiences that produce evidence of what I can do.

## 7. Potential Obstacles

Identify behaviors, uncertainties, habits, or circumstances that could interfere with my goals.

For each one, suggest a realistic response.

Do not exaggerate problems.

## 8. Questions I Still Need to Answer

List important things I do not yet know.

Frame these as questions worth investigating rather than deficiencies.

## 9. My Roadmap

Create a realistic roadmap covering:

### Now Through the End of This Academic Year

What should I prioritize now?

### Middle of College

What should I explore, develop, or accomplish during the middle portion of college?

### Before Graduation

What experiences, capabilities, relationships, or evidence of my abilities should I ideally have by graduation?

### First 2–3 Years After Graduation

Based on what I currently know, what are some reasonable possibilities?

Give me directions to explore rather than pretending to predict my future.

## 10. My Next Five Moves

Give me five specific actions I could realistically begin soon.

Make them concrete.

## 11. My Current Definition of Success

Based on our conversation, summarize what a successful college experience currently appears to mean to me.

## 12. What I May Be Underestimating

Identify 1–3 strengths, opportunities, risks, or possibilities that I may not be giving enough attention.

Explain your reasoning.

## 13. Context for Future AI Conversations

End with a concise section titled:

**My College Context**

Write approximately 300–500 words containing the most useful information another AI system should know before giving me advice about:

- college,
- learning,
- academic choices,
- skills,
- opportunities,
- internships,
- projects,
- or early career possibilities.

Make this section easy for me to copy and paste into another AI conversation.

Do not include unnecessary personal information.

Remember: this roadmap represents what I know **right now**. It is not a contract with my future self.