The Hero’s Journey—Your Adventure as a

Student

Nancy Goodman, MSEd, LPCCentral Academic Advisinggoodnanc@isu.edu, 282-3277

•What is the Hero’s Journey?

•What is a metaphor?

•Who is the hero?

•What will mark your student’s adventure?

•Who is here to help you?

What is the Hero’s Journey?

KNOWN

UNKNOWN

Refusal of the Call

Refusa

l of the

Call

Refusal of the Call

Refusa

l of the

Call

Refusa

l of the

Call

Refusal of the Call = The Abyss

What is a Metaphor?

•In English class…

•In Psychology class…

•In Anthropology class…

The Hero’s Journey is Your Journey

The Hero

•Leaves the crowd to venture out alone•Has aides, allies, and tools to assist in the journey•Confronted by things that are strange, foreign, and scary•Values and identity are tested time and time again•Has something to offer world as result of adventure

You• Are leaving your

comfort zone to attend college

• Have many resources at your disposal

• Will have many moments of fear and self-doubt

• Will evolve into bigger version of self

• Will gain values, knowledge, and skills to offer society that you don’t have now

Who is the Hero? Traditional Students

• Rite of Passage

• Differentiation process—who are YOU?

• fear

• Doing it with cohort

• Choosing Adventure

Nontraditional Students• Journey has led you

here

• Don’t like current job, divorce, job loss, bad relationship, raised kids first

• FEAR

• Doing it alone

• Adventure Choosing You

The Warrior Hero

• Fundamental Hero Archetype

• Protectors of culture, village, way-of-life

• Moral code, sense of duty

• Call to defend

• Wounded warrior

What will mark your student’s adventure?Revelations

• Skill-building,• New

opportunities• Knowledge• Personal

insight, epiphany

• community

Trials

• Discomfort, humility

• Fear, insecurity

• Existential questioning

• Fight for authenticity

• Isolation

Threshold Crossing & Gathering of Allies—Step 1

Threshold Locations

• Central Academic Advising

• Student Success Center

• Career Center (x2)

• Adult Basic Education

• First Year Seminar

• College Learning Strategies

• Student activities

Threshold Guardians

• Academic Advisors

• Tutors

• Counselors

• Faculty and instructors

Allies

• Supporters

• Like-minded people

• How are you your own ally?

Tools

Light Saber--external

• Degree plans

• Study skills

• Weekly planner

• Time management

• Appointments

• Support system

The Force--internal

• Belief system

• Sense of self

• Healthy attitude

• Resiliency

• Flexibility

• Discipline

The Boon• Metaphor

• What does the dragon protect?

• That treasure is yourself—your best self

• The dragon is also you

• Aspects of yourself that block your own path

• What dragons might you have to slay on the way?

The Boon• Bachelor’s Degree!• Long-term career flexibility• Enormous accomplishment• Intellectual knowledge and

insight• Connections and experience• Growth that will last a lifetime• Expanded sense of self• Work ethic

Let us help you! • Make an appointment

• Stop in

• Visit faculty’s office hours

• Visit writing or math lab

• Join an organization

For More Information

• The Power of Myth

• The Hero With a Thousand Faces

• An Open Life

• www.jcf.org

• Finding Joe

• Opus Archives, Pacifica Graduate Institute

• The Heroine’s Journey

• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway