In a book club led by ASSETT Student Technology Consultants, undergraduate students looked toward their futures while at CU and beyond. The program, which was piloted in the spring semester of 2020, was based on Designing Your Life by Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. The authors guide readers through a number of exercises designed to craft what they want their future careers, life, love, and fun to look like. Their rounded approach and encouragement to consider your "many lives" (the many possible directions your life could go) promotes creative thinking about one’s future.
“Even if I don't figure out what exactly I want to do, I would like to walk away with a mindset that I can use when approaching new opportunities. I want to know which questions to ask for job or internship positions and how to feel confident in my choices,” explained one participant about why he joined the book club. 
Undergraduate students participated in this book club for a variety of reasons. Many wanted a game plan for after graduation, or at least a better idea of what they would like to do. Some wanted the group setting of a book club, to hold them accountable and help them better develop their own ideas about their futures. Some went in without expectations and an open mind.
Originally, the book club consisted of four in-person meetings, with independent reading and exercises. The first meeting was held in person, but after COVID-19 precautions taken by CU Boulder, the following three meetings were held over Zoom.
After the rapid shift to virtual sessions, not all of the original attendees could make the following meetings. For some, classes going virtual meant their commitments had changed and for others, uncertainty with COVID-19 made thinking about the future more taxing. For the remaining participants, however, the independent reading, the exercises to get them thinking about their future, and the group discussions were predominantly helpful. For students, the group setting, feedback from peers, and exercises to facilitate open-minded thinking for the future was helpful for better approaching their futures at CU and beyond.
“It was a good environment to keep me accountable to keep reading and doing the activities, and a good resource to share my findings and reflect on the feedback.”
“Awesome book club! I really enjoyed it and learned a lot of valuable skills. I gave the book to my mom and she’s reading it now.”
ASSETT and the Student Technology Consultants plan to facilitate another student-focused book club in the fall of 2020. The book is still to be determined, but they want to bring back the peer setting, group conversation, and self-reflection for students.
For more information on future book clubs, reach out to Jacie Moriyama, Student Services Portfolio Manager.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
