How You Got Through College, Based on Your Personality Type

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Whatever your personality type, there was probably a point where you mildly considered dropping out of college.

It might have been when you stared bitterly at your roommate’s passive-aggressive Post-it note. Or maybe it was when your professor gave you an 89 instead of a 90, depriving you of an A. Or was it when you opened an exam booklet and realized that, oh wow, you knew absolutely nothing on the test?

Well, whatever it was, you were able to make it. You made it through years of exams, social awkwardness, and too many firsts to count. And, hopefully, you’re walking away with the opportunity to pursue the life you want.

One question on your mind may be, “What comes next?” But before you move on to tackling that great big question, how about taking the time to pat yourself on the back?

C’mon. You deserve it.

Why?

Because university is a difficult beast to tame, friends. Be proud of yourself for coming so far.

So, let’s give some credit to you, the person who got yourself through all those years of hard work. Also, let’s point out some of the chuckle-worthy tools and methods you might’ve used, based on your personality type.

(Note: We mean all of this in good fun. Mostly.)

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  • Architect: Finished university out of sheer spite. Likely thought, “Wow, this is a waste of time, I hate this,” at least once during their college career.
  • Logician: Survived through unhinged creativity and desperate motivation two hours before their assignment was due, including going down multiple research rabbit holes and racking up a questionable YouTube viewing history.
  • Commander: Joined several organizations and, unsurprisingly, did well. Kept afloat by their unassailable sense of self-confidence and the desire to crush others beneath their heel.
  • Debater: Didn’t survive so much as ricochet off the walls, but somehow managed to graduate. Favorite tools of choice? Red Bull and an unsettling ability to stay up for three days straight.
  • Advocate: Probably double majored. Sought out wholesome friendships to keep them afloat while simultaneously googling “How to recover from burnout as soon as possible.”
  • Mediator: Cried. And then pulled a Hail Mary and realized, “Hey, I’m actually pretty capable” – until they promptly forgot everything the next day.
  • Protagonist: Super excited about all the opportunities available to them, but also worried about whether they’d be able to find purpose and be paid well in the future. Survived by packing those existential worries deep, deep down and enjoying their time in college instead.
  • Campaigner: THE LOUDEST PERSON IN THE LIBRARY. Loved to be an emotional life jacket for their friends, and survived by finding several communities of friends with whom they could commiserate. “Do you understand this? I don’t understand this. No? Well, at least we can fail together.”
  • Logistician: On the surface, survived through choosing a practical course of study with a manageable course load. Deep down, loved to perturb their peers through their uncanny competence.
  • Defender: Surviving? Who had time to think about surviving? They put one foot in front of the other and did what had to be done.
  • Executive: Made an, ahem, executive decision that sleep was for the weak and that they would be the best students and the best partiers, so help them God.
  • Consul: Really, really wanted to be known as a well-adapted adult, and didn’t think that dropping out of college would fit that narrative.
  • Virtuoso: Survived by sitting at the back of the class and thinking about things they could build in their spare time.
  • Adventurer: Dedicated much of their time to cultivating an “aesthetic.” Survived through the satisfaction of being the best-dressed person in class and having the best taste.
  • Entrepreneur: They didn’t survive university. University survived them.
  • Entertainer: They partied, of course. Likely ended up with a tattoo and/or piercing by the end of their college career. But mostly survived because they were part of an organization or program or major that required them to do well or be kicked out.

Now that you’ve graduated from college, take some time to relax. Celebrate. And wait at least a week before you think about signing up for a graduate program.

Okay, we’ve had a little fun with each personality, but now we’d love to hear from you. How did you get through college – and what advice would you give to students with your personality type? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Further Reading

The Frazzled Debater – Stories From the Real World

How to Take a Mental Health Day for Your Personality Type

How to Survive Your First Day on a New Job, by Personality Type

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Comments

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A grayscale avatar for an anonymous user
I survived like the ENFJ during the first three years, and like the ESFJ during my fourth and fifth year.
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Architect: Finished university out of sheer spite. Likely thought, “Wow, this is a waste of time, I hate this,” at least once during their college career. TRUE LOL
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Well, I haven't gone through college yet. But I am a high school student, and so I do know what exams are (shocking, right? XD). So, here is how each personality type would get through the dreaded exams. INTJ: Psh, they completed them far before everyone else. Better to get the work that's boring out of the way so you can actually do something worthwhile. INTP: Even though they didn't actually study for the exam, they do know all the material anyway due to several nights spent staying up until 3 am deep into Youtube and Wikipedia. ENTJ: They got through all the course material efficiently, and forced others to do the same. ENTP: Too lazy to actually study material, so they devised an elaborate way to cheat on the test without getting caught. The amount of time it took to get around studying is far longer than if they actually just studied. INFJ: Helping everyone study the night before and giving them information. INFP: Went to study, but then got distracted by who knows what else. Probably realized they had 6 other exams to study for and couldn't study them all in time. Oops. ENFJ: Went with the INFJ to go and help others study. Set up a group study session in advance specifically for this purpose. ENFP: Along with the INFP, they got distracted, except they didn't remember the other 6 exams they had to study for. ISTJ: Fully prepared, notes taken, knows all the material and worked very hard to that end goal. Of course it paid off as well. ISFJ: Baked cookies for the group study session that the ENFJ coordinated. ESTJ: Joined in with the ENTJ in forcing everyone else to study. ESFJ: Brought healthy food for the group study session and some coffee in a variety of flavors from Starbucks. ISTP: Helped the ENTP design a way to cheat, built the mechanics for it. ISFP: Painted the contraption for the ENTP. ESTP and ESFP: Both of them completely forgot about the final exams. But they don't care--why worry about something that could impact your future? Life is now, man.
INFJ avatar
Haha literally me there!!! I’m not perfect, but somehow I remember important information without knowing I know it
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Too true. Though I might have checked on the ENTP's cheat method. Not to use it or anything, just to see how... Advanced... It's become.
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Absolutely!
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me in a nutshell
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Yes, this is accurate, although I must admit that my "not studying, but knowing all the material anyway," occasionally fails, and I resort to cheating (due to laziness), so I guess I fit under both the INTP and ENTP ones XD
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TRUEEEEEE! :D
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For whatever reason, I relate most to Logician study and work habits. Procrastinate and get an absurdly high mark for something that was made right before the deadline; Barely study but inexplicably do really well on tests
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Hahahaha That is definitely me, hahahaha
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If I valued intellectual honesty just a smidgen less than I do, that is totally something I would do.
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Yeah, I just end up cramming last minute and resurfacing with a bunch of other tidbits
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Yup exactly
ISTP avatar
Yep cheating. Thats my thing! Thanks, ENTP
INTP avatar
I am still in college. This is still accurate. ...I still have sheep carcass videos pop up on YouTube from time to time because of a meat science lab fall semester. O.O
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Accurate for me when I started college. Lol...I cried a lot, I’ll admit. :D